A machinery trade fair exhibitor list gathers the makers of machine tools, cutting tools, fasteners, valves and automation in one place. These companies buy components, look for dealers in new markets and need service partners abroad. Reviewing the list weeks before the fair and writing a short message to the right firms beats walking the halls unprepared.
Who exhibits at machinery and metalworking fairs?
Most exhibitors are manufacturers, with sales, international business and engineering staff on the stand together. The company types you will meet most often:
- Machine tool builder
- CNC lathes, milling, grinding and sheet metal machines. Buys castings, bearings, control electronics and software.
- Tooling
- Cutting tools, workholding and measuring equipment. Usually sells through dealers.
- Fasteners
- Manufacturers and distributors of bolts, nuts, rivets and special fixings.
- Valves and flow control
- Industrial valves, actuators and seals for oil and gas, chemicals and water.
- Foundry and forging
- Contract producers of cast and forged parts: potential suppliers, and sometimes competitors.
Which machinery and metalworking fairs matter most?
A few fairs set the agenda worldwide. Their cycles matter, because most do not take place every year:
- EMO: the world fair for production technology and machine tools. The German Machine Tool Builders' Association (VDW) runs it in Hanover and the Italian association UCIMU in Milan; according to the organisers' plan, 2027 is in Milan and 2029 in Hanover.
- JIMTOF: the Japan International Machine Tool Fair, organised every two years by the Japan Machine Tool Builders' Association at Tokyo Big Sight. The main meeting point for the Asian market.
- Fastener Fair Global: the fair for fasteners and fixing technology, held every two years in Stuttgart.
- Valve World Expo: the industrial valve and flow control fair in Düsseldorf.
If the next edition of one of these fairs is in our directory, it appears in the table below with its dates. Always check dates on the official fair website before you book travel.
Which machinery and metal fairs are coming up?
Our directory currently holds 23 upcoming fairs tagged Machinery and 43 tagged Metal / Foundry (a fair can carry both tags). Fairs with a ready exhibitor list come first.
Every fair, with month and country filters, is on the machinery trade fairs and metal and foundry fairs pages. All fairs with a ready list are collected under exhibitor lists.
Countries with the most machinery fairs: Türkiye, Indonesia.
Who should you target in the exhibitor list?
The same list means different things to different sellers. Start with your own role:
| You are | Companies to look for |
|---|---|
| Component supplier (castings, machining, bearings, hydraulics) | Machine builders whose product groups use your part |
| Machine builder looking for a dealer or distributor | Local distributors in your target country and firms selling complementary products |
| Service and spare parts partner | Foreign manufacturers without a service network in your country |
| Fastener or valve maker | Distributors, engineering and project companies at fastener and valve fairs |
For a machine builder looking for dealers, the most valuable rows are exhibitors from the target country: they know the market and already sell in the sector. For a component supplier, product group decides; a large firm that does not use your part is worth less than a small one that does.
How do you use the list around the fair dates?
- Six to eight weeks ahead: review the list and choose 30 to 80 targets by product group and country.
- Four to five weeks ahead: send a short introduction with a meeting request. See our meeting request email templates.
- Fair week: alongside booked meetings, visit the stands of targets who did not reply.
- Two weeks after: send quotes and technical files to the firms you met, and a brief note to those you missed. Our guide to getting an exhibitor list compares the sources.
These time frames are rough practical guidance, not measured figures.
In Expomatik the list is opened in your account; campaigns go to each company's general address and results are tracked by replies. Opens are not measured.
What does a short, honest first message look like?
Because the message reaches a general address, the first line should say who it is for. Give facts, not superlatives:
Subject: Machined castings for your machine beds
Hello, we would be grateful if you could pass this to your purchasing team.
We are a foundry in the West Midlands supplying machined grey iron castings from 50 kg to 4 tonnes. We would like to visit your stand at the fair and hear how you source castings today. If you share a convenient time or a drawing, we can prepare a quote.
If this is not relevant, a short reply is enough and we will not write again.
The company and figures in the example are illustrative.
Which rules apply before you email exhibitors?
In the UK, PECR does not require prior consent for marketing emails to corporate subscribers such as limited companies, but you must identify yourself and offer an opt-out; sole traders are treated as individuals. Other countries have their own rules, and Germany requires prior consent even for business recipients. Our guide Is It Legal to Email Trade Fair Exhibitors? covers the details. This article is general information, not legal advice.
Related reading
Other sectors: packaging and plastics fairs and energy fairs. List and sending fees are on Pricing.
Frequently asked questions
- Who benefits from a machinery trade fair exhibitor list?
- Suppliers of components and services to machine builders, machine builders looking for dealers or distributors abroad, and companies looking for service partners. The list brings together the firms that are active in the sector right now.
- Whose email address is in the list?
- Expomatik lists hold each company's general business address, such as info@ or sales@. There is no targeting of named individuals; your message reaches the company and asks for it to be passed to the right department.
- Is the list still useful after the fair?
- Yes. Exhibitors keep working in the same sector after the show. The first weeks after a fair suit follow-up, and the list then serves as a pool of target companies for the rest of the year.
- Where can I see the price of a list?
- The price is shown in your account before you open the list. Plans and sending fees are on the Pricing page.