How BOBST prepared its frontline technical experts to represent the brand with conviction at the world's largest print trade show.
Drupa is the world's largest printing and packaging trade show — held every four years in Düsseldorf, Germany. For BOBST, one of the global leaders in packaging and label production equipment, it is the most important commercial event of the cycle.
The brand's frontline presence at Drupa is not just marketing — it is a direct reflection of the company's technical authority and client relationships. Missing the mark here means four more years to recover.
BOBST's booth team at Drupa was composed primarily of highly skilled technical experts — engineers, product specialists, and application experts who knew the machines inside out. The challenge was not their knowledge. It was their ability to translate that knowledge into conversations that resonate with a diverse international audience: buyers, distributors, partners, journalists, and decision-makers from across the industry.
The brief was clear: give 64 experts the communication tools to hold powerful conversations on the show floor — and to represent BOBST's brand positioning with confidence and consistency, regardless of visitor type, language, or level of technical familiarity.
The program was designed to build a shared framework first, then deepen it individually, then be present on the ground when it mattered most.
Three cohorts of approximately 20 participants each, run remotely before the show. We worked on message architecture — how to lead with relevance rather than features. Audience adaptation — pivoting between a technical expert and a first-time visitor in real time. And the specific communication challenges of a trade show floor: managing interruptions, holding attention in a noisy environment, recovering from a flat opening.
Small-group follow-up sessions after each workshop cohort. Participants brought their real scenarios: the product conversation they weren't sure how to open, the visitor type that made them uncomfortable, the question they dreaded on the floor. We practised those specific situations — not hypotheticals.
Two one-on-one sessions per participant. Focused on their specific product area, their most challenging visitor conversations, and their personal communication style. This is where the group work became individual — and where the real fine-tuning happened. Each person left with three specific changes to make, and a clear sense of their own strengths on the floor.
Present on the BOBST booth floor throughout the show — observing live conversations, giving real-time feedback between visitor interactions, helping the team recover from difficult exchanges, and reinforcing the framework in the moments that mattered most. The on-site presence turned the training into live coaching — exactly when and where the stakes were highest.
"The difference between explaining a machine and making someone want it — that's what we worked on. And I saw it happening on the floor."
Video interview with the BOBST team — recorded after Drupa 2024.
Significantly more confident entering conversations with unfamiliar visitors — especially with buyers who had no technical background.
Shared vocabulary across the team — the framework created communication consistency regardless of product area, language, or seniority.
Visibly more at ease on the floor compared to previous Drupa editions — noted directly by BOBST's L&D team in post-event reporting.
"Structure" and "the one-sentence test" were cited as the most useful elements in multiple post-program feedback forms.
The on-site presence was cited as a key differentiator in post-event feedback — the real-time coaching between visitor interactions was unlike any training model the team had experienced before.
A blended communication program spanning multiple organisational levels over a multi-year engagement.
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