Digital press manufacturers are cancelling their participation in Drupa 2021 one after the other. Kodak, Fujifilm, Canon, Ricoh, EFI , Screen , Xerox and HP are now joined by Konica Minolta. The Japanese group will not participate in the graphic arts trade fair organized by Messe Düsseldorf in April.
"We still firmly believe in the value of meetings and of course in being able to observe our portfolio and touch the printed products of our presses (...) However, exhibiting at Drupa or any other trade fair at the moment makes no sense for us given the current global uncertainty. Things are too unpredictable says Olaf Lorenz, General Manager of the International Marketing Division of Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe, in a release.
In order to continue to communicate about its products and services, the Japanese group has launched various virtual events and is exploring the possibility of organizing local events.
Olaf Lorenz adds an optimistic note: "We are fully convinced that print will continue to be a means of communication, even with the threats of digital, mobile and virtual channels that many people think are fatal to our medium.
In fact, despite the pandemic and the more unpredictable environment in which we currently live, print is growing and finding new ways to generate impact and value, often alongside these other media. We will continue to explore these new ways of creating value with and for our customers and we are excited about what lies ahead!"
