6 Business Matchmaking Event Mistakes to Avoid

Whether it’s for virtual, hybrid or in-person event networking, planning a successful b2b matchmaking event is hard. There are a lot of factors to consider, usually while only having limited resources. Trying to do all the work without help will result in mistakes that can cost the success of your event. Why risk it? b2match has facilitated thousands of events and has 13 years of event planning experience. Read on to avoid these mistakes and learn what your networking events need to offer to ensure success.

1. Scope of Business Matchmaking Event

2. Clearly Defined b2b Matchmaking Participant Types

3. Bios that Clearly Showcase Attendee Goals

4. Ranking Quality of 1:1 Meetings

5. Factor in Time Zones and Schedules

6. Offer Post Event Matchmaking

1. Scope of Business Matchmaking Event

Event organizers are under pressure to get as many participants to sign up for their event as possible. However, if the attendee list is not carefully vetted, a poorly performing b2b matchmaking event will occur. Attendees will not be able to find the match they are looking for. They will not initial 1:1 meetings. Your event numbers will not be what you hoped. Be sure you reach out to the right organizations when planning your attendee list.

2. Clearly Defined b2b Matchmaking Event Participant Types

Once you have vetted your attendee list and made sure common interests are likely, it’s up to you to clearly define the participant types. A good b2b event management platform will allow you to make specific definitions. For example, buyer/seller or investor/startup. Upon registration, the attendee is presented with the participant type option.

There are many reasons to have a clearly defined participant type:

• It allows you to create booking rules. For example, only buyers should be able to book 1:1 meetings with sellers.
• It determines which participants can be seen by which attendees. Such as, visitors can only see the exhibitors, not other visitors.
• It regulates which participants can select specific event sessions. For instance, exhibitors should not see the post event cocktail hour.

As the event organizer, you can go into the event platform and review if participants assigned themselves the correct participant type. If not, you can edit it accordingly. This will result in better 1:1 meeting numbers. Attendees can search their ideal business match more easily.

3. Bio that Clearly Showcases Attendee Business Matchmaking Goals

Upon registration, attendees need to create a bio of who they are, what they are looking for, what they are offering. A lot of events request that a participant just fill out a profile. However, after observing thousands of events facilitated on the b2match event networking platform, we have seen that just 30% of 1:1 meetings are initiated through user or company profiles.

This is where a marketplace comes into play. It is a platform where attendees create detailed descriptions of what they are looking for and what they are offering. They can upload files, videos and images. The marketplace is a one-stop-shop for participants to go to find their best b2b match. Read more about the event marketplace.

4. Ranking Quality of 1:1 Meetings

As an event organizer you cannot know the true success of your b2b matchmaking event until you ask how satisfied your attendees were. Post event surveys are an important part of measuring success. However, they cannot capture individual 1:1 meeting satisfaction. Also, after days of many 1:1 meetings, the attendee can either forget meetings or confuse them with other meetings.

The best way to capture attendee satisfaction is to have the attendee rank every 1:1 meeting right after it happens. By presenting a feedback form right after the meeting happens, the evaluation will be concise. You will be able to clearly measure the success of your event. Learn more about how to measure the success of an event.

5. Factor in Time Zones and Schedules

Scheduling 1:1 meetings can be complex as attendees try to negotiate their time with other participants. With virtual and hybrid event networking, there is the added level of time zones to factor in. Not being able to come up with a time to meet will end up with no meeting at all. The best way to make this easy is to add in a scheduling tool. It factors in the attendee’s current schedule and reviews time zones to align 1:1 meetings. An easy meeting to schedule is a meeting that will most likely take place.

6. Offer Post Event Matchmaking

If you have set up your b2b matchmaking event correctly, attendees will be clamouring for more 1:1 meetings. However, creating an event that is long enough to cater to all those meeting requests would be too long. Attendees would tire out and they have other commitments to attend to.

To find the balance, offer post event matchmaking. It is still an event session, however they last for longer periods of time. For example, a week or a month. It is a period when attendees are able to meet anytime they agree on.

When organizing a business matchmaking event, there are a lot of things to consider. b2match is the event matchmaking software that has the tools in place for you to coordinate your best event.