Canon Central and North Africa had a successful experience at drupa 2024, the prominent trade fair for the printing and graphics industry. Despite a decrease in visitor numbers compared to the 2016 drupa, there was a high level of customer engagement, investment, and interest in Canon's offerings. Both current and potential customers were drawn to the Canon stand to learn about the latest printing solutions and support services from Canon and its technology partners, aiming to sustainably transform their businesses. The event exceeded sales projections, with a significant number of leads and revenue generated. Canon's unique concept of print's 'power to move' attracted considerable attention, with visitors eager to engage with the hands-on print application showcases. Around 6,000 visitors explored the immersive experience in The Core, featuring World Unseen, an inclusive photography initiative showcased through exceptional prints. The launch of Canon's 'The Power To Move' campaign at drupa 2024 aimed to showcase the emotional impact of print, driving positive change and business transformation through Canon's technologies, expertise, and support. Canon demonstrated its latest enabling technologies and real-life customer solutions with partners, inspiring visitors through curated workflows. In the production printing segment, customer investment in Canon's imagePress v1000 and v900 color series, as well as the varioPRINT mono toner devices, surpassed expectations, highlighting toner's continued popularity as the preferred digital printing technology for many print service providers.
Canon demonstrated its commitment to innovation across its product range at the event, signing approximately 35 deals. Sales of the Arizona, Colorado, and imagePROGRAF large format options exceeded expectations, indicating the popularity and growth potential of large format outputs in various applications like interior décor, wallpaper, packaging, and fine art. Canon also introduced the new generation of colorWAVE and plotWAVE printers for CAD applications. The stand showcased Canon's key collaboration activities, including the World Unseen exhibition printed on the Canon Arizona, which received significant attention. This exhibition, initially featured at GITEX Africa in Morocco, will tour several African countries in 2024, offering an immersive experience to visitors of all visual abilities. The World Unseen exhibition provides a unique and inclusive way for visitors to engage with photography through elevated prints, audio descriptions, soundscapes, and braille, fostering appreciation for diverse perspectives. Collaborative projects in the Printworks area highlighted the industry's potential for transformation through partnerships. Examples include the Creative Futures winner Bower Collective, the Publishing 2030 Accelerator, and Canon's support for charitable partnerships like the UN SDG Book Club African Chapter and UK charity Topic Heroes. Canon also showcased its collaboration with German furniture retailer POCO to demonstrate how programmatic print can effectively reach target customers. Additionally, Canon hosted a successful 'Girls Who Print' networking event, showcasing its support for diversity within the industry.
"At Drupa 2024, a prominent event in the global imaging industry, Canon had the pleasure of hosting 40 partners and customers from North, East, and West Africa. This showcased the extensive reach of Canon within the African continent," stated Amine Djouahra, B2B Business Unit Director at Canon Central and North Africa. Djouahra emphasized that this event provided an opportunity for Canon to engage with stakeholders and the global print community, showcasing the significant impact of their leading portfolio of technologies. Through real-world examples and collaborations with various technology partners, Canon illustrated how print technology can captivate audiences and drive change. Djouahra expressed Canon's commitment to ongoing innovation and shaping the future of the imaging industry through new technologies, services, and business models in collaboration with customers and partners."
