SIMTOS Korea Guide: Machine Tool Show at KINTEX and Leads
By Ilyas Kerbal,
SIMTOS (Seoul International Manufacturing Technology Show) is Korea’s biggest manufacturing technology exhibition and one of Asia’s largest machine tool shows. The 21st edition in April 2026 expected more than 1,300 exhibitors from 35 countries across about 6,000 booths, around 100,000 visitors and over 5,000 overseas buyers, under the theme “AI Autonomous Manufacturing Meets Talent”. The next SIMTOS is in 2028. For anyone selling into Korea’s automotive, shipbuilding, battery and semiconductor manufacturing, the SIMTOS attendee list is worth having.
SIMTOS key facts
| Industry | Machine tools |
| City | Seoul (Goyang), South Korea |
| Venue | KINTEX (Halls 1–2, plus 7–8 for M.A.D.E. in SIMTOS), Goyang (Seoul metro area) |
| Dates | April, biennial (even years), 2026: 13–17 Apr |
| Frequency | Biennial (even years) |
| Moves between cities? | No, always KINTEX |
| Typical scale | ~100,000 attendees · ~1,300 exhibitors |
| Visitor ticket | Online pre-registration (check simtos.org for onsite fee) |
| App / platform | Online registration + buyer matchmaking |
| Official website | simtos.org |
Details checked in October 2026. Dates, prices and venues can change between editions, so confirm on the official SIMTOS website before you book travel.
What is SIMTOS?
SIMTOS is organised by the SIMTOS Organizing Committee (Korea Machine Tool Manufacturers’ Association). It has five pavilions:
| Pavilion | Focus |
|---|---|
| Metal cutting & die/mould | Machining centres, lathes, mould making |
| Materials, components & control | CNC controls, components |
| Tooling & measurement | Cutting tools, metrology |
| Cutting & welding | Laser, plasma, welding |
| Press & forming | Presses and forming machines |
The M.A.D.E. in SIMTOS special exhibition covers robotics, digital twins, AI process control and IIoT.
Korean machine tool makers exhibit at home at SIMTOS and abroad at shows like EMO. Photo: NearEMPTiness, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Venue and timing
SIMTOS is held every two years, in even years, at KINTEX in Goyang, north-west of Seoul. It’s about an hour from central Seoul and around 40 minutes from Incheon Airport. The 2026 edition ran 13–17 April, using Halls 1–2 and Halls 7–8 for M.A.D.E. in SIMTOS. The next is expected in April 2028.
Who attends SIMTOS
| Visitor | Interest | Who should target them |
|---|---|---|
| Korean manufacturing engineers and plant managers | Machines and automation | Machine tool and robot makers |
| Automotive, shipbuilding, battery and semiconductor suppliers | Capability and capacity | CNC, tooling and metrology vendors |
| Machine tool dealers | Lines to represent | International builders |
| Overseas buyers (5,000+) | Korean equipment | Korean exporters |
| Engineering students and researchers | Technology | Universities, employers |
| System integrators | Partners and components | Automation suppliers |
Planning to exhibit at SIMTOS? I build SIMTOS attendee and exhibitor lists before the event: names, job titles, companies, company size, LinkedIn profiles and work emails where available, delivered as a CSV ready for HubSpot, Salesforce or Pipedrive. Ask for your SIMTOS list
Registration
Visitors pre-register online at simtos.org. Event coverage doesn’t mention a fee for pre-registered trade visitors; confirm on-site pricing on the official site. More than 5,000 overseas buyers are invited through buyer programmes and matchmaking.
Matchmaking and data
Registration, exhibitor search and buyer matchmaking run through simtos.org. The matchmaking programme helps overseas buyers meet exhibitors. If you’re on the other side of the table, selling to Korean manufacturers or to the overseas buyers, you need your own enriched list, and with most content in Korean that takes effort.
Pros and cons
Pros
- A gateway to Korea’s advanced manufacturing base
- Organised overseas buyer matchmaking
- Strong AI and smart factory content
- Efficient, modern venue
- A good mix of Korean and international brands
Cons
- Biennial
- KINTEX is outside central Seoul
- Mostly Korean-language
- Smaller than JIMTOF or CIMT
- Overlaps with other April machine tool shows
The app won’t let you export. I can help. If you need SIMTOS participant data in a spreadsheet instead of a locked app, tell me which segments you care about and I’ll build the file. Get the SIMTOS data
Preparing for SIMTOS 2028
- Plan around the biennial cycle; use the off-year to build relationships.
- Target the industries Korea is strong in: automotive, shipbuilding, batteries and semiconductors.
- Use the buyer matchmaking if you’re an overseas buyer.
- Bring Korean materials or a local partner.
- Stay near KINTEX or in north-west Seoul.
- Visit M.A.D.E. in SIMTOS for smart factory partners.
FAQ
When is the next SIMTOS?
SIMTOS is biennial (even years). The 2026 edition ran 13–17 April; the next is expected in 2028.
Where is SIMTOS held?
At KINTEX in Goyang, near Seoul.
Is SIMTOS free?
Visitors pre-register online; confirm any on-site fee on simtos.org.
Can I get the SIMTOS attendee list?
There’s no exportable list. I can build an enriched SIMTOS list for your team.
Walk into SIMTOS with a target list
Event apps are built for browsing, not for sales teams. They cap connections, hide data behind logins and rarely let you export anything. I pull attendee, exhibitor and speaker data from the app and the event website, enrich every profile and hand you a clean file before the doors open, so your reps can book meetings in advance and follow up properly afterwards.
Get in touch to order the SIMTOS list
Related event guides
- CIMT 2027 Beijing: China Machine Tool Show Guide and Leads
- METALEX 2026 Bangkok: ASEAN Machine Tool Show Guide
- TIMTOS 2027 Taipei: Machine Tool Show Guide and Buyer Leads
Sources
Photo credits
- Cover image: 킨텍스 by 뭘로할까, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
- In-article image: Products of U-Jin Tech Corp displayed at the EMO Fair 2019 in Hanover by NearEMPTiness, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
