Today, event organisers can choose from many networking platforms that claim to simplify business matchmaking. These platforms offer many features. These tools often promise streamlined scheduling, AI-driven matches, and intuitive user interfaces.

Many marketing and event directors are starting to ask an important question: do these features bring results?

At Espresso Meet Up, we're shifting the focus to results, away from matchmaking features. Our goal is to have meetings that lead to real business outcomes. Finding aligned business partners is crucial for exhibitors and sponsors. This blog post explains why results are more important than platform features and how to make sure your event matchmaking leads to success.

Why Matchmaking Features Aren’t Enough

Many matchmaking platforms have invested heavily in developing advanced tools and features. From AI-driven matchmaking to sophisticated scheduling algorithms, these features are undoubtedly impressive. But here’s the reality: features alone don’t guarantee success.

Effective matchmaking is about the quality of connections and outcomes. The many features on the platform that organisers end up not using are not the focus. Exhibitors spend a lot of time and money on events, aiming to have important meetings that create business opportunities. Features that don’t lead to actioned, high-quality meetings are ultimately irrelevant.

The Real Value of Business Matchmaking: Results

Event organisers should focus on what truly matters: matchmaking results. Here’s why:

  1. Exhibitor Satisfaction = Retention Exhibitors are the backbone of most events. They need to see a clear return on investment (ROI) from their participation. This ROI comes from high-quality, well-matched meetings with potential clients or partners. If exhibitors leave the event with new leads or contracts, they will likely return the following year.

Platforms that prioritise results over features ensure that exhibitors leave the event satisfied, and satisfaction translates directly into exhibitor retention. Bringing back the same exhibitors year after year is crucial for the long-term success of events.

2. ROI for Event Organisers Event organisers benefit directly from a results-driven matchmaking approach. When exhibitors are happy with their meetings, they are more likely to spend money on better booths. They may also sponsor future events. The cost of attending or sponsoring will also become more worthwhile.

This increased exhibitor retention boosts the organiser’s bottom line, creating a cycle of success.

3. Actionable Business Connections The purpose of matchmaking in business is to foster meaningful connections. AI-matching attendees for meetings by interests or keywords is helpful. But it must result in meaningful actions to be truly effective.

Attendees and exhibitors want meetings that lead to follow-ups, business deals, or partnerships. Results-driven matchmaking at events ensures that each meeting has the potential to deliver real value.

How to Choose a Results-Driven Matchmaking Platform

When choosing a matchmaking platform for your events, focus on what brings real results, not the flashy features. Here’s what to consider:

  1. Success Rate of Meetings How many of the meetings scheduled through the event networking platform take place? More importantly, how many lead to meaningful follow-ups or business deals? A good platform will offer data and case studies. These will show how well their matchmaking leads to useful meetings.
  2. Ease of Use vs. Outcome While user-friendly interfaces are important, they shouldn’t be the only deciding factor. What truly matters is whether the platform can connect the right people for the right reasons. Does the platform ensure attendees meet people they are going to do business with, rather than just filling meeting slots?
  3. Personalisation for Specific Events Every event is different, and so are the needs of exhibitors and attendees. A results-driven platform allows organisers to customise matchmaking criteria to ensure better quality meetings and a positive event experience. This could include filtering by business size, industry, or specific goals.
  4. A good platform offers detailed analytics after an event. It shows how many meetings took place. It also displays the success rates of those meetings.

Find a platform that tracks follow-up actions that happened after meetings. This includes business deals or partnerships. This information will help you see the real value of your matchmaking work.

Why Espresso Meet Up Values Results

At Espresso Meet Up, we’ve seen firsthand doing the work on the ground in the events in the last 18 years how focusing on results rather than features leads to more successful events. So we designed our platform to ensure that each meeting contributes to the event's success. 

Here’s how we do it:

  1. Quality Matchmaking: We use AI to help with matchmaking, but that’s not the point. Our main goal is to make sure these matches create valuable connections. Our algorithms go beyond basic data. They match attendees and exhibitors based on their business goals, industry needs, and possible synergies.
  2. Real-Time Analytics: We give event organisers real-time data on how meetings are going. This helps them make quick changes to improve results.
  3. Customisation: Our platform allows organisers to change matchmaking criteria for their events. This helps ensure that the right people connect.
  4. Focus on Exhibitor Retention: We help event organisers create good matches. This way, exhibitors find real value and want to come back.
  5. Data Quality: Without high-quality data, there are no good matches and no successful meetings. An API-first concept means pulling valuable data from your registration systems to populate profiles. Users who haven't completed their profiles receive a series of communications ensuring they update incomplete profiles.
  6. Smart Communications – We use a multichannel approach in our communications. Including channels like WhatsApp ensures higher meeting response rates, setting Espresso Meet Up apart from email-only platforms.
  7. Trigger Campaigns – We send personalised marketing campaigns based on each user’s behaviour. This way we update users with relevant messages on the channels they are most likely to respond on.

Focus on Results, Not Features

In the event industry, success is based on results. While advanced features are useful, they are only valuable if they lead to high-quality, actionable meetings that drive ROI for exhibitors and attendees. By choosing a platform like Espresso Meet Up, ensure that your events deliver real business value and long-term success.

Looking to upgrade your event matchmaking? Contact us for a demo today to see how Espresso Meet Up can help you achieve important results.