Why Every Business Going to FABTECH Expo Should Bring Stickers!
Why Every Business Going to FABTECH Expo Should Bring Stickers
If you're heading to FABTECH 2026 in Las Vegas and you're a small business owner, content creator, manufacturer, welding professional or industry brand, there's one inexpensive marketing tool you should probably have packed in your bag.
Stickers.
Yes, stickers.
Not because they're fancy.
Not because they're revolutionary.
Because they work.
And FABTECH is one of the best environments you could possibly find for them.
FABTECH Is a Massive Networking Opportunity
FABTECH 2026 takes place October 21–23 at the Las Vegas Convention Center and is expected to bring more than 31,000 attendees and 1,400 exhibitors together across more than 700,000 square feet of manufacturing technology.
That's a lot of people.
And every one of those people is another potential customer, supplier, business connection, collaborator, employee, creator or future friend.
You can hand someone a business card.
You can give them your Instagram handle.
You can tell them your website.
Or you can hand them a sticker.
And six months later, that sticker might still be sitting on their toolbox.
That's the power of physical branding.
Stickers Become Tiny Billboards
Think about where people put stickers.
Toolboxes.
Welding machines.
Laptops.
Water bottles.
Work trucks.
Hard hats.
Shop refrigerators.
Garage doors.
Phone cases.
They're not just stickers anymore.
They're advertisements that people voluntarily put somewhere they look at every day.
That's pretty powerful for something that can cost relatively little to produce.
And at an event like FABTECH, where everyone is already talking about businesses, tools, equipment and the manufacturing industry, a good sticker can become a conversation starter.
My Go-To Sticker Shop in Las Vegas
For the past several years, I've been getting my own stickers from Machine Studio in Las Vegas.
I've used them for JonnySWeld.
I've used them for Slag Tag Media.
I've had stickers made specifically for FABTECH.
And I've also connected Machine Studio with ScrapFest, where the event stickers for the past two years were produced there.
So if you've seen some of those stickers floating around the welding and metal-art community, there's a good chance Machine Studio had something to do with them.
That's one of the reasons I wanted to put them on the radar of anyone coming to FABTECH.
Machine Studio Isn't Your Typical FABTECH Business
Here's the interesting part.
Machine Studio isn't primarily a welding company.
They're a graffiti supply and sticker printing business.
Their Las Vegas store carries graffiti supplies, spray paint, caps, markers, pens, refills, stencils and other products for artists. They also offer custom laminated stickers and other custom sticker options.
But that's exactly why I think they fit into the FABTECH conversation.
Because marketing doesn't really care what industry you're in.
A welder needs to promote their welding business.
A graffiti artist needs to promote their art.
A manufacturer needs to promote their products.
A fabricator needs to promote their shop.
A content creator needs to promote their brand.
Everybody needs attention.
Everybody needs recognition.
Everybody needs people to remember their name.
There's More Crossover Than You Think
The welding industry and graffiti/art communities actually have quite a bit in common.
Welders draw.
Artists draw.
Welders use paint markers.
Artists use paint markers.
Welders create metal art.
Artists create wall art.
Welders personalize their tools.
Artists personalize their work.
And both communities love putting stickers on things.
Machine Studio sits right in the middle of that crossover.
It's an unexpected connection, but it's a good one.
They Also Carry Markal
Another reason this caught my attention is that Machine Studio carries Markal markers, a brand that's already familiar to many welders and fabricators.
Their online store has an entire category dedicated to markers, pens and refills.
So if you're a FABTECH attendee who needs some markers, you're not necessarily walking into a graffiti shop and finding something completely unrelated to your work.
You may actually find some tools you already use in your shop.
Need Stickers for FABTECH?
This is probably the biggest reason I'm sharing Machine Studio.
If you're coming to FABTECH and you haven't ordered your stickers yet, consider looking into them.
Machine Studio's custom stickers are printed in the USA using American-made vinyl. Their laminated stickers are designed to resist fading and peeling, which makes them particularly useful for stickers that are going to live on toolboxes, equipment, vehicles and other high-use surfaces. citeturn0search8
And they're located right in Las Vegas at:
Machine Studio
700 E Sahara Ave., Suite C
Las Vegas, NV 89104
Their listed hours are noon to 8 p.m. weekdays and noon to 5 p.m. weekends.
That's a convenient option if you're already in town for FABTECH.
Don't Just Hand Out Your Sticker
Here's my biggest piece of advice.
Don't treat your sticker like a business card.
Treat it like a marketing tool.
Make something people actually want.
Make it funny.
Make it useful.
Make it collectible.
Make a limited FABTECH version.
Put your website or social handle somewhere on it.
Create different designs for different audiences.
Or build a sticker people actually want to put on their toolbox.
The goal isn't to hand out 1,000 stickers.
The goal is to have 100 people who actually want to keep them.
That's a much better marketing strategy.
Support the Local Businesses Around FABTECH
One of the coolest things about attending a huge trade show is getting outside the convention center.
FABTECH gives you access to some of the biggest companies in manufacturing, but Las Vegas also has thousands of smaller businesses worth discovering.
Machine Studio is one of those businesses.
It's local.
It's creative.
It's a little unconventional.
And it has a surprisingly strong connection to the welding and fabrication community.
So if you're heading to FABTECH, stop in, check out the store, grab some stickers and see what they have.
You might even find your next favorite marker.
And if you're a business owner attending FABTECH?
Bring stickers.
Someone is going to ask for one.