With over 1,700 trade visitors, the PRINT DIGITAL CONVENTION (PDC) 2026 set a new attendance record and impressively underlined its role as a key meeting place for the printing, brand and packaging community between drupa cycles. The event brought together diverse perspectives from the worlds of branding, technology, communication and production, offering a lively and practical insight into the latest industry developments.

The record attendance highlights the success of the event’s consistent development. The combination of a new venue, an expanded partner network, a hands-on experiential exhibition and a high-calibre conference programme met with great interest. Topics such as e-commerce, customer experience, data-driven communication, packaging and artificial intelligence were not considered in isolation, but were consistently viewed in their interplay – as part of a communications landscape in which print, digital and technology are becoming ever more closely intertwined.

The strong response is a success for the PRINT DIGITAL CONVENTION itself, but at the same time a positive sign for the entire industry. It underlines the need for exchange, networking and practical applications, and confirms the relevance of platforms that bring together different disciplines and perspectives. True to the event’s guiding principle: shaping the future of print together.

New venue, new partners, new dynamism

The new venue in the open foyer of Hall 1 lent the event a special dynamism. Between the exhibition, the conference and the highlight projects, an atmosphere emerged that was characterised by exchange, networking and practical applications. The PDC presented itself more strongly than ever as an experiential trade fair and brought together people from different areas of the communications and media world.

“The energy and openness that were palpable at this year’s PDC demonstrated just how great the current need for exchange, guidance and new perspectives is within the industry,” explains Rüdiger Maaß, Managing Director of the Fachverband Medienproduktion e.V. (FMP). “It was particularly impressive to see how naturally brands, agencies, technology providers and producers came together here. The record attendance confirms that the industry is seeking precisely this kind of exchange and wants to play an active role in shaping it.”

From customer experience to AI: a focus on topical issues

The conference programme also reflected this trend. Keynotes, curated session tracks and panels brought together voices from industry, design, branding and communication. Topics such as customer experience, brand management, packaging, e-commerce and artificial intelligence highlighted just how closely print is linked today to digital business models and modern communication strategies.

The highlight projects and over 50 exhibitors spanning the entire value chain brought these developments to life. From personalised print products and automated workflows to intelligent packaging solutions, the event demonstrated how technologies, materials and applications are now converging to form integrated communication solutions.

A firm anchor point in the drupa network

The PRINT DIGITAL CONVENTION thus also reaffirmed its role within the context of drupa. As an annual fixture within the drupa network, it is increasingly becoming a key anchor point for the printing, brand and packaging community between drupa cycles. The event picks up on current developments at an early stage, brings together different perspectives and translates trends into concrete applications and business cases. At the same time, the anticipation in Düsseldorf for the next drupa in two years’ time was palpable.

“This year, the PRINT DIGITAL CONVENTION has impressively demonstrated the power that arises when people, ideas and technologies come together in one place. It has long been more than just an important meeting place for the printing, brand and packaging community: it is a source of inspiration, a space for dialogue and a place where the future of print can be experienced first-hand. It creates the space to discuss new developments at an early stage, bring together different perspectives and actively shape the period between drupa cycles. It is precisely this proximity to the industry, this openness to new ways of thinking and the shared determination to actively drive change forward that make the PDC so valuable for our portfolio and for the entire community,” explains Sabine Geldermann, Director of drupa and the Print Technologies portfolio at Messe Düsseldorf.

What remains is more than just a successful event. The PRINT DIGITAL CONVENTION has further cemented its role as the industry’s annual meeting place between drupa years – and demonstrated just how much innovative power is generated when brand, technology and application come together. It has made it clear: the future of print is not discussed in abstract terms, but developed collectively – boldly, collaboratively and in close alignment with the needs of the market.Further information on the PRINT DIGITAL CONVENTION can be found here: www.printdigitalconvention.de/en/