Business News
drupacube: spotlight on innovative printed products – Theme days dedicated to individual product groups
Wednesday 19. March 2008 - "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 were offering at the drupacube."
With these words, Ralph Scholz who is responsible for the drupacube introduced his project at the international Media Conference. 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 erected at the Rhine embankment in the CCD. South parking lot will be the site of workshops and symposia while from 6pm in the evenings it will turn into a stylish venue for events.
“Through the drupacube, Messe Düsseldorf is pursuing a number of marketing objectives,” said drupa Project Director Manuel Mataré, explaining strategic motivations behind the two-storey construction. “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 thats 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 tackle the most varied 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: Mailing day
30 May 2008: Newspaper day
2 June 2008: Magazine day
3 June 2008: Corporate publishing day
(Partner: Forum Corporate Publishing)
4 June 2008: Dialogue marketing day (Partner: DDV)
5 June 2008: Retail communication day (Partner: EHI)
6 June 2008: Media production day (Partner: f:mp)
9 June 2008: Packaging/brand protection day
(Partner: DFTA, FFI, ProCarton)
10 June 2008: Book Production day
(Partner: Akademie des Buchhandels)
“The half-day symposia wont 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,” said Ralph Scholz, clarifying the thematic focus of the symposia. “To keep the topics as practically oriented as possible, we spoke to a large number of industry representatives in the run-up to the fair and ascertained 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 forward to a future?
In printed products, what form and contents can respond to changes in the media consumption behaviour 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 being 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. ZipnBuy)
Fulfilment technologies/split runs
Digitally printed daily newspapers
New paper qualities/new formats
The latest information on the drupacube and its programme of events is always a click away at www.drupacube.com. The focal themes for the other drupacube symposia will be available for download from 21 January.
Key drupacube facts and figures:
Admission excl. symposium: drupa admission ticket
One-day ticket: between EUR 95 and EUR 195
(incl. symposium participation, admission to drupa, VIP ticket to evening event)
Gross floor space: 1,300 square metres
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: 9am to 3am
(from 8.30am for symposium participants)