Why Should I Send my Employees to Trade shows?

Companies have long since shed the idea of sending whole teams of empolyees to conferences and trade shows, but why? Most companies will share the expense of sending employees are far too great and in this blog I share the benefits of just the opposite. Can you really afford not to?

Why Employers Should Send Maintenance and Reliability Staff to Industry Trade Shows

1. Stay Ahead of Equipment and Lubrication Technology

Trade shows like are where the latest maintenance and reliability innovations are revealed.

Employees get hands-on exposure to:

• Automatic lubrication systems, sensors, and filtration equipment.

• New developments in oil analysis, contamination control, and predictive maintenance.

• Live demonstrations of real-world reliability solutions that can reduce downtime.

When they return, they can share new ideas that directly improve your facility’s uptime and safety.

2. Practical, Hands-On Learning

Unlike classroom training, trade shows let maintenance pros touch, test, and see the equipment in action.

• They can compare grease systems, fittings, and filtration units side-by-side.

• Attend workshops on bearing failure analysis, oil sampling, and precision lubrication.

• Learn directly from OEM engineers and reliability experts about real-world fixes and troubleshooting methods.

That hands-on exposure often translates to better maintenance practices and fewer equipment failures back on the job.

3. Build Industry Connections

Maintenance and reliability professionals get the chance to talk shop with:

• Vendors, lubrication engineers, and other maintenance managers.

• People who face the same day-to-day issues with motors, pumps, compressors, and gearboxes.

These conversations lead to valuable takeaways — sometimes even a new vendor relationship or a cost-saving tip that makes a big difference later.

4. Real Competitive Advantage

When your maintenance team sees what other plants and companies are doing, they bring back:

• New maintenance ideas that competitors are already implementing.

• Insights on how to reduce failures, extend equipment life, and cut lubrication waste.

• Ideas to streamline PM routes or upgrade manual greasing programs to automatic lubrication.

That kind of first-hand market intelligence helps your company stay ahead in reliability performance.

5. Motivation and Ownership

Sending maintenance employees to trade shows tells them:

“We trust your expertise and value your contribution to our reliability goals.”

That message boosts morale. Employees come back energized, proud of representing the company, and eager to apply what they’ve learned.

It builds a stronger culture of reliability — not just from the top down, but from the floor up.

6. Return on Investment

Every dollar spent on sending a technician or reliability engineer to a show often comes back through:

• Reduced equipment failures and fewer emergency repairs.

• Better lubrication practices that extend bearing and motor life.

• Improved product selection (by choosing the right greases, oils, or lube systems).

Even one improved maintenance procedure or product change can pay for the trip several times over.