Improve your matchmaking between Exhibitors and Relevant Visitors
In the context of events, we understand matchmaking is the process of connecting exhibitors (i.e. sellers) and visitors (i.e. potential buyers) with common interests or objectives. The goal of matchmaking is to create meaningful connections between exhibitors and visitors, which can lead to mutually beneficial business relationships.
Event organisers are increasingly using data to gain insights into their visitors and exhibitors and using this information to create better matches. They are also using advanced analytics tools to predict which exhibitors and visitors are most likely to be interested in each other.
In our experience, matchmaking is more likely to be effective and successful when the below 5 key points are considered in the approach:
- Collect right data on visitors and exhibitors: The first step in improving matchmaking is to collect data on visitors and exhibitors. This includes demographic information, interests, job titles, and purchasing power. The more data you have, the better you can match visitors and exhibitors with common interests or objectives. It is imperative the data is as consistent as possible, esp. for profiling and behaviour data that is often collected for registrations and leading up to the event.
- Use the appropriate technology: Once you have collected the right data on visitors and exhibitors, you have to use ‘some’ data analytics technology to gain insights into their behaviour and preferences. This includes tools like predictive analytics, machine learning, and natural language processing. These tools can help you identify patterns and make predictions about which exhibitors and visitors are most likely to be interested in each other.
- Provide personalised recommendations: To improve the matchmaking experience, event organisers should provide visitors with personalised recommendations. This can be done through a matchmaking platform, where visitors can indicate their preferences and interests. Personalised recommendations can help visitors find exhibitors that are relevant to their needs, and help exhibitors connect with visitors that are most likely to be interested in their products or services.
- Think AI first approach: AI, once the frontier of large tech companies, has become mainstream with ChatGPT and OpenAI. Event organisers should think about AI first approach to improve their matchmaking. AI can not only be applied for matchmaking but can include other stakeholders that enable matchmaking. Think event planners utilising AI providing suggestions to improve. And think your exhibitors using to ask questions on your potential event visitors via a user-friendly interface. All of this based on your organisations context & data. This approach can help you improve the overall quality of the matchmaking process.
- Closed-loop feedback: You need to know how the matches that you provided fared, were they too broad or were tailored to specific user needs most of the time? How does your recommended matches influence the visitor behaviour and exhibitors as well? Do visitors find the matches relevant and useful? How does it relate to improving event experience, increasing rebookings and re-registrations, and boosting revenue? It is important to agree on the performance and effectiveness KPIs for the matchmaking and recommendation systems you build, so you can actually devise a data collection and measurement strategy.
Acrotrend can support you implement matchmaking successfully. Whether your business is brand new to it or needs to take established processes to the next level, our globally-operating customer analytics consultancy is here to help – be it with AI or otherwise.