Marketing to Engineers with Trade Shows and Events

Trade shows have been a staple for decades, leading some marketers to view them as outdated and less effective. However, savvy B2B marketers understand that live events remain one of the most valuable tools for fostering face-to-face connections and strengthening relationships with customers and prospects. These events provide a unique opportunity to engage directly with potential clients, demonstrate products, and build trust through personal interaction.

When it comes to reaching an engineering audience, getting this in-person interaction can prove difficult. They are often hard to sell, since their projects require a lot of that same in-person time as a trade show. But getting an engineer to visit your booth isn’t impossible. According to Marketing to Engineers® research, here is what you should know when it comes to getting an engineer’s attention before, during, and after a trade show.

Pre-Show: Planning Ahead

Engineers and their cohorts see value in attending trade shows and vendor events. Personnel from engineering companies who have purchasing or specifying responsibilities attend an average of four trade shows or industry events per year. Notably, 53% of these events are trade shows, 32% are vendor events, and 15% are provided by consultancies. This presents a terrific opportunity on a couple of fronts: you can probably see your customers and prospects at least a couple of shows every year, and there is a valid reason for creating your own custom event.

For these events, most engineers prefer to stay close to home, but a little travel isn’t too bad either. Eighty-six percent of engineers attend trade shows within driving distance of where they live, and 53% book flights to attend regional shows. Europe, Canada, and China are the most popular trade show destinations for those engineers (12%) who are willing to travel internationally.

Unfortunately, unauthorized and spur-of-the-moment event attendance probably isn’t going to happen. While 31% of engineers don’t need their boss’s OK to attend a trade show, 69% need the approval of at least one other person. As for preplanning, engineers typically register seven weeks before a show.

Engineers find out about shows from a variety of sources. They typically find out about trade shows and industry events through exhibitor invitations, e-newsletters, and email advertisements. They are most likely to pay attention to a direct invite from an exhibitor, e-newsletters or email ads, direct mail, word of mouth or a colleague, and online ads.

Engineers also do their homework before attending a show. Prior to attending an event, engineers consider the following to be valuable or highly valuable:

• Technical articles – 93%
• Product information/datasheets – 92%
• White papers/how-to articles – 85%
• Product demonstration videos – 78%
• Case studies/application stories – 75%

Trade show attendance often corresponds with early stages of the buying cycle – but not always. Almost a third of engineers (30%) attend trade shows during the research phase of their buying cycle, and a similar number (33%) of engineers plan their trade show schedule ahead of time. Learning about what’s new, self-improvement, and expense are key drivers. Virtually all engineers (98%) say learning about new products and technologies is important or very important in justifying trade show or industry event attendance, while over 80% cite education and cost as key factors.

At-the-Show: Content Matters

Quality content at the show makes a difference. While attending an event, engineers consider the following to be valuable or highly valuable:

• Product information, datasheets, etc. – 92%
• Live product demos – 89%
• Technical articles – 87%
• Case studies, application stories – 80%
• Product demo videos – 78%
• White papers, how-to articles, etc. – 78%
• How-to videos – 69%

Engineers are usually looking for specific answers. Eighty-seven percent of engineers attending a trade show are sometimes, frequently, or always looking for a solution to a specific problem.

Education and learning about new products on the show floor each demand a similar amount of time. The average engineer will evenly divide their time during a trade show day, with four hours on the exhibitor show floor and three hours in educational or speaker sessions. Demos, meetings with product experts, and educational presentations are top draws. Trade show attendees are overwhelmingly drawn to product demonstrations (84%), followed by face-to-face interaction with product experts (67%), and educational presentations (59%).

Quality content is the top driver of attendees to educational sessions. Top-performing educational sessions feature topics relevant to engineers’ current projects (78%), engineering best practices (59%), product demos (49%), and research findings (47%).

More than anything, though, engineers want to talk with other engineers. When attending a trade show or event, engineers are most interested in speaking with application engineers and design engineers.

Post-Show: High-Impact Communications

Quality content after the show also makes a difference. Post-event, engineers consider the following to be valuable or highly valuable:

• Product information, datasheets, etc. – 91%
• Technical articles – 90%
• White papers, how-to articles, etc. – 82%
• Product demo videos – 75%
• Case studies, application stories – 73%
• How-to videos – 72%
• eBooks, eGuides – 68%
• Webcasts/webinars – 68%

In addition, engineers prefer email as a post-show follow-up. The vast majority of engineers (71%) prefer to be contacted by suppliers via email two to four weeks after a trade show.

And the best news? Trade shows yield business relationships. Almost all engineers (90%) have done business with a supplier they met at a trade show, typically within three to six months. Transitioning from pre-show planning to post-show follow-up ensures that these relationships are nurtured and maintained for long-term success.

The enduring appeal of trade shows in the engineering sector highlights their unique ability to foster direct, meaningful interactions that other marketing channels can’t replicate. Despite the rise of digital marketing, the face-to-face connections made at these events are invaluable for building trust and demonstrating expertise. By carefully planning pre-show activities, delivering high-quality content during the event, and maintaining engagement through thoughtful post-show follow-ups, companies can significantly enhance their relationships with customers and prospects. Embracing the multifaceted nature of trade shows ensures that businesses not only stay relevant but also capitalize on the opportunities these events offer for growth and innovation.