The world premiere of the new Speedmaster CX 104
sheetfed offset press was the highlight of the trade show and confirmed
Heidelberg's innovative strength and technological leadership in a challenging
market environment. With the new press, the company aims to further expand its
strong position in the growing packaging segment and meet the growing demand
for flexible printing systems with different automation solutions and variants
in the commercial sector. Heidelberg also showcased a wide range of solutions
along the entire value chain in the customer life cycle with intelligent
solutions and products.
"The reaction of customers in China to our
innovations has been nothing short of euphoric," said Rainer Hundsdörfer,
CEO of the company. "Even before the start of series production of the CX
104, we had orders for more than 500 printing units of this series worldwide, a
large proportion of them from China. This proof of confidence and the high
demand from China give us tailwind for the current fiscal year."
The Chinese production site in Shanghai has been
running at full capacity for months, and capacities will be further increased
in the current fiscal year due to the high order intake. Around 900 employees
currently work in sales, service, and production in the country. In the medium
term, Heidelberg's sales in China in the printing industry's largest single
market are expected to rise from around € 300 million to over € 360 million by
2026.
Successful customer approach on site and digitally
In addition to the on-site trade show
booth, the digital presentation of innovations and solutions is increasingly in
demand in China. To complement Heidelberg's live presence, there was a digital
exhibition of the booth with a VR 3D exhibition hall, on social media, numerous
live streamings, B2B e-commerce offers, and the shows on the web. Thus, the
comprehensive content was broadcast in various formats, bringing seamless online
and offline experiences to all visitors. In the process, more than 25,000 trade
visitors interacted with the digital "Heidelberg Show," 40 percent of
them completely online. With a total of 700 minutes of live streaming over five
consecutive days, a total of 400,000 viewers were reached. The "Digital
Show" concept enabled all customers to receive comprehensive information
on site and online despite travel restrictions caused by the pandemic.
“We are far ahead in the market. No one can deny
that Heidelberg booth was the most attractive place of the exhibition. The
number of visitors to the Heidelberg booth and the feedback from our customers
confirm that we are market leaders in China with our solutions. The vision,
strategy, offerings, and digitalization competence demonstrated in the show
proved that Heidelberg is the partner for the Chinese printing industry in the
future. We are running with full speed running into a digital era,” added Benny
Huang, Head of Heidelberg China Ltd.
