There's too much product information and news to convey in one brief synopsis, but following are some highlights from my seven-day adventure at drupa 2008:

Day 1 (May 28): It's the day before drupa opens, when Heidelberg traditionally holds its afternoon international press conference. MAN Roland pre-empts by hosting a 10:30 am meeting to announce its new name/branding. The company is now manroland. One word is easier than two. It's a change, but not an extreme make-over, noted one analyst.

• Fujifilm also slipped in a media event to unveil its four-up sheetfed inkjet digital press concept, the Jet Press 720 (temporary name). The company didn't run the press at the event, but did say it will produce about 180 letter-sized pages per minute (four-up, oneside). It's expected to come to market in 2009.
  
• Heidelberg Board member Jurgen Rautert, addressed a standing-room-only crowd, with the company's new LX 162 towering behind him, he outlined how Heidelberg is addressing all areas of its customers' business necessities with technology, consumables and consultative services. Finally, Heidelberg led tours through its two halls, where the emphasis on packaging was evident. Its commitment to the environment was punctuated with life-sized stuffed deer (not real) standing in areas where the green message was being delivered.
  

Day 2 (May 29): Drupa's doors open in hot and humid Dusseldorf. Kodak CEO Antonio Perez boldly claims the company's Stream inkjet technology will change print forever, biting directly into offset print. The full-colour version won't come online until 2010. At the booth the Stream Concept Press is kept behind a curtain until scheduled show times.

• Screen announces its four-up sheetfed inkjet press concept, the TruePress Jet SX, targeting traditional offset. Looking to launch its inkjet press next year (similar concept to Fuji's Jet Press 720).
• Epson is developing an inkjet label press and looking into commercial print concepts with new offset-like inkjet ink.
• EFI reveals the DS Series flatbed large-format UV inkjet press, calling it Digital Screen printing, a replacement for traditional screen shops (1200 dpi, 6000 sq.ft./hr, 5'3" x 8').
  
• Xerox announces the iGen 4, promoting 25 to 30% productivity gains over the iGen 3, with over 400 new parts and subsystems. It becomes available in September (it was behind closed doors on the show floor). The Xerox 700, 70 ppm colour machine using EA toner is available now. The company also floated the concept of two iGen3 presses linked together, creating the Concept Colour 220 (220 ppm). Xerox also spoke about a gel-like inkjet ink they're testing in the lab.
• A new printer using enviro latex-based ink was launched by HP for wide format applications, and it's much heralded inkjet web press concept was running at 36-inches wide at the show (wider than the 30-inch announced pre-drupa). Indigo founder Benny Landa predicts HP will be the biggest graphic arts company in the world by the next drupa.
• News circulated that Quebecor World finally sold its European operations to Dutch investment firm Hombergh/De Pundert Group for about 60% of the price it was offered late last year by Roto Smeets in a failed deal. But the merging of Roto and QW isn't far off, as the investment firm has also made a play for Roto Smeets.

Day 3 (May 30): Another hot and humid start. Presstek announced the sale of a 52DI press to Canadian book printing specialists Friesens Corp. of Altona, Manitoba. I bumped into president/CEO Curwin Friesen in one of the halls. It appears the DI is not all that's new in Altona, stay tuned.

Bryon Loeppky (left) and Curwin Friesen fo Friesens Corp.

• Müller Martini launched an all new line-up featuring a fresh "laser blue" colour and ergonomically designed frames, improving operator ease of use with automation and design.

Day 4 (May 31): With great sadness, word was out today that David Watson (60), founder of Montreal-based Ultimate Technographics, suffered a massive heart attack at the show and passed away. Watson was the inventor of digital imposition, launching the first version of Impostrip at drupa 1990. He is survived by his wife Joanne, who will take over the leadership of the company. Industry adulation was pouring in. (Industry analyst Andy Tribute recognized Watson in his blog report on June 3 http://printceoblog.com/author/andy


David Watson (60) founder of Ultimate Technographics, inventor of digital imposition

• Ryobi shows off its 1050 series, a 40-inch press design expected to begin shipping next year.
• Mississauga-based Gandinnovations launches the NanoJet, a new flatbed UV inkjet machine printing six colours at 800 dpi, at 220 sq.ft/hr.

Day 5 (June 1): Agfa is holding live auctions 4 pm daily at its booth. Customers are getting into it, and getting products for great prices. Some of the items being auctioned (art pieces) are raising money for Friends of Burkina Faso, supplying fresh water to an area of Africa just south of the Sahara. The company also has a great presentation on its booth featuring life-size 3D holograms of customers giving testimonials. It's eerily realistic and cool.

Day 6 (June 2): KBA announced presses sold to 3S Printers of Richmond, B.C. (eight-colour Rapida 106 perfector with coater, a six-colour Rapida 106 with coater press and a Genius 52UV press) and to Beneco Packaging of Woodbridge, Ontario (a six-colour Rapida 106 with coater and UV).


Dave Sandhu (centre), president of 3S Printers, with KBA North America president Holger Garbrecht (l) and sr vice-president of sales John Raithel.

• I stepped into the Mission Print 2.0 presentation theatre on HP's massive booth. The plush seats are a welcome relief. The huge theatre-sized curved screen presents a clear picture, while the vibrating floor and plumes of smoke make the space travel concept feel more real. The guy walking around in the astronaut suit was a little much.

Day 7 (June 3): My final day here. Komori announces it will spend over $110 million to double capacity at its main manufacturing plant in Japan and add a technical centre. Construction begins this September with an end date of December 09.
I'm running to see all that I haven't yet seen. I realize by 3 pm it's going to be impossible. I do manage to get at least my toe into every single hall.

• HP Indigo hosts an international awards Gala this evening and The FSA Group of Markham, Ontario claims the top award in the direct marketing category. Congratulations. I also hear a Montreal printer will be installing the first HP Indigo 7000 presses in Canada.
• After three days in press conferences and on-booth meetings, I only had four days to tour the 17-plus halls of drupa. If you really want to see it all, and do the show justice, four days isn't enough.
  Look for more details in future issues of Canadian Printer.