Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe will not physically participate at drupa 2021, instead following a path of new, tailored formats of engaging with its customer base.
Olaf Lorenz, general manager of the international marketing division within Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe, said, ‘We very much still believe in the power of personal relationships and of course the power of seeing our portfolio and touching the print products from our presses and are evaluating the potential combinations of virtual and real-life concepts.
‘However, exhibiting at drupa or any other trade fair at the moment makes no sense to us during the current world uncertainty. Things are too unpredictable. Our highest priority is always to make sure that our colleagues, customers and all their families stay safe and healthy. And while the coronavirus pandemic continues to disrupt on a global basis, we have taken a decision to withdraw our physical presence from drupa, as well as other shows for the foreseeable future.’
Konica Minolta has already launched a virtual showroom, while in the Konica Minolta Inkjet Center of Competence in Bratislava, Slovakia, the company offers virtual live demonstrations where people can experience products with a two-way camera set-up and interact with Konica Minolta experts. The company is additionally reviewing opportunities for bespoke local events that allow customers to come and see products and technologies, while remaining in their own country without encountering travel restrictions.
Mr Lorenz concluded, ‘Our utmost goal has been and always will be to help shape ideas for our customers in a partnership approach – no matter the communication channel, whether face to face or virtually. We are fully convinced that print will endure as a communications medium even with the perceived threats from digital, mobile and virtual channels, which many people thought had signalled the death-knell for our medium. In fact, despite the pandemic and less predictable environment in which we all now live, print is thriving and finding new ways to deliver impact and value, often alongside those other media channels. We will keep exploring these new ways of delivering value together with and for our customers and are excited to what lies ahead of us.
‘It is with a somewhat heavy heart and regret that we have made this decision and wish the organisers success with all future shows. drupa has always represented some of the best of what can be achieved at a face-to-face event for the global printing industry. For me, personally, it would have been my fifth drupa. It’s always been a highlight of the calendar and I look forward to returning to future events when the time is ripe.’
You can follow all that’s going on with drupa 2021 here, including who’s in and, increasingly, who’s out.
