Actual article date: Nov 22, 2016

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After working with 450+ events for the past 3.5 years, the Jublia team has garnered extensive experience on how business matching and meetings can be run at different event types, to maximise the end results and performance.

However, we have seen that not all business matching programmes are created the same, even though you might be running the Jublia platform at your event.

In actuality, there are 4 distinct stages that we at Jublia think you can reach or be at, by climbing the unique business matching ladder in your events. The higher you reach, the better the benefits you and your customers get out of it.

Stage 0: Not aware of business matching

As the stage’s title implies, these are organisers who are doing things the way it has been done years before and have yet come to gripe with the general heightened customers’ need for business matching.

Stage 1: 0–10% — Just starting out

Organisers who employs business matching as a means to an end. Often than not, the organiser just want to have something to show, due to customer demands.
As such, business matching is treated merely as a ‘tool’ and not much investment of effort and money will be put into making it a successful endeavor.

How to climb to the next stage?
It is alright to start at stage one as a non-committal trial. However, once the ‘trial’ is done, put effort into understand the business matching and meetings performance, no matter if the results is better or lower than expected.
Of course, the smart move will be to start your event’s business matching on a capable platform that will be able to deliver the analytics and ultimately, insights, to improve your business matching/meetings programme.

Stage 2 (Lower):10% to 30% — Invest and benefit!

This is where organiser starts to take their business matching programme more seriously. However a ‘tool’ approach is still prevalent at this stage where organisers typically will invest money, to deploy a wholesome technology platform, but then leave it all to perform by itself.
At the lower stage, the business matching end performance is typically lukewarm, hovering around average or below average performance.

How to climb to the next stage?
Re-look at performance analytics and plug loopholes to improve the end results. Loopholes will will vary widely from event to event. These includes things like having more focused groups instead of general groups, widening/narrowing group views, data quality and/or improving marketing promotions.
The key is having a keen awareness on how to direct your unique business matching programme at your event.

Stage 2 (Upper):30% to 50% — Start of business matching success

Upper is largely similar to Lower, with the key difference that the end business matching performance is above average. The approach is still largely ‘tool’ based, thriving on organic business matching adoption which happen to be performing really well, due high quality attendees with mutual interests.
Stage 2 (Upper) is the stage where organisers can easily get complacent and not see the need to further improve the programme since it’s technically performing well already.

How to climb to the next stage?
You have invested money in good business matching technology and platform. Now, it’s time to put extra efforts into making tweaks in your organisation to support and maximise the end performance in Stage 3.

Stage 3 (Lower): 50% to 70% — Build more success with organisation support

Organisers reaches this stage when they decide to evolve their company’s business matching process/strategy to maximise end performance rather than just leaving the business matching programme to grow organically. Organisers will build an internal business matching process within their organisation to develop their programme further.

In a sense, organisers will tap on the business matching metrics generated by their business matching programme daily or weekly leading up to the event, to decide which attendees need further personal touch. They will then target their follow ups via email/phone calls to ensure that their most valuable attendees will achieve the best outcome from the business matching.

How to climb to the next stage?
Develop a cohesive marketing plan that actively promotes the value of business matching at your event.

Stage 3 (Upper): 70% to 90% — Business matching as a core value

An organiser reaches Stage 3 (Upper) when they have a specific game plan in mind. They weave their business matching programme as one of the core focus of their full marketing campaign, and brand the programme with a distinctive name like “Specialised Match & Meet” instead of simply “Business Matching”.

How to climb to the next stage?
Bring sales into the game!

Stage 4: 90% to 100% — Monetisation!

The highest stage (at least for now) is where only a few — close to zero ;) — organisers have ventured. At this stage, organisers brings in a sales strategy that fit in seamlessly with business matching programme (which is already deeply ingrained within their marketing construct).
Basically, it means that organisers can ultimately monetise on their well performing business matching programme.

At Jublia, we work closely with organisers to pave their way to Stage 3. After which we work on monetisation strategies, to boost them to Stage 4 proficiency in their business matching programme. Our vision for business matching is help all clients grow to stage 3–4, no matter if they start from stage 0 or 1 with us.

It takes some time to make your way up; You typically don’t get to Stage 4 after just 1–2 event implementation.

That being said, you will definitely find it a fulfilling climb once you reaches the top of the ladder.

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