It's getting to that time of year when flights need to be booked and accommodation finalised for drupa. But, with time and money both being in short supply for many businesses, there are some wondering whether or not to bother with a trip to Düsseldorf in May. After all, we have FESPA Digital coming up shortly and Sign and Digital UK following on in March. So is there any point in heading to Germany?

Well, in a nutshell, yes. In its own way, drupa is nirvana to anyone involved in print. It's the pinnacle of all our industry's trade shows and, from a practical point of view, Düsseldorf is much easier to get to than even some of the main locations in the UK. But, yes, it's going to be expensive to stay there and you need a considerable amount of stamina to get you round all the halls.

While FESPA does its bit for digital market directions, drupa goes several steps beyond by covering the printing industry from start to finish. It's the show that nearly all manufacturers decide to participate in and, as such, it is the launch pad for new products and services. Guaranteed the widest international audience, exhibitors opt for Düsseldorf for announcements and introductions because they, in turn, know they'll attract the highest numbers of visitors.

Held every four years, drupa is an essential exhibition for all sectors of the printing industry

But there's more to drupa than the new machines and technologies gleaming in the aisles, tempting us onto all the different stands. The size and duration of the exhibition makes it the most likely place for manufacturers to take larger systems which logistically aren't suitable for regional and specialist events. It's also easily the best event to see entire portfolios of equipment, both new and existing.

There's another side to drupa. This exhibition is unique in that it brings in visitors from all over the world and this, in turn, can lead to networking opportunities which simply aren't available on such an international scale anywhere else. So major exhibitions aren't just about new machines, software and consumables. They're also about the people who take part or come along as visitors.

Were drupa to appear on the calendar more frequently it might lose its appeal. But its frequency ensures that it is the most important global event on the circuit for the printing industry in its entirety. And, increasingly, wide-format digital production is coming under the drupa umbrella as it becomes a more mainstream process.

Yes, everyone should go to drupa, whether it's to invest, to visit out of curiosity or just to network. And you won't know what insights into the future you'll see until you get there.