Why do people really visit drupa? How many are trotting out to Düsseldorf having established, first, that their pockets are deep and their financial advisers friendly? Or are most planning to attend the show to keep up with the Joneses by viewing the latest revelations?

Exhibitions in the trade sector differ from their consumer equivalents. Those with the motto of 'pile 'em high, and sell 'em cheap' work well in a market-stall atmosphere. But, generally, we can't apply the same principles at printing shows for no-one is really going to plough his way through the Messe Düsseldorf in search of an impulse bargain.

The drupa show represents a vast congregation of everything to do with print. It's a bit like Marmite, and people either love it or hate it. But few miss the opportunity of visiting the Messe to soak up the extraordinary atmosphere even if logistics and cost aren't advantageous.

As well as being the showcase for all things print, Düsseldorf holds the additional fascination of being responsible for showing future trends and practices. Never would I have dreamed at my first drupa back in 1982 that an industry could change so radically in such a short time. Players have shifted focus and increased or decreased in dominance. Newcomers have arrived and tackled the industry in a big way, and stalwarts have hung on as their presence in size and importance has dwindled.

As analysts and journalists, we're spoilt because we get to have a fair idea of what's new well in advance and can plan it into our daily rounds of the halls. And we get to spread the word ahead of time; serious visitors will have scoured the trade press to ascertain where they want to concentrate their attention. The lucky ones will have been privy to pre-drupa events where new equipment can be previewed at source, an invaluable opportunity for manufacturers to get a true idea of what the industry thinks about their latest developments.

But for the majority of visitors, all 375,000 of them anticipated this year, what they find at drupa is often down to chance just as much as it is to pre-planning. That's why the surprise element rates highly at this exhibition, providing the optimum platform for new announcements as they're certain to receive the widest world-wide audience.

As we enter the final countdown, my eager anticipation blends with concern about the suspiciously cheap hotel I sourced in the centre of town. But my curiosity about all things print and what drives them will overcome minor inconveniences, such as cold showers and a lumpy bed. I know I won't be alone in putting up with a few discomforts so that I can enjoy the drupa effect for the eighth time.