For years I have been designing and developing B2B meeting programmes for events. In that time, the tools and the way we work have changed, and recently technology has started to transform many of our processes.
However, there is one thing that remains the same.
At the end of an event, when a participant comes up to you and says “Thank you, that meeting was really worth it” or “I’ve met a company I can genuinely see us working with”, it’s a comment that lasts just a few seconds but sums up weeks of work.
That is the moment when you realise the value of knowing how to accompany people, being present and helping two people meet at the right time.
1. Why don’t those meetings happen by chance?
There are platforms capable of managing thousands of participants, automating agendas and suggesting contacts. They are essential tools and have been a huge step forward in our day-to-day work.
But a platform doesn’t fully know people.
Behind every meeting that really works, there is work that is rarely seen.
It involves analysing profiles, understanding what each company is looking for, designing the meeting strategy, configuring the platform so it is intuitive and useful, planning the spaces where the meetings will take place and taking care of every detail so that taking part is easy from the very beginning.
But above all, it means valuing each participant’s time and helping them achieve meaningful collaborations and new opportunities.
2. And then the event arrives
When the event finally begins, the work changes.
It’s time to deal with the unexpected, adapt agendas and make sure everything flows naturally.
And personally, it’s also the most special moment for me.
It’s when I stop looking at the screen and start watching people. It still strikes me to see how a meeting begins with a certain shyness and ends with a smile.
That’s when I’m reminded that, however much technology there is, relationships are still built between people.
3. The metric that really matters
After every event we analyse indicators such as the number of meetings held, attendance or platform activity. This data is necessary and helps us assess the impact of the networking.
But, going back to the beginning, I still think the best metric doesn’t appear in any report.
It’s hearing that a meeting was useful.
That a company has found a partner it wants to keep talking to.
That an exhibitor wants to come back because they met people they would probably never have crossed paths with otherwise.
Those conversations are what really remind me why I do this job.
4. Not losing the essence
Technology will keep evolving and we should make the most of it to be more efficient. In fact, it would be a mistake not to.
But I also believe it should never make us forget something important: behind every company there are people, and behind every good meeting there is someone who has taken the time to understand them.
A platform can facilitate meetings.
What it still can’t do is listen, interpret what each participant needs or recognise when two people genuinely have something to offer each other.
And perhaps that is still the most beautiful part of this job.
Originally published in Spanish on LinkedIn.