GRAPH EXPO & CONVERTING EXPO 2003--Prepress and Digital Printin

That doesn't mean attendees weren't looking to buy. Exhibitors were more ardent than usual about the quality of the leads they were getting, and they claimed to also be pleased with the quantity. "Turned the corner" was a popular phrase for describing the market.

At the same time, there was a lot of speculation that manufacturers had held back in anticipation of DRUPA 2004. A wholly unscientific survey of a few vendors found agreement that, given current business conditions, no company could afford to hold back the introduction of a product that could give it a competitive edge in the marketplace. Then again, some of the biggest news at DRUPA tends to be about developments still in the works, not products ready for commercialization.