Apr. 14, 2008— How many trade shows boast their own theme song? Well, there is one that can: drupa. Like previous years, drupa 2008 has a new song to usher in the start of the show each day, getting attendees psyched up and ready to go. I don't know about you, but I'm pretty excited already.

Gathering once more in Dusseldorf, Germany, the show is already looking like it will be a massive success, with its usual sprawling halls and tremendous amounts of new technology and announcements. So what should you be on the lookout for? Well, there's no way we can touch on every exhibitor, or even every interesting product that will be demonstrated, but here are a few highlights you might want to consider adding to your agenda.

One World, One drupa
Last month, Hewlett-Packard (Hall 8A) announced a release of graphic arts technologies and products that improve speed and reduce the cost of digital printing. The rollout supports HP's Print 2.0 strategy to capture more digital pages from the analog printing market, and enable printing customers to take advantage of new market segments and business opportunities.

Agfa Graphics (Hall 8A) lineup of products and solutions that will be on display include: Azura TS, Agfa's new ThermoFuse-based chem-free thermal digital plate featuring an increase in throughput, an advanced clean-out system, and improved contrast; :Avalon N, a new thermal imaging CTP series available in 8-up and VLF formats, which accommodate a variety of plate sizes and plate-per-hour capabilities.

KBA North America (Hall 16) will be exhibiting its entire range of sheetfed presses, from the compact 20-inch, to its large-format units, with a variety of new features and innovations. The focus will be on new productivity- and efficiency-enhancing automation modules, inline finishing, inline quality management, and green printing technologies.

Bobst (Hall 10) will be showcasing machines from its product range with its Folding Carton and Flexible Materials divisions presenting their latest advancements. On display and in demonstration, featured key brands will include Bobst, Asitrade, Atlas/Titan, General, Schiavi, and Rotomec.

Giant Heidelberg will take up two halls. In Hall 1 (commercial printing) and Hall 2 (packaging printing), Heidelberg will present its comprehensive portfolio of solutions for the entire sheetfed offset process in six areas. The exhibition area is divided into Anicolor, Prinect Integration, One Pass Productivity, Solutions for the A2 and A3 Formats (Hall 1), Special Applications & Large Format, and Integrated Packaging Production (Hall 2).

Flexible solutions that help print providers develop the right production system for their unique business and customer needs—regardless of the type of technology they choose—will be the focus of Kodak's (Hall 5) presence at drupa. The company's stand will feature a wide range of hardware and software innovations that generate revenue, profit, growth, and business opportunities for print service providers and their clients.

Just Be There
Watch for our coverage of the show in a two-part wrap up that will run in the June 9 and June 16 issues of Printing News. Safe travels, and I'll see you in Germany!

(P.S.: The drupa 2008 song can be downloaded from the official drupa Web site, under the "drupa multimedia" tab in the side navigation bar. If you are so inclined.)