Among them were 85 first-time exhibitors, a record number.
"As you might expect, many are from the digital arena, thanks to the tremendous new developments in tablets, mobile devices and applications, search engine optimisation and paid content services," said Gavin O'Reilly,
president of the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA), the organiser of the event. "But there is also new creativity in the print product, with big developments in the automation of newspaper production."
The 40th IFRA Expo is expected to draw around 9,000 visitors over its three-day run, including nearly 500 chief editors and other senior newsroom personnel who will be attending the annual World Editors Forum, held this year in conjunction with the expo. The events also include an E-reading and Tablet Conference, an Advertising Summit, Focus Sessions on newspaper production, and a "Media Port" focused on new media technology. The events can be followed on the expo blog at www.wan-ifra.org/blogs/ifraexpo10 or on Twitter at @NewspaperWorld or search #ifraexpo.
"In some ways, we can look at this expo as an economic indicator of our industry," said O'Reilly, the CEO of Ireland-based Independent News & Media. "Last year's event was held in the midst of a world-wide economic meltdown that hit all industries and sectors but was particularly difficult for advertising-driven industries like ours. I'm happy to report that this year's event represents something of an upturn."
The expo was opened by Senator Ian Karan, Minister for Economic and Labour Affairs of the city of Hamburg, who noted that Hamburg is Germany's media capital and said:
"Whether the future belongs to digital or print media or whether in future the two will co-exist peacefully, I have no way of telling. From my own personal point of view, however, I must admit that I most certainly do not
want to do without the sensuous pleasure of reading a story in a book, the act of holding it in my hand, turning the pages, looking at the pictures, taking it off the shelf for the umpteenth time and everything else that books can mean to us. That is just as true of other print media. Reading the newspaper at breakfast or in the train, a crime novel at bed-time. My view is that these things cannot be replaced by digital media, or can you imagine sitting at your child¹s bed with a laptop and reading Snow White from it?"
