Event networking - b2match

Jonas Schoeneborn

Nov 11, 20203 min read

Events are made for people, and people have expectations. Meeting those will result in higher engagement rates and greater satisfaction, driving the success of your virtual event. Attendees expect to build and expand their network at networking events, so the matchmaking that your event is offering should deliver what they want.

Attendees, Attendees, Attendees

In today’s consumer-driven and interconnected world, attendees are more than just tickets sold. No wonder 91% of event organizers measure the success of their events based on attendee satisfaction (eventmanagerblog.com). They and their opinions are the key drivers of your event’s success.

Since every person attending is a potential repeat attendee, an indicator of event success is the satisfaction of attendees, and should be prioritized.

If an event met or exceeded the attendee’s expectations, 85% are likely to repeat attendance and 89% are likely to recommend it to others (IAEE). So, focusing on attendee satisfaction will not only result in lower acquisition costs for your next event but is also best possible PR — word of mouth.

You as an event organizer want to offer attendees the best possible experience. But to do so, you must first know their expectations.

Understand Attendance Drivers

This can be challenging as each attendee has their own unique interests and goals. However there are some common goals. The most important reason for people to go to events of any kind is the ability to network, besides educational purposes (92%) and the event destination itself (78%).

Bar graph image of top reasons why people attend events like educational purposes, event location, ability to networkBar graph image of top reasons why people attend events like educational purposes, event location, ability to network

Understanding the factors determining attendee’s decision to attend is essential for event organizers to build their event experience and attendance promotion strategies.

Pie chart displaying 76% of attendees networking opportunities at eventsPie chart displaying 76% of attendees networking opportunities at events

Participants want interactions that will help them build their professional network, and you want to deliver on that. The fact that it’s important to 76% of attendees is a convincing argument to figure out the best way to ‘get them together’ on-site.

Pie chart displaying 88% of event attendees hope to save time by seeing many vendors at oncePie chart displaying 88% of event attendees hope to save time by seeing many vendors at once

As events grow, chances that attendees by coincidence will meet the right people are low. To simply offer unregulated networking sessions or coffee breaks is not sufficient enough. Since 88% of attendees hope that an event will save them time by bringing many vendors together under one roof at the same time, you must make it easy and efficient for them to meet and connect.

This is where business matchmaking enters the scene. It is a more efficient and goal-oriented approach to typical networking and certifies that every minute of an attendee’s schedule is well worth their while.

The Hot Water and Clean Linen of Events

According to the Kano model, which is used to analyse customer satisfaction development, it is essential to meet and stimulate attendees basic expectations first, before you really can spark excitement with surprising aspects of your service (event).

For example, when you book into a hotel, you’d expect hot water and a bed with clean linen as an absolute minimum. It does not make you jump into the air if you get it. It's just expected.

b2match, the all in one event management software that specializes in b2b matchmaking, is the hot water and clean linen of any event, be it virtual, hybrid or in-person networking events.

The importance of business matchmaking and benefits that result from it explain why already 27% of event planners are investing more in their attendees meeting design. Yet, it also shows that many event organizers have not noticed the significant role it plays. What does this mean for you as an event organizer?

Take Action

Give attendees what they want. Utilize b2match's efficient event matchmaking software and make sure your event adds real value for you participants. That everyone leaves with connections that matter.

Inspired? Get in Touch and Let Us Help Make Your Next Event a Success.

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