I'm looking for a man in finance

Buckle up. I’m about to meander a bit. So, Megan Boni aka Girl on Couch, became an overnight sensation on Tik Tok and beyond with four lines: 

I’m looking for a man in finance

Trust fund

Six five

Blue eyes. 

Others transformed her post into an earworm of a song. Boni says she was spoofing women who complain about the dating scene. “They want a boyfriend, but then they have a long list of needs that are insane” she explained.

So, this got me thinking about drupa. I hear attendees complaining about print shows but they also have a ridiculous list of expectations. All they want is a massive show laser focused on their requirements with bleeding edge tech available to order now.

I’m looking for a show on printing

Worldwide

Prototypes

Buy now.

It’s true that drupa 2024 did not have the same level of innovative prototypes and live launches of previous events but those futuristic exhibits were always a small minority. They just got the most publicity.

Print shows and their exhibitors must be practical. When the print industry was more robust OEMs could afford to showcase concepts that might not come to market for years. After decades of declining print volumes and the impact of COVID on trade events, sponsors need measurable ROI from exhibits. Providing a venue that generates sales, while also attracting truly innovative exhibits is like trying to run an auto show of "concept cars" and expecting attendees to be able to buy them and drive away.

Keep in mind the mind-numbing expense of exhibit space, equipment transport, plus staffing and running the equipment. While it’s risky for companies to show their concepts too early, many exhibitors chose to pre-announce technology before drupa to draw more people in to see it. This appears to have been a very successful strategy for the OEMS who are, after all, the ones funding the event. Of course, the people who wanted to see the cool new press that won’t be available for 12 years, along with several that will never make it to market certainly left disappointed.

The level of inkjet buying is certainly not disappointing. We reported 44 press installations in March alone and another 26 installations at 24 companies in our April/May inkjet installation roundup. Plus, we are gathering up all the drupa inkjet purchase announcements for our June report along with the 20 or so that were already in the works.

I forgot to mention that, along with the massive cost of exhibiting equipment at drupa, sponsors were exhorted to do it sustainably (trust fund, blue eyes...). Current and future print sustainability was a drupa focus, along with guidance for reducing the massive carbon footprint that such a show entails. Kudos for trying. Meanwhile, our “integrators behind the integrators” Mark Bale, Terry Clayton and Mary Schilling got together to talk about the quest for environmental sustainability and the impact on the inkjet development process. 

Also check out the second in Terry Clayton’s series exploring the use of carbon black and the impact of its potential regulation (from which we have a temporary reprieve.)

I hope I’ve given you some perspective about putting together lists of requirements. You can use Inkjet Insight as your OEM dating app. But don’t be too practical. We want you to fall in love with inkjet.

Elizabeth

P.S. We will be on an editorial break next week, so no newsletter until after the U.S. Independence Day holiday.

P.P.S. I’ve been told that on dating apps a Boston six foot five is about five foot ten.