‘Drupacube’ to Highlight Innovative Printed Products

DÜSSELDORF, GERMANY—01/23/08—“Marketing managers and publishing executives have little interest in which technology was used to produce a printed product. For them, what matters is the new communicative or commercial benefit that can be attained with the technology. And this is precisely the information that we’re offering at the drupacube,” explained Ralph Scholz who is responsible for the drupacube. Set to premiere at the upcoming print media fair, the drupacube will serve as an infotainment center for print buyers. During the day, the cube-shaped construction in the Congress Center South parking of the Düsseldorf fairgrounds will be the site of workshops and symposia, while from 6:00 pm on, it will turn into a stylish venue for events.

“Through the drupacube, Messe Düsseldorf is pursuing a number of marketing objectives,” commented drupa Project Director Manuel Mataré. “Our aim is to persuade those print buyers to visit drupa who are less interested in technology and whose primary focus is on identifying new marketing approaches. At the same time, we want to drive home that print-based communications are a cutting-edge, entertaining, creative and efficient way of conveying information. If our information offerings also result in a boost in demand, you can be sure that’s more than just a fortunate side effect.”

The diversity of the print buyer target group will be matched by the multifaceted offerings in the drupacube. Symposia and workshops will cover the most diverse topics. Each day, including the party after hours, will be dedicated to a specific motto. In this way, specific sub-groups can be reached with targeted information. The following focal themes for individual days are planned (subject to change):

29 May 2008: Direct advertising/freesheet day
30 May 2008: Newspaper day
2 June 2008: Magazine day
3 June 2008: Corporate publishing day
4 June 2008: Dialogue marketing day
5 June 2008: Catalogue day
6 June 2008: Media production day
9 June 2008: Packaging/brand protection day
10 June 2008: Large-format print day

“The half-day symposia won’t concentrate exclusively on new technological options for print production. Instead, this information will be provided in the afternoons on the drupa walkabouts. Mornings in the drupacube will be the time when print buyers can find answers to the questions that come up again and again in their daily work,” remarked Ralph Scholz. “To keep the topics as practically oriented as possible, we spoke to a large number of industry representatives before the trade fair and determined the thinking particular to the relevant print buyer groups and what information they require to make decisions.”

For example, newspaper day will address the following issues:

In what form can printed daily newspapers look forwards to a future?

In printed products, what form and contents can respond to changes in the media consumption behavior of the younger generation?

What special advertising formats need to be offered in order to preserve/reveal the attractiveness of daily newspapers as an advertising medium?

Based on these issues, the focal aspects of the talk are developed for each print category. In the case of newspaper day, the following focal themes are planned:

Potential new forms of special advertising (finishing technologies);

Converting technologies (e.g. Zip’n’Buy);
Fulfilment technologies/split runs;
Digitally printed daily newspapers;
New paper qualities/new formats;
The topics of the other drupacube symposia will be available for download starting January 21 at www.drupacube.com.

Key drupacube facts and figures:

Admission excl. symposium: drupa admission ticket
One-day ticket: between Euro 95 to Euro 195
(incl. symposium participation, admission to drupa, VIP ticket to evening event)
Gross floor space: 14,000 square feet
Venue: CCD. South parking lot
Venue capacity: 800 people
Symposium rooms: up to 150 people
Bar capacity: up to 400 people
Club capacity: up to 650 people
Opening hours: 9:00 am to 3:00 am
(from 8:30 am for symposium participants)

For further information on visiting or exhibiting at drupa 2008, contact Messe Düsseldorf North America, 150 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 2920, Chicago, IL 60601. Telephone: (312)781-5180; Fax: (312) 781-5188; E-mail: info@mdna.com or visit www.mdna.com