Although the final visitor tally stood at 3,14,500 down 19.3% on the 2008 show, decision-makers came prepared to invest at print's Olympics. According to official global figures the proportion of senior managers increased from 44.4% of all visitors attending Drupa in 2008 to 50.8% this year, with almost 50% of total attendees placing orders as a result of the 2012 event.
The most profound thing at at Drupa 2012 was that digital print became part of the mainstream. HP doubled its sales target for the new B2 Indigo 10000 and reported "huge" sales of the new Indigo 5600 and Indigo 7600 as well as successes with its Inkjet Web Press and label and packaging presses. Screen continued the positive trend by exceeding its Drupa sales target by 25%.
KBA secured orders totalling "three-digit million euros". Finishing kit supplier Duplo reported more good news raking in £2.4m during the show, £800,000 over expectations, while it made 2,200 leads across 109 countries. Canon also saw brisk business, with 270 production printer sales across the Canon and Océ ranges and over 10,000 new leads. Meanwhile Kodak reported "remarkable" results during the course of the event, with over 3,000 demonstrations at its stand alone.
The exhibition has certainly kickstarted a round of investments by Indian printers judging by the figures emanating from the exhibitors.
- Repro India booked India's first Kodak Prosper 1000 press, a multi-million dollar deal with Kodak Asia. The Repro India team was present at the Kodak stall to finalise Kodak Prosper 1000 Press with IOS (Image Optimiser Station) and Hunkler finishing system as part of a complete solution which includes, Prinergy workflow solution, Trendsetter 800 and a Digimaster 150.
- Manroland Web Systems ascertained its leading position in the Indian newspaper market for English language with the sale of seven Regioman double-width towers and three jaw folders to Times Of India (TOI) owner, Bennett Coleman & Co and one four-high tower and one balloon former which will be added to one of its existing Colorman web offset press to HT Media, publisher of English daily Hindustan Times.
- Hira Print Solutions signied a deal for the installation of a six-colour Roland 706 HiPrint with an inline coater for their new printing facility in Mumbai.
- Bennett Coleman & Co signed a deal for a new mailroom system from Ferag to support the newly purchased Manroland Regioman presses.
- Bobst booked ten post-finishing machines for the Indian market at the mid-way through the show. The bookings comprise of a Novacut 106 die-cutting machine, three Expertcut 106 die-cutters with power register, five Expertfold folder gluers, three Accubraille GT equipped with Accucheck for quality control and inspection, and an Ambition folder-gluing machine.
- Heidelberg, one of the world’s largest press manufacturers, has taken almost 2,000 orders at Drupa, including bookings for above 100 printing units, including some big-scale packaging projects from Heidelberg India.
- KBA installations in India gained momentum with Parksons purchasing two Rapida 105 6-colour plus coater full UV presses for its plants in Chakan and Rudrapur; while ITC’s Packaging Division picking up a Rapida 106 8-colour plus coater full UV press for its Chennai plant.
- Several flexo players and trade-shops invested in DuPont equipments. Among these companies was the Noida-based Creative Graphics, which ordered one of the biggest plate processor in Asia. The kit Creative ordered includes the latest Cyrel 3000 PS, Cyrel 2000 EC, 3000 D drier and M200 solvent recovery unit.
- Delhi-based Avantika Printers booked a Canon ImagePress C7010 VP for its new Jasola unit at Drupa. M N Pandey, who is director of the firm said, “The operations at the new facility will commence in June. The investment in C7010 VP, the fourth Canon press Avantika has invested in, is targetted to enhance the production capacities of the firm.”
- Vinsak made its first inkjet system sale to a client (whose name Vinsak does not wish to disclose) on the fourth day at Drupa 2012. The sale of the first Vinsak 1200 UV Inkjet system is mounted on an Omega slitter rewinder for the printing of 2D barcodes on filmic labels.