Our regular column building up to drupa (May 6-19, 2004, Düsseldorf) looks at the information services provided by the show organizer
We are sure you will prepare thoroughly for your visit to drupa 2004 (May 6-19, in Düsseldorf, Germany). But even if you don’t manage to find the time to prepare, you don’t need to feel concerned about visiting the “World Market Print Media, Publishing & Converting”. Messe Düsseldorf will also make sure that during drupa all the information on the most important event for the graphics industry is right at hand. At the end of the day, you need to be able to organize your time at the fair as efficiently as possible.
Where are the exhibitors from the converting sector concentrated? You will encounter plenty of options that allow you to discover that in a matter of seconds. If you have wireless internet access from your laptop, all you need to do is go to www.drupa.com. There you can view the list of exhibitors and a complete hall plan, among other things. All it takes are a couple of clicks and you’ll be on top of the latest information.
Joerk Cardeneo, responsible for drupa’s electronic media and information systems, points out: “Even up-to-the-minute information on the numerous special presentations* can be accessed at any time. It’s definitely worth it!” What is more, during drupa, Messe Düsseldorf will make the latest exhibitor reports available on-line. Some stimulating ideas are sure to come up.
If you don’t have wireless access, you can find the hall plan and stand numbers for all the exhibitors either in the printed drupa catalogue or on the multimedia CD-ROM. If, for example, you plan on using your time on the plane (or the train) to prepare for your visit, then you should be sure to order your catalogue in good time before drupa starts. Catalogues will be available at all drupa foreign representative offices six weeks before the fair starts.
The same goes for your admission ticket. At least a few days before your departure, go to the map on the drupa website, and click on the continent and the country in which you live. A list of all the drupa representatives closest to you will appear. There you can order your catalogue and admission ticket. Both will be sent to you by return of post.
If on your arrival at the Trade Fair Centre you haven’t managed to obtain any of the information necessary for your tour of the stands yet, then you can simply use the drupa electronic information system. As you move through the fair, you will notice numerous computer aided information terminals in all of the 17 halls, which you can use to track down exhibitors’ hall and stand numbers in no time at all.
As you can see, even if you haven’t had a single free minute to prepare for your visit before departing for Düsseldorf, it’s not really a problem. “The information offerings at and during drupa will ensure that no matter what the circumstances, you will be able to work systematically and effectively,” emphasizes Joerk Cardeneo.
*These include the ‘drupa innovation arena’ or ‘software innovation park’, the ‘Compass Sessions’ organized by the Bundesverband Druck und Medien (German Printing and Media Industries Federation) as well as the ‘Highlights Tours’, relating to specific topics.