Impressive line-up for the drupa cube

drupa has always highlighted the most important trends in the printing industry, examining and evaluating them from different perspectives in an interdisciplinary manner. At drupa 2024, the cube will once again be the central discussion forum for print and packaging leaders. Internationally renowned top speakers will inspire visitors with a visionary range of topics and thought-provoking presentations and panel discussions in support of the cube’s goal to Engage, Entertain and Educate the drupa audience.

Why print is more important than ever in the digital age? Why don’t consumers always see print products as sustainable? And how can you calculate your carbon footprint? These are just some of the subjects that will be addressed at the conference. The drupa cube provides inspiration and expertise in more than 50 sessions. The agenda includes 5 impressive Keynote presentations plus sessions focused on boosting business success, the Circular Economy and Sustainability plus print and packaging futures along with sessions on new business models and trends. Speakers will share best practice examples and will discuss the global megatrends that have already influenced and will continue to affect the print and packaging industry.

Located in the impressive Hall 6 at drupa 2024 from 28 May to 7 June, the cube will be a conference highlight and one of five special forums at the world's largest trade fair for printing technologies. It’s a place for unique knowledge transfer and networking. Guest speakers will include not only thought leaders from the print industry, but also personalities from advertising agencies, market research, academia, consulting and professional trade associations. The drupa cube will once again bring together industry experts and visionaries from all over the world with presentations and panels typically lasting around 45 minutes.

These are just some of the top speakers for 2024
The more thought and effort you invest in communicating something, the more convincing the message will be: this is the thesis of Rory Sutherland, one of the headline speakers at this year's drupa. As Vice Chairman of Ogilvy, one of the world's most influential advertising agencies, Sutherland has left a lasting mark on the industry. In the cube programme he will show why print is more important than ever in the Digital Age. Samir Husni (aka ‘Mr. Magazine’) will also present on editorial credibility and value in the Digital Age where truth and validity of social media content is often questionable and has led to a lack of trust among consumers.

Mark Maslin, a renowned scientist and Professor of Earth Systems Science at University College London (UCL), is a highly anticipated speaker. His work is particularly relevant at a time when climate change is a global challenge. In his keynote speech, he will discuss the effects of climate change, the consequences for the future and the responsibility that commercial organisations have in saving our planet. He will also discuss specifically, the role of the printing industry in helping to achieve sustainability goals.

Calvin Lakhan, Ph.D., is a research scientist at York University in Toronto, Canada, and promises to give the drupa cube audience a fascinating insight into his work. Lakhan is a specialist in environmental science, with a focus on waste management, recycling and sustainability.  He is part of the "Waste Wiki" project, aiming to bridge the gap between academia, industry and government on waste management issues to promote the circular economy.

Another keynote speaker is James Loudon, a founding Partner of IoT One who consults companies on global business ecosystems.  James will talk about Asian markets as a source of growth and innovation. Loudon has spent more than 40 percent of his life in Asia and will share his insights and experiences of working with multinational companies looking to grow in new markets and new approaches to partnering in those growth markets in the drupa cube.

Four key themes with deep content
With "Print and Packaging Futures", "Business Boosters", "Trends” and "Circular Economy and Sustainability", the programme in the drupa cube comprises four exciting themes.

The 'Print and Packaging Futures' sessions will focus on visions for developments in print and packaging technologies, with an emphasis on innovation, the circular economy and sustainability, as well as innovations in digital printing.  For example, Admir Jonuz, Head of R&D and Innovation at Tresu, will talk about the future of digital and flexo hybrid solutions in the face of transformation pressures whilst Steve Knight, CEO of Digital Direct EU, will discuss the impact of technology on print, from data storage to mixed media applications. With the growth of the packaging market in mind, there will also be a presentation outlining the existing global regulations for printing inks on food contact materials. In addition, Mark Nixon, EVP Global Sales and Marketing at SCODIX, will be giving an exciting presentation on the challenges faced by brands in the battle for attention, the requirements for enhancements, but also the sustainability narrative, productivity and efficiency.

The leadership audience at the cube will also benefit from the Business Booster sessions. These sessions cover a range of topics including sales, marketing and innovation culture all aiming to give actionable insights to the audience. Robert Norum, ABM & Growth Expert at B2B Marketing, will give an insight into account-based sales and marketing. Frazer Chesterman, Principal at FuturePrint, explains how ideas are generated and new offerings introduced, discussing the "VUCA world - Volatile, Unpredictable, Complex and Ambiguous" approach. Danna Drion, General Manager, Marketing EMEA at Mimaki Europe, will talk about her journey towards building diverse and inclusive working environment and the significance of this for future business success. Drion will also encourage women in particular to aspire to leadership positions in the industry.

The 'Trends' cube sessions offer insights on global trends and emerging business models that can help companies planning for evolution and transformation as part of their strategy. For example, Dario Urbinati, CEO of the Gallus Group, explains why vision is so important. The focus will be on strategies for tackling current challenges such as the skills shortage or making the most of digitisation.

This year's programme also places a strong focus on the key topics and challenges of the future “The Circular Economy and Sustainability”, with sessions dedicated to this theme and many sessions incorporating it.  One of the speakers will be Jonathan Tame, Managing Director of Two Sides, who will share the results of a consumer study on the evaluation of print products in terms of sustainability. The VDMA (German Engineering Federation) panel discussion "Sustainability Enablers in Print" with Thomas Schiemann, Managing Director of the VDMA Printing and Paper Technology Association, and other experts will focus on sustainability as one of the most important driving forces in the printing and packaging market.

The entire programme in the drupa cube is included in the ticket price for visitors to the trade fair. All sessions at the cube are delivered in English.

Further information on the programme in the drupa cube is constantly updated at www.drupa.com/en/Program