Using anthropological methods to study industrial marketing and purchasing: an exploration of professional trade shows

In this paper, we follow the suggestion of Cova and Salle (2003) to apply “a bulk of rejuvenated methodologies” to research industrial marketing and purchasing. By adopting anthropological methods we intend to contribute to the literature regarding trade shows and the pre-purchase information search of industrial buyers. Our findings unfold new knowledge and a deeper understanding of visitor behavior at trade shows and of the informative value of these events. Discussions of data collected in the field of five events in the fashion industry provide insights to exhibitors as well as new directions for future research.