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drupa 2021 in-person event officially cancelled

Following consultation with exhibitors and partners, drupa 2021 has officially been cancelled due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The next drupa will take place as scheduled from May 28 to June 7, 2024, in Dusseldorf, Germany. In place of next year’s in-person event, drupa will be holding “virtual drupa,” four-day virtual event set to take place from April 20 to 23, 2021 during the time frame drupa was originally scheduled to occur.

“The pandemic has caused great uncertainty among exhibitors and visitors regarding participation in drupa 2021. Travel restrictions and budget pressure have increasingly intensified the situation in the print industry,” said Erhard Wienkamp, managing director of Messe Düsseldorf. “We have made this decision together with our partners who support this step. It was preceded by a detailed process of considering the current conditions and the needs of the industry.”

“A virtual event is exactly the right format in the current time. Attending drupa under the usual parameters was just too great a risk for many exhibitors, given declining export and turnover figures, as well as significant travel restrictions, which would also affect visitors,” added Claus Bolza-Schünemann, chairman at König und Bauer and president of drupa. “The new digital forum is a virtual platform, providing a reliable pillar and an opportunity to maintain valuable communications within the industry until 2024.”

In October, drupa launched its drupa preview platform, which provides an impression of what a “virtual drupa” will look like. The virtual event will allow companies to showcase themselves and their innovations virtually, as well as network with current and new connections.