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In every corner of the business-to-business economy, companies are rediscovering the power of bringing customers into their own facilities. Manufacturing giants have always invited clients to see production lines in motion, convinced that nothing builds confidence quite like watching a machine at work or meeting the engineers who design and service it. Now, with the exhibition world thriving but buyer behaviors shifting, open houses are gaining new prominence. For printing, where decisions are complex and investments long-lived, the format offers exceptional value. It’s a great value for their suppliers, too.

The academic research on open houses and plant tours provides hard evidence to support what many have long suspected. A recent study published in Industrial Marketing Management analyzed data spanning more than two decades from a mid-sized industrial supplier. It found that customers who attended factory tours increased their purchases in the following years. The mechanism was clear: trust and commitment strengthened after the visit, and those emotional drivers translated into measurable revenue. In simple terms, showing your facility builds confidence, and confidence leads to contracts.