The Coronavirus has already closed quite a few events (FESPA, Landa Open House, Highcon Pre-drupa, Heidelberg Pre-drupa, and maybe even more) but is there any science that backs these decisions or is it mostly the media, the fear, and the maybe uncertainty that drives the decisions? Regardless, I have no other information than most other people, and regardless I have got the above questions 5-6 times in just two days.
Whether drupa will be cancelled or not is, of course, based on decisions taken by not only the management of Messecenter Düsseldorf but also health authorities. Drupa is still some 100 days away, and though everybody hopes that drupa will be executed as planned I am sure that many exhibitors have started to think - what if?
So let's start there. If drupa is cancelled, drupa will have to make the decision soon. The setup time, the number of people involved is simply not something you can cancel just a few weeks before. The impact for not only Messecenter Düsseldorf, all the exhibitors, and even on a media like INKISH, is catastrophic.
So what can we do? Though we all love and hate drupa, the exhibition has far further importance than the actual event. Vendors develop products around the drupa cycles, and the millions of dollars and euros that have been put into drupa, marketing, and planning are vast. However, the essential purpose of drupa is to present new products, talk to people, hand out samples, do business, and so on. All this can still be done even without going to Düsseldorf.
It's a question about finding other ways to achieve the same. Of course, this isn't easily done, since drupa also is about showing a bit off. Vendors have prepared demonstrations for months. The booths themselves has been planned for a long time—all for a greater purpose showing what is possible, and the vendor's position in the global print market.
Some vendors have already told me that they would do user-events. Some have asked us specifically if we could do more films - and yes we can. Not only INKISH but the entire printing industry can't rely on whether drupa cancel or not. If they do, I am certain that it's not because they want to. If vendors work on smaller user-events, it's a bit strange, since the Coronavirus or COVID-19 would still be a potential risk. So is this the time where virtual reality, augmented reality and all the new media will be replacing an expo, that doesn't want to, but have to, close?
I am not sure. I love exhibitions, but drupa is a massive task in all means, and maybe the size is now showing to be one of the most significant downsides of the show. Think about it. Have you ever had time to see the entire drupa? I haven't. Last time I was there for 6-7 days, and I still wasn't able to see all. Some of the exhibitors I have no interest in at all, some I would love to dig into even more.
When I see that drupa is even charging publishers that support the show (for free) to display their magazines at drupa - it has become too big, too distant, and therefore it may be time to shake things up a bit?
I, of course, hope that drupa 2020 will be executed as planned, but of course, we, you, and everybody have to start considering what if that bold wish won't come through. We have decided that INKISH will NOT go away because of the COVID-19. We have also decided that INKISH will NOT stop to exist because of a cancelled drupa. We will continue to innovate, produce films, stories, technology to support the industry.
I even believe we will, within a few days, announce a 'Plan B' - just to be on the safe side. Being exposed to something that can potentially damage you will require some kind of medication so that you won't become sick, and I am not talking about the Coronavirus now.
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