Before buying a trade fair email list, check seven things: where the data comes from, which edition it belongs to, when the addresses were verified, how data protection is handled, how the price is calculated, whether you can see sample records and whether sending tools with unsubscribe and suppression come with it. Ask every provider, including us.
What should a trade fair email list contain?
Search results for this term split into two very different products: verified exhibitor data with a stated source, and files of “500,000 company emails” of unclear origin. The first is a sales channel; the second can burn your sending domain in one campaign.
- Trade fair email list
- The exhibitors of a specific trade fair with their business email addresses, plus country, sector, source and verification status.
- Verification
- Checking that an address exists and accepts mail, shortly before sending.
- Suppression list
- Addresses that must never be emailed again: people who unsubscribed, hard bounces and complaints.
A file with nothing but an address column is not a list. It is a risk.
Which seven checks should you make before buying?
- 1. Is the source stated? Every record should show which catalogue or company website it came from. “Our proprietary database” means there is no source.
- 2. Which edition and date does it belong to? Exhibitor lists age: companies close and addresses change. Ask for the fair year and the date the list was compiled.
- 3. Were the addresses verified, and when? Verification should happen close to sending. Ask whether you pay for addresses that turn out to be invalid.
- 4. Has data protection been thought through? The lawful basis for named addresses, how removal requests are handled and the provider's own privacy notice. Without all three, the risk stays with you.
- 5. How is the price calculated? A sound model charges per record and does not charge for invalid ones. A flat price for 100,000 addresses suggests nobody has measured the quality.
- 6. Can you see sample records? Before paying you should see the structure: which fields are filled and how the source is shown. Do not buy from a provider who will not show any.
- 7. Do you get sending tools, or only a file? Without unsubscribe, a suppression list and volume limits, the first campaign tends to end up in spam.
What do PECR and the UK GDPR mean for a bought list?
Under PECR, marketing email to corporate subscribers such as limited companies and LLPs does not need prior consent, as long as you identify yourself and offer a working opt-out. Sole traders and some partnerships count as individuals: they need consent, and the ICO's guidance is that consent collected by someone else is only valid if it named your organisation specifically.
The UK GDPR applies to every address that identifies a person, such as a first name and surname. If you did not collect the data yourself, Article 14 requires you to tell the person where it came from, at the latest when you first contact them. The ICO also expects buyers to check how a list was compiled before using it. Recipients in EU countries follow their national rules, and some, Germany among them, require consent even between businesses.
This is general information, not legal advice. The details are in our legal guide to emailing trade fair exhibitors.
What does a list of unclear origin really cost?
The cheap file is paid for three times. Delivery: a high bounce rate marks your domain, and afterwards even emails to valid addresses land in spam. Law: data whose origin you cannot show leaves you without an answer at the first complaint. Time:every campaign sent to dead addresses is a week of your sales team's work.
How does Expomatik answer the seven checks?
| Check | Expomatik |
|---|---|
| Source | Every record states the catalogue or website it came from; records without a source are not published. |
| Freshness | Lists are built per fair edition; the fair year and the compile date are shown. |
| Verification | Required before sending. You are not charged for invalid addresses, and records that become invalid later are refunded to your balance. |
| Price | Per record, pay as you go, and small lists are free. The fee is shown before you open a list. |
| Delivery | Lists are opened in your account rather than handed over as a file. Unsubscribe, suppression and daily volume limits are built into sending. |
Current prices are on the Pricing page, and the fairs that already have a list are on Trade Fair Exhibitor Lists.
Frequently asked questions
- Is it legal to buy an email list in the UK?
- Buying a list is not illegal in itself, but you become responsible for how you use it. Under PECR, marketing email to companies does not need prior consent; sole traders and some partnerships need consent that names you. The UK GDPR applies to any address that identifies a person.
- How old can a trade fair email list be?
- As fresh as possible. Companies close, staff move and addresses change, so a list from an earlier edition should be verified shortly before sending. The fair year and the date the list was compiled should be stated for every list.
- Why is a cheap list of unclear origin risky?
- Invalid addresses cause bounces, and a high bounce rate marks your domain, so later emails to valid addresses also land in spam. If the origin of the data cannot be shown, you also have no answer when a recipient asks where you got their address.