Embrace the change!

drupa has been postponed – what now?

We spent more than a year working at full speed on our plans for drupa. We were fine-tuning our slogans, working out concepts for shows and presentations, preparing campaigns – all the details that normally keep a marketing department busy. Until 13th March – the day everything was brought to a screeching halt.

It was a difficult decision for Messe Düsseldorf to have to make, but it was the only right one to make. In the meantime, everyone involved has had time to adapt to the new situation. We have become accustomed to new ways of working. The digital world is demonstrating what it is capable of – also in the home office. Strange as it may sound, social distancing is bringing us closer together. Since the world has become a little quieter, we are paying more attention to what is going on around us. It is worth noting that people whose services were often taken for granted in the past have now become much more visible, and are being praised for their work – at least by the media. For our part, we would like to use this opportunity to direct our gratitude and applause towards all the designers and research engineers who are working on new solutions for the printing machinery of tomorrow. This also includes the software developers who are enhancing the automation and networking features that will make us all more efficient and successful. And, not least, our gratitude and applause also apply for the many employees in manufacturing, assembly, commissioning and service who are not even able to work from home during these challenging times.

We were so looking forward to taking you, our customers, on a journey into the fascinating world of print at drupa 2020. With eight machines showcased at a stand measuring 4,400m² (47,360sq.ft), you would have had the chance to experience the full workflow for holding carton production. With machines that exhibit perfect compatibility with each other, having been developed by a single supplier. You would have been able to learn more about our press solutions for digital print, sheetfed offset and printing flexible packaging in live shows. All launched in a completely new design. We would have liked to show you how your company can become even more profitable by networking your machines and utilising digital technologies and artificial intelligence – with Koenig & Bauer 4.0. Furthermore, you could have seen our new VariJET – first promised in 2016 and mean-while in production at the joint venture Koenig & Bauer Durst – in action for the first time. With its hybrid approach, it represents our response to the needs of future industrial folding carton production. Combining a digital printing system with the finishing and post-press units of the type you are already familiar with from our sheetfed offset presses, it removes practically all the limitations otherwise placed on the creativity of brand owners and packaging designers. Direct printing on corrugated board would have been demonstrated on the Delta SPC, another cornerstone of the joint venture. In times in which many companies are fighting for survival, finding the right tone and the right timing for announcements about new products is something of a balancing act. How receptive is the market to product innovations? Might people be more interested in the mindset a company has, how it is responding to the crisis, and how strong its partnerships remain? Koenig & Bauer gives the safety of its employees, customers and partners utmost priority. Over the few past months, we have been making decisions on how we can best support you as our customers and partners each and every day. Pragmatic in our approach, but also with a requisite sense of responsibility, we are confident that we can all emerge from this crisis together. It was therefore very encouraging to learn that the value and importance of packaging has been acknowledged . The German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture has explicitly listed “Enterprises producing packaging and packaging materials for products” as critical and therefore system-relevant suppliers to the food industry throughout Europe. In other words: Our sector is essential to people’s lives, and all the more so in times like these. Board packaging and folding cartons ensure that food and pharmaceutical products reach the end user efficiently and in hygienic condition. No disruptions may occur in the corresponding supply chains. That is in everyone’s interest – above and beyond any economic considerations. Our production, which is located exclusively in Europe, is still running. Our service staff are ready to provide assistance where needed, our spare parts centres in Europe, Asia and the USA are operating, and parts can be dispatched as required. All employees at Koenig & Bauer are dealing with the new situation professionally and with their customary enthusiasm. That is what characterises Koenig & Bauer. As it has done for more than 200 years. And that is what we look forward to showing you – albeit a little later than planned – at drupa 2021 from 20th to 30th April 2021.

Background photo: Dagmar Ringel, Director Corporate Communications and Marketing, speaks about the drupa postponement and shares an insight into what customers can look forward to in 2021

Dagmar Ringel