It’s an Olympic year– only this year the sports event is in Beijing and the printing event is in Dusseldorf. For us Asians both represent great opportunities in an era that we see as ours. At a conference in Beijing during China Print in 2005, the Chinese were the first to proclaim that print in this century belongs to us – as a vital part of our growth and ours to shape its future as well.

This was made clear at the World Print Congress in Cape Town in January 2005, where 300 Chinese government and industry delegates were led by the minister for print and publications. The minister said that the Chinese print industry would attain a level of “competence” by 2010 and a level of leadership by 2020.

While in all this, it may seem that there is more than a shred of overweening ambition by the Chinese government and industry machine, we daily see and experience the acting out of their plans. These include involving research institutions in the print industry, attracting leading international manufacturers with excellent infrastructure and financial incentives, and opportunities for joint ventures in addition to a large and fast growing market.

At drupa08, which is clearly dominated by German and Western European exhibitors, China, which was very visible in drupa04, will now be prominent. China itself occupies the seventh position (7871 square meters) in terms of nations exhibiting and if all the Chinese entities of Hong Kong (273 square meters) and Taiwan (1859 square meters) are also included, these entities collectively surpass the long time leading Asian exhibitor Japan for sixth place. India, which two drupas ago had more space than China, is still at a respectable number 11 among the drupa exhibitors with a good increase in its space (2410 square meters).

The Asian participation is also rising with the twelve nations’ exhibitors taking 21,816 square meters. This clearly gives Asia the silver medal behind the European gold and the North American Getting ready for the Olympics bronze. Do these numbers mean anything? Of course they do if you look deeper. But at first glance it is clear that you have to train and compete hard in this year’s events. And if you want to win or improve your scores at the next Olympics or drupa in 2012 you have to immediately plan. The competition to book your place begins even before the events are over.

Certainly as premium media partners we are in training. We will continue to give the most comprehensive pre-drupa coverage. We will do this in our print magazines Indian Printer and Publisher and Packaging South Asia as well our renovated weekly email bulletins and our web site. We will be at both events in Dusseldorf this year—Interpack and drupa. At drupa you can meet us at Stand A39 inHall 9.

Subscribe and win trips to Interpack and dupa!
Bear in mind that all subscribers to Packaging South Asia since October 2007 not only get either a watch or sport shirt with the Packaging South Asia logo. There are also three special prizes draws on 31 March 2008. Two subscribers will get an inkjet printer and one lucky winner will get a Cox and Kings tour package to Interpack.

Similarly all subscribers to Indian Printer and Publisher since October 2007 get either a  sport shirt or watch with the IPP logo. Three special prizes will be determined by draws on 31 March 2008. Two subscribers will get an inkjet printer and one lucky winner will get a Cox and Kings tour package to drupa08!