How does AI matchmaking work at B2B networking events?
The event app compares attendee profiles, interests and stated goals, then suggests people with complementary needs. You accept a match and book a short meeting slot.
Event apps such as Grip or Brella ask every attendee for a profile: role, company, industry, interests and, above all, what they offer and need. An algorithm scores pairs on how well one side's needs fit the other's offer and shows each person a ranked list of recommendations. Usually both sides must accept before a meeting is booked into a free slot. Meetcatcher applies the same idea without an event: it reads your website and keeps suggesting companies that could become clients or partners.
The suggestions are only as good as the profiles. An attendee who writes 'interested in networking' gives the algorithm nothing to work with; one who writes 'we build Shopify stores for fashion brands and look for logistics partners' gets precise matches. A well-filled profile at a mid-sized conference can realistically lead to 6–9 booked meetings over two days, while an empty one often gets none.
Matchmaking is also limited by who registered. At a niche event, five strong matches may be the whole pool; at a large expo, the best matches book up early. Request meetings in the week before the event, not on the day, and follow up within 48 hours afterwards.
Getting better matches
- 1Write what you offer and needOne sentence each, with industry and company size. This is the main input the algorithm uses.
- 2Pick narrow interestsChoose three to five specific tags instead of every option. Broad tags produce random matches.
- 3Review suggestions earlyAccept and request meetings in the days before the event, while calendars are still empty.
- 4Keep meetings short15–20 minutes is enough to see whether there is a fit. Agree the next step before you leave the table.
- 5Follow up within two daysSend a short note with what you discussed and one concrete proposal.
Treat matchmaking as a shortlist, not a promise. The algorithm finds people worth meeting; the conversation decides whether there is business. If events are rare for you, online speed networking brings the same short-meeting format to your desk. Opening a real conversation with a stranger online is a skill worth practising before that first call.