Final figures exceeded 394,000 visitors from 122 countries - down from 428,000 in 2000 - with 1,862 companies exhibiting.

Drupa president Albrecht Bolza-Schunemann, who is also president and chief executive of KBA, said: "Drupa has brought about the return of optimism and a sense of new departures in the international print media industry."

54% of visitors to the show came from outside Germany, up on the figure of 47% in 2000. Of these, Europeans made up the biggest group, with 127,655 visitors, followed by Asian trade visitors, who numbered 42,554.

Bolza-Schunemann's comments were backed up by print suppliers from across the world that exhibited at the show.

Esko-Graphics sold more than 110 offset and flexo platesetters.

Agfa's ApogeeX workflow software passed the 20,000 licensee mark at the show, while in the newspaper segment the Belgian company sold 31 licenses of its Arkitex workflow and 36 violet-laser CTP systems.

The show also generated 27 contracts for Agfa's recently-launched JDF and CMS consultancy service.

On the press side, Heidelberg reported sales of over 544m (800m)while MAN Roland's sales topped 316m.

Story by Josh Brooks