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Were there fewer familiar faces from the UK's display producers at drupa? I've been here for more than a week and I've certainly bumped into lower numbers than I usually do, and that means I've either been wandering in different areas to our usual plethora of PSPs or it's because they've decided, this time, to stay at home.

If overall visitor numbers are down this time, and no-one will dispute that fact, then the lack of the wide-format fraternity will have added to that effect. We have had a FESPA Digital this year, so some would-be investors will have gone to that show rather than battle their way around the Messe Düsseldorf's crowded halls. Others might be ordering new equipment without going to have a final inspection in an exhibition environment, while more might not be planning to buy anything at all and have decided to give trade shows a miss this year. Or it could be my imagination, of course.

Perhaps the perceived reduction of display specialists in Düsseldorf is endemic of the fact that, in terms of innovation, there is little to excite them at drupa. After all, we know now that ink-jet technology is well established in what it can do in most situations, and the 'wow' factor no longer applies. Similarly, where a manufacturer springs out of the woodwork with some extraordinary new device or ink type, these days scepticism rules more often than not; this means that fewer people are prepared to blow their pocket money on an air fare and nip on the first flight just so that they can see something that might never become a practical reality.

The sad thing, though, is that if display producers and digital print companies decide not to come to drupa, then they also miss out on the networking element which runs in the background at all major exhibitions. We've long accepted that printing machinery is only one element; as important (and relevant) are the people who build machines and develop software, and sell and look after the results. And after hours is always a great time for a catch-up.

There used only to be peripheral interest for sign-makers and display producers at drupa but that's changed now that wide-format digital production has gone mainstream. Certainly there's a lot to look at in Düsseldorf. So, if you don't fancy staying at home this weekend, it's not too late to hop over to Germany. And that's true, even if you don't want to buy anything.