Two of the biggest events in the packaging industry, interpack and drupa, have been moved to 2021 due to coronavirus fears. interpack will now take place from 25 February to 3 March 2021, while drupa has been rescheduled to 20-30 April 2021.  

In doing so, Messe Düsseldorf is following the recommendation of the crisis management team of the German Federal Government to take into account the principles of the Robert Koch Institute when assessing the risk of major events. Based on this recommendation and the recent significant increase in the number of people infected with the new corona virus (SARS-CoV-2), including in Europe, Messe Düsseldorf has reassessed the situation. In addition, there is the general ruling issued by the city of Düsseldorf on 11 March 2020, in which major events with more than 1,000 participants present at the same time are generally prohibited.

Werner M. Dornscheidt, chairman of the Board of Management of Messe Düsseldorf, said, “The decision was taken in close consultation with our advisory board and sponsoring associations. As their partner, we are currently doing everything in our power to reduce the economic losses suffered by our exhibitors.”

drupa president Claus Bolza-Schünemann said, “A postponement of drupa was unavoidable after the latest developments. The decision is therefore right and responsible. Many exhibitors start their logistical preparations middle of March – today’s announcement of the postponement enables all those affected to react now, reschedule and prepare for the event date in April 2021. The excitement for ‘embrace the future’ remains undiminished – also in 2021.”