All B2B events have one crucial thing in common: professionals attend to network.
By networking, attendees can create new business connections, expand their networks, sell or buy products and services, connect with new employers or hires, the list goes on and on. Yet, as an event professional, facilitating attendee networking at B2B events could quickly turn into your biggest nightmare - and ultimate downfall.
Don’t worry; we’re not here to discourage you, quite the contrary.
If done right, networking can become your biggest asset and a magnet for attendees and sponsors alike; just take a look at the success stories of Nordic Business Forum and LendIt Fintech. Both events knocked the networking game out of the park, and it all started with ambitious teams and business matchmaking software.
Business matchmaking software is a tool designed to optimize intent-based networking by connecting attendees (and sponsors) with matching interests. Participants can create their user profiles and use the matchmaking software before and during the event to browse the other attendees’ profiles and find new business connections.
However, how does business matchmaking software help organizers facilitate attendee networking at B2B events?
We talked to our customers to find out the 5 top reasons to use business matchmaking software and how it can improve your B2B event, both for your business and your attendees.
Here they are!
It’s the day of the event, and little by little, your attendees head to the networking area. How do you get them talking?
Some organizers might resort to the many icebreakers or networking games available. Those are good ways of getting people out of their shelves and interacting with others, but think about it, do you need one more thing piled on top of your already towering stack of things to do?
If your answer is no, then business matchmaking software is your best ally.
Business matchmaking software is created to connect people, and it does this in a painless and straightforward way. Your attendees create their profile selecting their area of interest, and in a matter of seconds, the AI analyzes thousands of data points and brings all top matches together.
Your attendees can stop browsing through hundreds of profiles in the hope of finding the right networking opportunities. Business matchmaking software does that for them, and everything the new matches have to do is simply start a conversation.
We could say business matchmaking software is both the icebreaker and networking game in one single, smart solution. Having one means you can forget about planning networking activities and focus on the other parts of your event.
One-way speaker sessions don’t cut it anymore, and while attendee engagement is a must at any B2B event, pre-engagement is the real game-changing trick up your sleeve.
When it comes to successful pre-engagement, there are two key players in the field: you and your business matchmaking software.
You are the one in charge of the event marketing strategy. In other words, once your attendees buy their tickets, there shouldn't be radio silence until the day of the event. There's so much to tell them: information about the venue, speakers, destination city, demos on how to get the most out of your event hosting platform and matchmaking software, not to mention all the exciting content and opportunities awaiting them.
Your business matchmaking software deals with intent-based connections ensuring your attendees skip past the 'maybe' matches and go directly to those with the best chance of bringing real value. This saves them hours of time in prospecting and helps them make the most out of their time at the event.
Plus, new connections can interact via live chat while they count the days to your event, which works wonders for building the hype!
All in all, your attendees will leave your event empowered and with a positive impression, which means better word-of-mouth marketing and a desire to come again next year.
Your attendees are in good hands with business matchmaking software. However, as a professional in one of the most competitive industries of our time, you should always strive for that extra mile.
So, here’s one more challenge for you: with business matchmaking software, your attendees can find their top matches and schedule 1:1 meetings. However, when meeting each other for the first time on the day of the event, they’ll still need time to introduce themselves and their business, and time is in short supply at a busy event.
How do you solve this?
Once more, the answer is: nurturing pre-engagement.
Something as simple as opening the live chat on your business matchmaking software two weeks before the event can tip the scale. This extra time allows your attendees to get acquainted with each other, saving precious networking time otherwise spent on presentations during the actual face-to-face meeting.
When it comes to B2B events, how do you determine your strengths, and what areas could use some improvement instead?
Numerical insights and data are crucial to measure the outcome of your event and plan your future strategy. That’s why competitive matchmaking software always comes with event analytics and reporting.
Event data can, for instance, allow you to identify the trending topics and measure attendees’ behavior. How effective was your event networking? How can you improve it? When did people network the most? What were the most popular interests?
Numbers and stats can answer all those questions and more, allowing you to improve your attendees’ experience, make data-based decisions for your future events, and plan more efficient marketing campaigns.
Attendees are busy professionals who are investing a lot into your B2B event. They want to get the absolute most out of it, so how can you help them maximize their experience?
Business matchmaking software isn't there to just network and book meetings; it comes with a vast array of benefits.
For instance, it can help attendees plan their day and navigate your event. You can also add the event schedule so your attendees know how much free time they'll have to network. They can customize their own event schedule according to their interests and check the floor plan to get accustomed to the venue and find exactly what they need.
That also eliminates the need for paper handouts, which eases a load on the environment. Plus, the software doesn't need to be a mobile app - your attendees can access it via any electronic device, saving valuable storage space on their smartphones.
It will be a simple yet noticeable difference in their event experience, one they'll thank you for.
Business matchmaking software is essential for B2B events, no matter the size or type. Structured networking is vital in the business world, and business matchmaking software is your perfect tool for ensuring you keep existing clients while making new ones.
With business matchmaking software, you'll also help your attendees meet the right people, whether it's a new client, solution, or hire.
So, remember the 5 top benefits:
Invest in business matchmaking software for your next event to streamline your networking and save both you and your attendees time. You'll improve both the quality of networking and your event, which means more satisfied attendees and more repeat ticket sales.
Brella is the leader in AI-powered matchmaking technology, and our team of experts is only one click away. Make sure you book a free demo call with us!