Event Networking Blog
Knowledge on networking & matchmaking.
Practical tips, guides and trends for successful B2B events — from the team behind the Converve platform.
Tips for Event Organizers
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Conference Swag Attendees Keep: Sponsor-Funded, Sustainable and Worth the Budget
First-Time Attendee Programmes: How Associations Turn Newcomers into Regulars
Networking Breakfasts: How Chambers and Economic Development Agencies Run a Series That Lasts
Event Planning
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Gala Dinner, Dine-Around or Reception: How to Plan the Conference Evening
Compare gala dinners, dine-arounds, receptions and a free evening. Choose the format for your goals, arrange useful introductions and coordinate restaurants, hosts and local partners.
MC Script for a B2B Conference: What the Host Says, When, and How to Brief Them
Write a B2B conference MC script with clear welcomes, speaker introductions and meeting announcements. Includes adaptable script blocks, suggested timings and a host briefing checklist.
Conference Programme Committee: Roles, Timeline and How Abstract Selection Works
Define programme committee roles, recruit enough reviewers and set clear selection criteria before opening the call. A guide to deadlines, abstract review, conflicts and session planning.
Conference Swag Attendees Keep: Sponsor-Funded, Sustainable and Worth the Budget
Choose conference swag attendees want to use, make collection optional and order to demand. Compare sponsorship models, evidence for environmental claims and the cost per item kept.
Customer Advisory Board Meeting: How to Plan the In-Person Session
Plan an in-person customer advisory board meeting with focused questions, the right participants and time for discussion. Includes an agenda, ground rules and a practical follow-up plan.
Customer Appreciation Events for B2B: Goals, Formats and Guest Lists
Choose a clear goal for your B2B customer appreciation event, build the guest list by account and prepare useful introductions. Includes formats, hospitality considerations and follow-up.
Event Influencer Marketing: How B2B Organisers Work with Creators
Work with creators whose audience fits your B2B event. Agree roles, access, deliverables and advertising labels, then track relevant registrations, attendance and meetings.
First-Time Attendee Programmes: How Associations Turn Newcomers into Regulars
Help first-time congress attendees find their way and meet people. Plan orientation, buddy matching and follow-up, then track contacts, member conversion and return rates.
How to Name an Event: Conference and Virtual Event Names, Plus a Theme That Sells
Choose a conference or virtual event name your audience understands. Separate name, tagline and theme, test your shortlist and complete the practical checks before committing.
Networking Breakfasts: How Chambers and Economic Development Agencies Run a Series That Lasts
Build a recurring networking breakfast that welcomes new guests and helps regulars make fresh contacts. A guide for chambers and agencies to hosting, invitations, funding and evaluation.
Sales Kickoff Planning: How to Run an SKO That Changes Behaviour
Plan a sales kickoff around observable changes in the team's work. Set clear goals, build in practice, prepare managers to coach and schedule 90 days of follow-up.
Side Events at Startup Conferences: How Organisers Curate the Programme Around the Event
Coordinate side events with your startup conference: choose a listing model, set selection and timing rules, maintain a shared calendar and evaluate participation and follow-up meetings.
Speaker Agreement: The Clauses Conference Organisers Need
Prepare speaker agreements covering deliverables, recording and AI use, fees, travel, cancellation and personal data. Includes a clause checklist and a schedule for confirming terms.
Visa Invitation Letters: What Event Organisers Issue, When and to Whom
Set up a consistent process for event visa invitation letters: confirm participation, include the right details, allow time for applications and protect passport data. Covers Schengen, US and UK requirements.
What Is Event Management? Disciplines, Process and How B2B Events Differ
Event management connects objectives, programme design, delivery and evaluation. Explore its main disciplines, five planning phases and the specific needs of B2B events.
What Is a Plenary Session? Conference Session Types and How They Fit Together
What a plenary session is, how it differs from a keynote, and how plenary, parallel, workshop and poster sessions work together as the architecture of a conference programme, with room maths and an example day.
Corporate Event Planning: From Business Objective to Follow-up
A corporate event is approved and judged by people outside the event team. This guide shows how to plan one event from the business objective to the sales follow-up: an objective chain, a stakeholder map, a one-page brief and five approval gates.
Event Email Sequence: Invitation, Reminder, Know-Before-You-Go and Follow-Up Templates for B2B Events
A B2B event email sequence works when each email fires on what the recipient has committed to, not on a fixed calendar date. Here are the three tracks, the triggers, eight templates you can adapt, including reminders for booked 1:1 meetings, and the rules that keep it out of the spam folder.
Event Proposal: How to Pitch an Event Internally or to a Client (With Template)
What an event proposal is, how it differs from an event RFP, the nine sections of a proposal that gets approved, what changes between an internal pitch and a client proposal, and how to make the return of a B2B event concrete.
Registration Questions That Make Matchmaking Work: What to Ask, and When
Matchmaking needs profile data, while short registration forms need fewer fields. Which questions belong before confirmation, which belong after, and how to phrase them so your meeting suggestions actually fit.
Event SEO: How to Get Your Event Page Ranking on Google
How B2B organisers get an event page ranking on Google: one permanent URL instead of a new page every year, a landing page built around the category search, Event schema Google accepts, and the eligibility rules that keep some B2B formats out of Google's event listings.
Event Strategy: How to Decide Which Events to Run and What Each One Is For
Build an event portfolio with a clear purpose, target audience and success measure for each event. This guide shows how to compare formats fairly, identify gaps and overlaps, and decide which events to keep, merge or stop.
Executive Dinners: How to Plan an Invite-Only Dinner That Turns Into Booked Meetings
How to plan an executive dinner that creates pipeline: assign every seat to an account and a host, invite against realistic no-show rates, keep the evening free of pitches and send a specific follow-up request within 48 hours.
Is Matchmaking Worth It for a Small B2B Event? Four Tests and the Maths
Headcount alone does not tell you whether matchmaking is worthwhile. Matchmaking pays off at a small event when participants have more relevant counterparts than meeting slots, and enough of them to fill a diary. Here are four tests, a worked example with the cost per meeting, and the formats that work below the line.
Non-Dues Revenue from Events: What Associations Can Earn Beyond Membership Fees
Membership dues now cover about a third of association revenue, and events carry much of the rest. The event revenue streams associations rely on, what each one really sells, and how to judge them on margin rather than turnover.
Press Trips and Influencer Trips: How DMOs Plan Them and What They Should Deliver
A press trip and an influencer trip are media bought with hospitality instead of money. This guide shows how destinations plan both, what a journalist and a creator each owe you, and how to measure the result without advertising value equivalents.
Bleisure: What the Trend Means for DMOs and Congress Organisers
Most congress delegates already extend their trip. How DMOs and congress organisers plan pre- and post-congress tours, companion programmes and registration data, so the extra nights are planned and counted.
Booth Pricing: How Organisers Price Exhibition Space and What to Sell on Top
How trade show organisers set booth prices: the cost floor per square metre, surcharges for corner and island stands, space only versus packages, mandatory fees and the add-ons that decide whether exhibitors book again. With published price lists for 2027.
What Is the Right Buyer-to-Seller Ratio for a B2B Matchmaking Event?
There is no universal buyer-to-seller ratio. There is a formula: the meetings each buyer can take, divided by the meetings each seller needs. Here is the maths, a worked example and the ratios six real events ran in 2025 and 2026, from Germany Travel Mart to IMEX and a reverse trade show.
Congress Ambassador Programmes: How Convention Bureaus Win Association Congresses Through Local Experts
Why convention bureaus cannot win association congresses on their own, what the data says about ambassador programmes, why experts agree to bid, and how to build a programme in six steps.
DMO Marketing: How Destinations Reach Travellers and the Travel Trade
DMO marketing has two markets: travellers and the businesses that sell travel. This guide covers the channels of both halves, how each is measured, and why the travel trade half is the easiest part of destination marketing to prove when funding is under pressure.
Event Industry Statistics 2026: The Numbers on B2B Meetings, Trade Shows and Matchmaking, With Sources
The event industry statistics that hold up in 2026: business events, trade shows, congresses, networking, matchmaking and AI, each figure with its primary source, its year and what it means for organisers.
Event Press Release: Template and How to Get a B2B Event Covered
How to write an event press release that trade editors actually use: the news hooks that work for B2B events, a copyable template, which release to send when, and how press kits, accreditation and the press room fit in.
Event Technology in 2026: The Stack a B2B Organiser Actually Needs
The six layers of a B2B event technology stack, which one to buy first for your format, when a suite beats specialist tools, and the integration questions to settle before you sign.
Exhibitor Retention: Why Exhibitors Don't Rebook and How Meetings Change That
Roughly one exhibitor in four does not come back the following year. Why exhibitors leave, how to measure retention by cohort, and why counted one to one meetings are the evidence that survives an exhibitor's budget review.
Industry Partner Meetings at Association Congresses: Matching Sponsors and Members Without Losing Trust
How associations run one-to-one meetings between industry partners and members: separate opt-in, who may request whom, request caps, the healthcare compliance context and the numbers that show whether members still trust the programme.
ISO 20121: What the Event Sustainability Standard Requires and When Certification Pays Off
ISO 20121 certifies how you manage sustainability across your events, not whether one event was green. What the 2024 edition requires, the three ways to prove conformity, what certification costs and when the certificate is worth it.
Lightning Talks at Conferences: Format, Timing and How to Run a Session
What a lightning talk is, where the format comes from, how it differs from Ignite and PechaKucha, how many talks fit into one slot, how to brief speakers and run the clock, and how to turn five minute talks into conversations after the session.
LP-GP Meetings at Investor Conferences: How Organisers Schedule Them
How organisers of venture capital, private equity and fund conferences schedule meetings between limited partners and fund managers: who selects, how many meetings each LP can take, how to size the programme, a timeline and the rules that keep LPs coming back.
Member Engagement: How Associations Use Events to Keep Members Active Between Congresses
Members rarely leave after a bad congress. They leave after a quiet year. How associations use regional groups, roundtables, mentoring and online sessions to keep members active between congresses, why planned 1:1 conversations matter and which three numbers show whether it works.
Paid Meetings for Exhibitors: Should You Charge for Guaranteed Pre-Booked Meetings?
More shows sell exhibitors a fixed number of pre-booked meetings. This guide helps organisers decide whether to charge, what exactly to promise, how to price it and which no-show rule keeps the guarantee honest.
What Is a Trade Show? Definition, Formats and How Organisers Run One
A clear definition of a trade show, the main formats from trade-only to consumer shows, current market figures, and how organisers plan and run one, including why more shows now schedule meetings instead of leaving them to chance.
What Is an Association Management Company (AMC), and What Does It Mean for Your Annual Meeting?
An association management company runs the office of an association that has no staff of its own. This guide explains what an AMC does, how it differs from AMS software and from HOA management firms, and what changes for your annual meeting when an AMC takes over.
B2B Event Marketing Plan: Timeline, Channels and Budget Split for Organisers
How to build a B2B event marketing plan that fills the room with the right people: countable goals, audience segments, a timeline built backwards from event day, one message per phase, a channel and budget split, and the metrics that show what worked.
Conference, Congress, Symposium, Convention: What Is the Difference?
Conference, congress, symposium and convention compared in one table: size, duration, programme logic, call for papers and networking share, plus a decision guide to pick the right label for your event.
Event CRM: What Organisers Need to Track Before, During and After a B2B Event
An event CRM only pays off when it is planned backwards from next year. This guide shows which records organisers of conferences, trade shows and association meetings should keep, how the data should flow, when Salesforce or HubSpot is enough, and what GDPR allows.
How to Run Mentor Office Hours Without Overbooking Your Best Mentors
How to plan mentor office hours at a startup conference or accelerator: choose between one-to-one and group formats, cap the slots of your most requested mentors, plan for cancellations and organise the second meeting that turns a contact into a mentor.
Panel Discussion: Format, Panel Size and How to Moderate One That Does Not Bore the Room
How a panel discussion works, how many panellists fit into a slot, what the moderator and panellists each do, how to brief them, build questions, handle audience questions and turn the panel into conversations afterwards.
Post-Event Report: What to Include for Sponsors, Exhibitors and Your Board (with Template)
Most post-event reports are written once and sent to everyone, so nobody finds the answer they need. This guide gives you an eleven section template, a separate version for each reader, and a timeline from the 48 hour flash report to the debrief.
Types of B2B Events: Which Format Fits Which Goal
A practical overview of B2B event types, sorted by goal instead of alphabet: what each format is, how big it usually gets, who organises it and how much it relies on planned one to one meetings.
Event RFP: What to Put in a Request for Proposal So Venues and DMCs Can Quote Properly
What an event RFP is, the ten sections every request for proposal needs, how the brief changes for a venue, a DMC or an agency, what B2B events with scheduled meetings must add, and how to compare the proposals that come back.
How to Host a Hackathon: A Guide for Startup Programmes and Corporate Innovation Teams
What a hackathon is, which of four types fits your goal, how to plan one in eight weeks, how to build teams and set judging criteria, and why the 30 days after the event decide whether any project survives.
Association Event Management: Run the Annual Meeting, the Congress and the Regional Days as One Programme
Association event management is not three separate projects. How to plan the annual meeting, the congress, regional days and special interest groups as one programme: one calendar, clear roles and member data that carries from event to event.
Customer Conference Software: What a Customer Day Really Needs
Which software works for customer conferences, user conferences and customer days? Four requirements that set a customer event apart from an open conference: account-based invitations, meetings with the account team, peer exchange between customers and data that flows back into the CRM.
Event App Builder or Your Own App? How to Decide Whether to Build or Buy
Build your own event app, use an event app builder or take the app that comes with your event platform? What each route costs, what app store rules mean for builders, why the download is the hidden cost, and five questions that settle the decision.
Event Floor Plan Software: What Organisers Need Beyond a Drawing
Event floor plan software compared by the three jobs a trade show plan has to do: selling booths, getting the layout approved and guiding visitors. What to check before you buy, what it costs, which system should own the booth number, and what no floor plan does for you.
Incentive Travel: How to Plan an Incentive Programme That Pays Off
What incentive travel is, how to set goals and qualification rules, what an incentive trip costs per person by region, how to choose a destination and a DMC, and how to measure whether the programme worked.
Run of Show Template: How to Build One for a B2B Conference
What a run of show is, how it differs from the conference agenda, and a full day run of show template for a B2B conference, with 1:1 meeting blocks and networking as their own lane, owners and cues.
What Is a Fireside Chat? Format, Questions and How to Host One at a B2B Conference
What a fireside chat is, where the name comes from, when it beats a keynote or a panel, how to cast and brief the moderator, how to time a 30 minute slot, and what to do with the audience questions the stage cannot answer.
What Is a Reverse Trade Show? How It Works and How to Host One
A reverse trade show puts the buyers behind the tables and lets suppliers come to them. What the format is, how it differs from a trade show, meet the buyer events and hosted buyer programmes, and how to plan one that produces real meetings.
What Is a Roundtable Discussion? Format, Table Size and How to Run One at a B2B Conference
What a roundtable discussion is, how it differs from a panel and a workshop, how many people belong at one table, how to assign the seats, and how to run and follow up a roundtable at a B2B conference.
What Is an Unconference? How to Run One for Your Members or Community
What an unconference is, how it differs from a barcamp and open space, when the format suits an association or community, and how to plan the grid, the session board, the moderation and the one to one meetings that follow.
What Is a Destination Management Company (DMC)? Roles, Fees and When to Hire One
What a destination management company is, how it differs from a DMO, a PCO and an event agency, how DMCs price their work, when hiring one pays off, and where DMCs actually win their clients.
Trade Missions: Planning B2B Meetings That Turn into Business
What a trade mission is, which formats exist and how chambers, trade agencies and economic development teams plan, qualify and follow up the meetings on the ground. With a backwards timeline, US and UK programme context and the metrics that matter after 6 and 12 months.
Event Project Management Software 2026: Tools and Workflows Compared
Generic project tools or the task module inside your event platform? A 2026 guide for teams running several events in parallel: which tasks belong in the project plan, where Asana, monday, ClickUp, Trello and Notion fit, and why the reusable template matters more than the tool.
Best Event Management Software 2026: A Comparison for B2B Organisers
Nine event management platforms compared for 2026: how each pricing model works, how far registration, programme and onsite scope really reach, which vendors publish prices, and the one question that sorts the shortlist faster than any feature list.
Conference Management Software 2026: A Guide for Organisers
Choose conference software around your submission, review and programme workflows. What call for papers, peer review, session building and speaker management really require, which system categories cover which part, and the documented price references for 2026.
Event Data Analytics: How Organisers Can Assess Their Numbers
Every B2B event produces seven separate data sources, and they rarely agree. This guide explains which number comes from which source, how reliable each one is, how to join them under GDPR, and the four places where event measurement quietly goes wrong.
Exhibitor Management Software: A Practical Comparison for 2026
Seven exhibitor management platforms compared for 2026: exhibitor portals, task and deadline handling, service shops, booth sales and documented price references, plus six checks that decide which system belongs on your shortlist.
Hybrid Corporate Events: Benefits, Costs and When to Choose Them
When does a hybrid corporate event pay off? Compare production costs, travel savings, lead qualification and no-show rates, with practical guidance on formats that work well online and those that need closer consideration.
Hybrid Events for Associations: Benefits for Members and Organisers
How hybrid annual meetings can support member participation, quorum and retention. Explore the evidence, the demands on volunteers and the governance rules to check before planning.
How to Attract Sponsors for Association Events: Packages and Partnerships
Build sponsorship packages around meaningful contact with a qualified membership. A guide to pricing, programme independence, tax considerations and the approval process for association partnerships.
How to Make Association Events More Sustainable Without Losing Members
Member travel drives 70 to 90 per cent of an association event's carbon footprint, so reducing emissions also means considering how members stay connected. A practical order for your measures: destination and format first, then catering and materials, then contracts, then measurement.
Event Budget Template 2026: What a B2B Conference Really Costs
Most event budget templates are built for a company party: venue, catering, a line for decoration. An organiser-run conference or trade show has a revenue side, comped tickets, a sponsorship pipeline and, if meetings are the product, a meeting programme that deserves its own block. This guide builds the budget in the order your board reads it, with benchmarks for every line and a free Excel template.
Event Check-in and Badge Printing: How Many Stations Does a B2B Event Need?
Published throughput figures for a check-in desk range from 40 to 120 people an hour, which is a factor of three, and nobody explains the spread. This guide turns your arrival curve into a station count, prices the setup per successful check-in, and says when self-service is the wrong answer.
What Is a Fam Trip? The Guide for Destinations and Convention Bureaus
Every published answer to the question of how you measure a fam trip counts media impressions. That is the journalist trip. The trade fam, where a destination hosts buyers with real purchasing budgets, needs the selection criteria and the appointment discipline of a hosted buyer programme, and almost nobody runs it that way.
What Is Venture Clienting? A Guide for Startup Conference Organisers
Venture clienting means a corporate buys from a startup before it invests in one. For a conference organiser that changes what a corporate-startup meeting is: not networking, but a purchasing conversation. Plan the track like a hosted buyer programme and you get pilots. Plan it like a lounge and you get business cards.
Travel Trade Roadshow vs Workshop: A Capacity Guide for Tourism Boards
A roadshow buys markets. A workshop buys meetings. Most tourism boards pick between them on reach and only discover the difference in appointment volume once the suppliers are already sitting at their tables. This guide puts both formats through the same capacity calculation and the same cost per meeting.
Why Investors Attend Startup Conferences (and How to Get Them to Yours)
Most conference teams sell investors the one deal channel that works least well for them: inbound pitches. This guide sets out what investors are actually buying, how many of them your event needs for the meeting grid to work, and how to recruit them in the right order.
Event Meeting No-Shows: Which Number Are You Measuring?
Ask three sources what a normal no-show rate is and you get 6.5 per cent, 10 to 30 per cent and 20 to 40 per cent. None of them is measuring your event. This guide defines the meeting no-show properly, shows why the denominator moves the number more than behaviour does, and ranks the levers that actually work.
Post-Event Survey Questions: What to Ask Visitors, Exhibitors and Speakers
The industry's own benchmark infrastructure separates visitor, exhibitor and non-attendee surveys. Almost every published question list ignores that. This guide gives you three survey sets with the exact wording, a send schedule, realistic response rates and the four numbers your board will ask for.
How to Write a Sponsorship Prospectus That Sells
Most prospectuses list square metres and logo placements, then lose the decision inside the sponsor's own company. This guide shows organisers what belongs in the document, how to price the tiers, when to publish it, and why meetings are the position your competitors forget to sell.
Best Trade Show Management Software for Tourism Events in 2026
Trade show management software is usually sold on booth sales and floor plans. Tourism events live on pre-scheduled buyer-seller meetings. We compare seven platforms against the criteria that actually decide a DMO procurement in 2026.
How to Plan a Conference Agenda That Makes Time for Networking
61% of attendees come for networking, yet most programmes fill every hour with sessions. How to plan an agenda with meeting windows, white space and one personalised schedule per attendee.
The 9 Best Association Management Software Platforms in 2026
Every AMS ranking on page one is written by an AMS vendor, and none of them scores the one capability your members actually renew for: the annual conference. This comparison ranks nine platforms on administration and on event depth, with real price anchors and a GDPR check.
Event Planning Checklist 2026: Every Phase from First Goal to Follow-up
A phase-by-phase event planning checklist for B2B organisers: what to do six months out, three months out, in the final four weeks and after the event. Including the meeting track and the 2026 compliance items that generic templates leave out.
What Is a MICE Destination? Definition, Criteria and Examples
What makes a city a MICE destination: a clear definition, the six criteria behind successful bids, ICCA 2025 rankings and what organisers should read from them.
EES and ETIAS: What to Tell Your International Attendees Now
EES is live, ETIAS is postponed, and border queues are deciding whether day-one meetings happen. A communication timeline and buffer rules for organisers of international events.
Lead Retrieval: Should You Charge Your Exhibitors for It?
Every exhibitor kit prices badge scanning, but the money often flows to a third party. This guide walks organisers through the real decision: include lead retrieval, sell it as an add-on, or outsource it, with the numbers, the packaging logic and the GDPR fine print.
What Is a Destination Marketing Organization? A 2026 Guide
What a destination marketing organization (DMO) is, how it differs from a CVB, tourist board and DMC, how DMOs are funded, and why the job is shifting from promotion to proof.
How to Run a Pitch Competition: Judging, Rules and Prizes
Three per cent of entrants win a prize at a typical pitch competition. A practical organiser guide to the rubric, jury, rulebook and prize structure, plus the meeting design that makes the event worth it for the other 97 per cent.
Speed Networking at B2B Events: How It Works and When Not to Use It
Speed networking promises 10 to 15 conversations in a single hour, and most guides stop right there. This one goes further: rotation formats with the maths behind them, no-show planning, and the point where pre-scheduled 1:1 meetings become the better tool.
Should You Use AI Matchmaking in Your Hosted Buyer Programme?
AI promises better matches, but a hosted buyer programme runs on accountability. Where AI actually helps, where the black box becomes a liability, and how a controlled meeting matrix keeps every pairing auditable.
The 8 Best Matchmaking Platforms for Investor Meetings
Search for a matchmaking platform for investor-founder meetings and the results split into two product worlds, only one of which solves an organiser's problem. Six criteria that separate a meeting engine from an event app, and eight platforms compared against them.
How Many Meetings Should Each Hosted Buyer Get?
Six to eight pre-scheduled meetings per day is the 2026 industry norm, and the number decides everything else in your programme: how many sellers you accept, your room layout, your cost per delivered meeting. The benchmarks, the planning maths and the formats where the rule does not apply.
How to Qualify Hosted Buyers for Your Trade Show
A hosted buyer who cancels costs you six to eight exhibitor meeting slots and up to 4,000 euros in committed travel. A five-pillar scoring framework, the thresholds the major shows publish, a four-stage vetting workflow and the failure modes that quietly drain value.
What Is MICE Hospitality? A Guide for Event Organisers
MICE hospitality is the supply side of business events: the hotels, venues and convention infrastructure that host structured meetings. A guide for DMOs and trade show organisers, with a three-tier partner framework and fresh 2026 data.
Will AI Recommend Your Event? How to Get Found in ChatGPT and AI Search
AI assistants now shortlist which B2B events are worth attending and exhibiting at. This guide shows organisers how to become one of the answers instead of hoping for the click.
MICE Tourism Trends 2027: What DMOs and Event Organisers Should Plan for Now
The 2027 budget season is open, and six forces will decide how far your money goes: an outcome squeeze behind rising costs, AI settling into matchmaking, standardised impact measurement, a shifting event map, more selective attendees, and sustainability rules with teeth. Here is what to plan for each one.
Association Management Software vs. Event Platform: What Does Your Annual Conference Really Need?
Only 38 per cent of associations grew their membership last year, and the top reason members leave is a lack of engagement. This guide shows when the event module of your AMS is enough, when your flagship conference needs a dedicated event platform, and how to connect the two without creating a second database.
EU AI Act Transparency Rules: What Event Organisers Must Do Now
Article 50 of the EU AI Act has been enforceable since 2 August 2026. Which chatbots, AI visuals and matchmaking tools trigger disclosure duties, which obligations sit with your software vendor, and how to check your event stack in 30 minutes.
How to Get Great Speakers for Your B2B Conference (Without a Celebrity Budget)
The median keynote fee in 2026 is $2,500, far below what bureau price lists suggest. This playbook shows organisers where to find speakers, what to really pay, how to write invitations that get a yes, and how to turn the lineup into registrations and 1:1 meetings.
Was Your Event Worth It? How to Measure B2B Event ROI
Ninety per cent of event teams say their events influence deals that never get credit in the CRM. This guide shows how organisers build a defensible ROI number: one formula, a 180 day attribution window, 2026 benchmarks with their lens attached, and two worked examples.
What Is a Pitch Event? The Five Formats and How Organisers Choose
A pitch event is not one format but five, each built for a different outcome. Definitions, 2026 examples from Slush 100 to SXSW Pitch, and a four-step framework for choosing the right one.
Best Practices for Tourism Buyer-Seller Meetings: An Organiser's Playbook
Sellers drop trade shows over weak diaries, not weak venues. This playbook walks through the four levers organisers control, slot design, preparation, on-site delivery and follow-up infrastructure, each with 2026 show benchmarks from IPW, IMEX, TRENZ and Tianguis.
How AI Can Improve Matchmaking Accuracy
AI can lift match acceptance rates at B2B events, but only when organisers feed it clean intent data and fair rules. Where the gains are proven, where the black-box trap begins, and how to measure accuracy properly.
How to Track Investor Follow-ups After Demo Day: An Organiser's Tracking System
Most demo day reporting stops the moment the event ends. This guide builds the organiser-side tracking system in four parts: a meeting log as ground truth, instrumentation for the first 48 hours, a measurement calendar with KPI targets and a cohort report your sponsors can fund.
How Investor Matching Algorithms Work: A Guide for Startup Conference Organisers
Between a founder profile and a confirmed investor meeting sits a stack of logic: rules, scoring, sometimes machine learning. How the four families of matching logic work, where they fail, and the questions that expose a black box before you sign.
KPI Framework for B2B Event Matchmaking: Six Numbers That Show Whether It Works
Organisers have learnt to measure their events, yet only 15 per cent call their networking very effective. This framework tracks six KPIs along the matchmaking funnel, from profile completion to follow-up conversion, with formulas, 2026 benchmarks and two worked examples.
Trade Show Matchmaking Software: How B2B Event Platforms Connect Exhibitors and Visitors
What actually happens between a participant profile and a confirmed trade show meeting? This guide explains the data points behind every match, how a meeting matrix works, how three matching approaches differ and which numbers tell you whether your matchmaking delivers.
Networking Apps for Conferences: 1:1 Meeting Scheduling Put to the Test
65 to 75 per cent of meeting requests at large B2B events never get an answer. We test how five conference networking apps handle 1:1 meeting scheduling, from request logic to no-show handling, and which numbers prove the meetings actually happened.
The 9 Best B2B Event Networking Platforms for 2026
61 per cent of attendees come to events primarily to network, and the platform you pick decides whether that intent turns into booked meetings. We compare nine B2B event networking platforms by category, entry price and organiser fit.
The 10 Best Event Matchmaking Software Tools for 2026
Ten event matchmaking software tools compared for 2026, with the published price table this category is missing, four pricing models explained and a transparency test that filters vendors before any demo.
GDPR-Compliant Event Software: The Checklist for Organisers
A GDPR badge on a vendor website proves nothing. This checklist gives organisers five verifiable criteria, the exact documents to check them in, and the extra questions matchmaking software must answer.
Hosted Buyer Software Compared: The Leading Platforms for 2026
Five hosted buyer software platforms compared for 2026: qualification workflows, meeting obligations, data location and documented price anchors, plus the five checks that separate real hosted buyer software from a matchmaking add-on.
7 Ways to Improve B2B Event Matchmaking in 2026
58 per cent of attendees come for the networking, yet only 15 per cent of organisers rate their own networking as very effective. Seven levers close that gap: from intent-based profiles and mutual confirmation to connection caps and stacked no-show defences.
Where International B2B Events Are Moving in 2026: The European Opportunity
International meetings are leaving the US. Data from GBTA, Oxford Economics and the Incentive Travel Index shows where they are going, and how European destinations can win them.
7 Ways to Boost Hosted Buyer ROI Through Matchmaking
A hosted buyer costs 1,500 to 4,000 euro before the first meeting starts, yet the return is decided elsewhere: in matchmaking quality. Seven levers, from qualification depth to guaranteed meeting quotas, each with a 2026 benchmark and the one control metric that shows whether it works.
AI Agents in Event Management: What Agentic Event Tech Actually Does in 2026
Five agent launches in nine months, but only 11 per cent of agentic pilots reach production. What AI agents can take over at your event today, what they cannot, and the five questions to ask before you believe the word agent.
EU Green Claims Rules for Event Organisers: What Changes on 27 September 2026
From 27 September 2026 the EU bans generic green claims, offset-based carbon neutrality and self-made sustainability labels. Here is what that means for tourism trade shows, DMOs and convention bureaux, touchpoint by touchpoint, with six claims rewritten.
The 90-Day Countdown Before Your Startup Conference: An Organiser's Playbook for Investor Meetings
What startup conference organisers must lock at T-90, T-60, T-30 and in the final week: investor curation, matching rules, platform opening and follow-up infrastructure, with KPI checkpoints for every phase.
The 90-Day Checklist Before Your Trade Show: A Guide for Tourism Boards
Ninety days before a tourism trade show, the venue plan is largely contracted and the critical path shifts to meetings: closing buyer applications, opening matchmaking, locking agendas and preventing no-shows. This countdown playbook gives organisers four phases with deadlines, benchmarks and KPI checkpoints.
Event Matchmaking Software Pricing in 2026: Models, Hidden Fees and the Cost per Meeting
Five pricing models, twelve vendor price anchors and a cost-per-meeting framework that makes quotes comparable, plus the hidden fees and 2026 price rises to budget for.
How Big Is the Startup Conference Market in 2026? A Data Reference for Organisers
No analyst report isolates the startup conference market. This data reference triangulates its 2026 size from business events data, verified flagship conference numbers and venture funding, and reads the three market signals organisers should actually plan around.
How to Qualify Investors Before a 1:1 Meeting Marathon: A Vetting Framework for Conference Organisers
Six vetting criteria, an application form schema and tier-based request caps: how startup conference organisers keep consultants, tourists and funds without a mandate out of the founder meeting programme.
The 15 Best Startup Conferences in Europe 2026/2027: A Data-Backed Guide for Organisers, Founders and Investors
Fifteen European startup conferences ranked by tier, not just size, with meeting data, investor density and a four-step framework for choosing where to send your budget in 2026 and 2027.
Why Is Matchmaking Important for Tourism Trade Shows? The Business Case in Numbers
Buyers choose events by the diary they arrive with, structured meetings convert into contracts, and counted meetings are the number funders accept. The business case for matchmaking at tourism trade shows, with benchmarks from ITB Berlin, WTM London, IMEX and peer-reviewed research.
How Big Is the MICE Market in 2026? The Honest Numbers for Event Organisers
MICE market estimates for 2026 range from 1.03 to 1.34 trillion dollars. Why the figures differ, where growth happens and how organisers should quote them.
How to Run a Virtual Networking Event That Produces Real Meetings
Virtual networking events are back on B2B agendas in 2026, but attendees no longer accept breakout-room roulette. This guide covers four formats, a seven-step plan, a 60-minute agenda and the KPIs that separate a tired video call from an event that produces business meetings.
Multilingual Buyer-Seller Meetings: Best Practices for Trade Show Organisers
At international trade shows, English-only planning quietly kills meetings that looked perfect on paper. This guide shows organisers how to treat language as a matching criterion: capture language data at registration, match for compatibility, tier meetings to decide between human interpreters and AI translation, and measure results by language pair.
How to Attract International Buyers to a Tourism Trade Show: A Five-Lever Playbook
International buyers choose fewer events and expect more from each one. This playbook covers the five levers organisers use to win them: incentive packages, hard qualification, regional sourcing, guaranteed meeting diaries and published proof, with benchmarks from IMEX, IBTM, WTM and ITB for 2025 and 2026.
25 Networking Event Ideas That Actually Lead to Meetings: A B2B Organiser's Guide
Half your attendees come to meet new people, yet most receptions produce small talk. 25 networking event ideas in six families, from speed networking and games to quiet formats and structured matchmaking, with a framework to choose and the numbers to measure success.
What Is Investor Matchmaking? A Guide for Startup Conference Organisers
Investor matchmaking pairs founders with relevant investors through pre-scheduled 1:1 meetings. This guide explains the three layers behind it, why research on VC deal flow makes it necessary, how it differs from demo days and pitch competitions, and the four KPIs that show whether it worked.
How to Plan a Demo Day Step by Step: The 12-Week Playbook
A twelve-week operational playbook for accelerator organisers: investor curation, venue and AV, pre-scheduled meetings, the day-of run-sheet, budget benchmarks, and the four KPIs that decide whether the cohort raises.
How to Prevent Investor Overload at Demo Days
Four operational levers organisers can pull to distribute pitch requests across the room: tiered invites, hard caps, three-axis fit scoring, long-tail deflection.
How to Choose a Virtual or Hybrid Event Platform in 2026
A buyer's guide for B2B trade shows, hosted-buyer programmes and hybrid associations. Five decision criteria, a comparison by event type, a realistic 500-attendee pricing model and a migration checklist.
How to Maximise Investor Meetings at a 2-Day Startup Conference: An Organiser's Playbook
A six-layer organiser's playbook for 2-day startup conferences: pre-event curation, platform configuration, the 1:1 meeting engine, the multi-format layer, real-time operations, and follow-up architecture. With 2026 benchmarks from Slush, Bits & Pretzels and IMEX, the six-number KPI framework, and an honest critique of when the playbook is the wrong tool.
Event Matchmaking FAQ: 15 Questions Organisers Ask Us Most in 2026
Only 15 per cent of organisers rate their networking as very effective. This FAQ hub answers the 15 operational questions we hear most about matchmaking, from cost and KPIs to GDPR and Hosted Buyer fit, with 2026 data and links to the deeper Converve pillars.
Matchmaking Software for Startup Pitch Events: Costs and Results Compared
Six matchmaking platforms compared on cost per completed founder-investor meeting, including the first tier to offer 1:1 meetings on each platform, a hidden-cost checklist and a decision tree for pitch events under 500 attendees.
What Is a Hosted Buyer Programme? Definition, Mechanics and a 2026 Decision Framework
A hosted buyer programme invites pre-qualified senior buyers to a trade show on the organiser's tab, in exchange for a committed schedule of pre-scheduled one-to-one meetings. This pillar gives you the IMEX-era definition, the 2026 format spectrum from fully hosted to visitor buyer, the real cost structure and the honest answer to when the format is wrong for your show.
Event Networking vs Matchmaking: The Real Difference in 2026
Networking is the chance you'll meet the right person. Matchmaking is the system that ensures you do. A 2026 guide for event organisers, with the data, KPIs and format decisions that follow from the distinction.
AI Matchmaking at Events: How It Works and When It Doesn't
A practical guide to AI matchmaking at events: how the three generations of technology work, what the data shows, when organiser control must come first, and why uploading attendee lists to ChatGPT is a GDPR risk.
Tourism Trade Show ROI: A KPI Framework for DMOs and Event Organisers
The 4:1 industry-standard ROI ratio is written for exhibitors, not for tourism trade show organisers. This three-phase KPI framework, with a multi-stakeholder model and a worked DMO example, gives you a measurement system that satisfies sellers, buyers and a tourism ministry alike.
Best Matchmaking Apps for Startup Conferences 2026: 8 Platforms Compared
Startup conferences have matchmaking needs that generic listicles ignore. Here are the eight platforms that actually fit demo days, accelerator events, and founder-investor conferences, scored against an eight-criteria framework.
Best Matchmaking Software for Tourism Trade Shows in 2026: 8 Platforms Compared
Tourism trade shows have unique matchmaking needs that generic listicles ignore. Here are the eight platforms that actually fit DMOs, convention bureaus and tourism trade-show organisers, scored against an eight-criteria framework.
How to Match Founders with the Right VCs: A Conference Organiser's Playbook
A practical playbook for conference organisers: the seven match layers, the three matching mechanisms, how Slush, Web Summit and Bits & Pretzels run it, and the KPIs that tell you if it worked.
Hosted Buyer Programme vs. Open Registration: Which Format Delivers More Qualified Meetings?
Hosted, open or hybrid? Compare the three trade-show formats on cost, meeting guarantee and ROI predictability, with a 6-row decision matrix for tourism trade shows in 2026.
Demo Day Structure: A Six-Phase Playbook for Maximum Investor Follow-ups
A six-phase operational playbook for organisers: investor curation, pre-scheduled meetings, pitch-day discipline, the 48-hour warm-intro window, the 14-day follow-up hub, and the Day-90 cohort review. Includes the four KPIs that predict whether a cohort raises.
How to Run a Hosted Buyer Programme: A Step-by-Step Guide for Tourism Trade Shows
Seven steps for a well-planned programme: buyer profile, seller inventory, funding model, application funnel, matchmaking, diary lock and follow-up. Includes the three ways 2026 programmes pay for hospitality and the four dates that belong in your buyer terms.
What is a Demo Day? A Complete Guide for Startup Conference Organisers
A demo day is more than a pitch marathon. Here is what the format is, the four variants organisers should know, and the five operational levers that turn pitches into investor follow-ups.
AI in Event Management: Where the Value Actually Lies in 2026
91% of event professionals use AI, but only 16% say it has made a significant difference. This guide identifies where AI delivers proven ROI in event management and where it is still finding its footing.
10 Types of Virtual Events Ranked by Networking Results (2026 Guide)
Not every virtual event produces meetings. This guide breaks down 10 types of virtual events, from webinars to hosted buyer programmes, and rates each one by the number of real business conversations it delivers, so you can pick the format that fits your goal.
The 9 Best Event Website Builders in 2026: A Comparison for B2B Event Organisers
Compare the 9 best event website builders for B2B conferences, trade shows, and matchmaking events. Covers registration depth, matchmaking integration, pricing, and GDPR compliance.
How to Promote Events on LinkedIn: The 2026 B2B Guide
LinkedIn rebuilt its event-marketing toolkit in late 2025 and early 2026. Here is the step-by-step playbook for promoting B2B events: setup, organic reach, the new Event Ads, CRM and matchmaking, and post-event engagement.
Hybrid Event Planning in 2026: A Practical Guide for B2B Organisers
Hybrid event planning in 2026 means designing two experiences, not one. A practical 9-step guide for B2B organisers: tech stack by event size, AV budget benchmarks, ROI framework, and a checklist you can hand to your team this week.
The 23 Best Event Networking Platforms and Apps in 2026: AI Matchmaking, Pricing, and How to Pick the Right One
23 event networking platforms & apps for 2026, grouped into four categories rather than ranked. AI matchmaking, pricing, EU hosting, and how to choose the right tool for the kind of event you actually run.
Virtual Event Sponsorship Packages: A 2026 Guide to Tier Design and Pricing
Build virtual event sponsorship packages that sell in 2026. A clear framework for tier design, value-based pricing, and what sponsors actually want, beyond logo placement.
MICE Tourism in 2026: A Strategic Guide for Event Managers
MICE tourism is on track to nearly double by 2035. Six trends are reshaping 2026: ESG, second cities, AI personalisation, hybrid formats, purpose-driven incentives, and wellness-first design, and this guide breaks each one down with hard market data and practical advice for event managers.
Why ISO 27001:2022 Should Matter to Event Organizers (It Does!)
B2B events involve sensitive attendee, corporate and payment data. Here is why ISO 27001:2022 certification should not be optional when choosing event software, and how to verify it is genuine.
Business Matchmaking: How It Works and What Makes It Effective
Business matchmaking is a structured process in which an organiser decides who may meet whom and schedules those meetings before anyone travels. The three forms it takes, how the process runs, and how to tell a good programme from a bad one.
B2B Event Registration: 9 Best Software Solutions
Efficient registration is the cornerstone of a successful B2B event. We compare nine of the best event registration software solutions and show which one connects ticketing, registration and the event platform best.
How to Find Sponsors for a B2B Event: The Ultimate Guide
Where to find event sponsors in 2026, how to qualify and approach them, what your packages and pitch have to contain, and the twelve-month timeline that gets contracts signed. Seven steps for conference, trade show and association organisers.
Crafting the Perfect Event Sponsorship Package
A practical guide to building event sponsorship packages that attract the right sponsors, from researching prospects to structuring tiered benefits and writing a proposal that wins.
Best Practices for Healthcare B2B Matchmaking
Discover how to prepare for, communicate at, and leverage technology for healthcare B2B matchmaking events so you can build meaningful partnerships and grow your network.
Diversity and Inclusion at Events: A Practical Planning Guide
Inclusion at B2B events rarely fails for lack of good intentions. It fails in three places nobody plans: the registration form, the networking format and the accessibility of the event platform. Here is how to fix all three, what the European Accessibility Act changed in June 2025, and eight practical ways to make your events more inclusive.
Ticket Pricing Strategies for B2B Events in 2023
Not too expensive, not too cheap: how to set the right ticket price for your B2B event. Pricing models, key factors and sales strategies at a glance.
Do virtual events need randomness? A deeper look at chance encounters
Encounters by chance are an important part of events and we can use the pricipals of serendipity to re-create them in a virtual setting. Here's how
The Event Community Trend you don't want to miss in 2023
With 365-day events you create a platform that keeps customers active all year round. Here is what an event community is, why it pays off, and how to build one.
The 2 Different Types of Event Platforms: How To Pick The Right Fit
The year is 2022 and you can choose from more than 200 different event platforms for your B2B event. Here's how to find one that truly suits you.
Digital Events in 2026: A Guide to Choosing the Right Format
A 2026 stock-take of digital events: which formats held up, attendance benchmarks, a five-question decision guide, an honest look at hybrid and what an organiser runs in-house rather than handing to an agency.
Returning To In-Person Events? Here’s How You Can Transition Safely
Offline events are back, but the on-site landscape has changed. From proof of vaccination to flexible contracts and exposure plans, here is how to pivot to in-person events safely.
How to Find the Right Speakers for Your Event: 8 Tips for Organisers
Most conference agendas are filled by expert speakers, not celebrities. Here is how to find, vet and manage speakers who fit your audience and your format.
A 12 Step Guide To Build Your Event Landing Page On Converve
Create an event landing page that turns visitors into attendees in 12 simple steps. Here's a step-by-step guide to nailing your event website goals with Converve's page builder.
Virtual Event Sponsorship: 7 Tips to Attract and Retain Sponsors
How to win sponsors for virtual and hybrid events and keep them: seven steps from the first call to the post-event report, the sponsor benefits that matter beyond the logo, and the opportunities sponsors actually pay for in 2026.
Hybrid Events: Benefits, Drawbacks and When to Choose One (2026)
Hybrid events reach 2.5 times the audience of an in-person event, and most of them still waste the virtual half. The benefits, the drawbacks and a four-question test for deciding whether your event should go hybrid at all.
Virtual Matchmaking Events: What They Are and How They Work in 2026
A virtual matchmaking event turns registrations from twelve time zones into pre-booked 1:1 video meetings. Here is how the format works in 2026, what changes compared with the trade show hall, which benchmarks apply online, and what a platform has to deliver.
5 Hybrid Event Examples that Revolutionized Events as we know it
Merging the best of virtual and in-person events, hybrid events are disrupting the business world. Here are 5 hybrid event examples from brands like Apple and HubSpot, plus what makes the format work.
Marketing for digital events: Which social media platforms should you be on?
Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube each reach a different audience. Here is which social media platforms event organizers should be on, and what makes each one worthwhile.
What should my (live) stream setup for virtual events look like? - Everything you need for a professional event stream
What a professional live stream setup for virtual events really takes: how audio, recording quality, lighting and audience interaction shape your stream, and which service providers you need.
Guest Post by Katrin Taepke: Your guide to virtual events with Converve
As soon as we can hold live events again, they will most likely have their comeback, because not every event can offer the same things digitally as they can on-site. However, there is a lot of potential for new “hybrid” events which have both on-site and virtual components. For this purpose, the new feature "virtual B2B matchmaking" from Converve can provide you with a solution.
Who Should Meet Whom? The 3 Mistakes Business Matchmaking Organisers Should Avoid at All Costs
Structured matchmaking has arrived at B2B events, but many organisers roll it out too hastily. Avoid these three mistakes around free-riders, participant types, and communication timing to make your platform a success.
37 Creative Sponsorship Ideas for Events (with Examples)
37 event sponsorship ideas sorted by what the sponsor can prove afterwards: visibility, infrastructure, experiences, meetings, content and data. With examples, price ranges and a FAQ for organisers planning 2026 packages.
Why Event Apps can Harm the Success of Your Event
Native event apps seem like the obvious answer to mobile attendees. Here is why they are often more of a barrier than a help, and which alternative actually works.
Event Planning: 5 Reasons Why the Event Programme and Matchmaking Go Hand in Hand
People who visit B2B events want to network and learn new things. The best way to do this is by linking the matchmaking platform and the event programme. Here are 5 reasons why.
B2B Matchmaking Platform: 10 Reasons Why Business Events Need One
What a B2B matchmaking platform is, 10 reasons why business events need one, and how to shortlist a platform for your event. With 2025 and 2026 figures from IMEX, Freeman, UFI and Fáilte Ireland, plus six answers to the questions organisers ask most.
Gamification: How Much Sense Does It Make for Business Events?
What is behind the mega trend of gamification and is it even worthwhile for B2B events? We look at leader boards, real examples and the limits of playful elements.
Matchmaking-Workshop Review: 4 Learnings for Your Success!
At Converve's workshop during TechXperience 2018, event professionals developed exciting ideas for successful matchmaking. Four key findings: dramaturgy, casting, monetisation and gamification.
Business Matchmaking at Events: 18 Success Factors for More Meetings
Matchmaking succeeds or fails on decisions you make before the algorithm runs: who may meet whom, when requests open, and what counts as a result. Here are 18 factors that separate a full meeting calendar from an empty one.
"Personalisation offers added value for event participants" - Interview with Dominik Deubner, MICE Club
MICE Club founder Dominik Deubner talks about current EventTech trends such as personalisation and matchmaking, and looks ahead to the first hands-on TechXperience conference.
5 Reasons Why Experience Design Is So Important For Trade Fairs And Events
The trade fair, event, and conference industry is being reinvented: the customer experience now decides between success and failure. Five reasons why experience design matters for organizers, and how to get started.
Facial Recognition at Events: A Blessing or a Curse?
Facial recognition is becoming part of everyday life, from unlocking smartphones to passport control. What can face detection offer the event industry, and where are the risks?
GDPR for Event Managers: An Expert Opinion
On 25 May the European General Data Protection Regulation comes into force. We asked data protection expert Dr Ralf Schadowski what it really changes for event managers, and how to prepare without panic.
Self-Motivation for Event Managers Working from Home
More and more freelancers and mobile employees work in the event business. Ten practical tips to stay focused and productive while working from home.
YouTube for Event Managers: How to Draw Inspiration, Know-how and Reach from the Video Platform
YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world. We show how event managers can use the video platform as a content channel, a training resource and a source of inspiration.
New Business Models for Traditional Trade Fair Organisers
Selling square metres alone has its limits. Five mostly digital business models that help trade fair organisers unlock new revenue streams.
Are Event Managers 'Multiple Personalities'? The 9 Roles of Event Managers
A day in the life of event manager Julia shows how many hats the job demands: from finance manager and experience designer to social media manager.
The 10 Steps to Deliver Successful Event Newsletters
Event newsletters are an important tool in online marketing to generate registrations for your event, if they are well planned.
Matchmaking Software: Avoid These 5 Typical Mistakes
Business matchmaking gives exhibitors and sponsors measurable results, but rolling it out comes with common pitfalls. Avoid these five typical mistakes when using matchmaking software at your event.
Offline Reading Tips for Event Managers
Sometimes a printed book just feels good. Four offline reading tips for event managers, from experience design to the Event Canvas.
What should it cost? Pricing models for trade fair and congress tickets
Not too expensive, not too cheap: perfect participant pricing for B2B events is hard to find. An overview of the key pricing models from an event organizer's perspective.
The Best Event Videos
Event videos communicate impressions of the event, transport emotions and whet the appetite for the following year. Here are 9 examples, from B2C music festivals to B2B corporate events, where this has been achieved particularly well.
What draws Coen regularly to Iceland?
In our Behind the Scenes series, Project Lead Manager Coen de Jong reveals what fascinates him so much about the country of glaciers and geysers and keeps drawing him back to Iceland.
Chatbots, AI, Voice Recognition: Just Hype or Very Relevant for Event Managers?
Artificial intelligence, bots and voice assistants are reshaping marketing and communication. What does this mean for the events industry, and where is the value already today?
Values, Ethics, Morals and the Events Industry
Interview with Bernd Fritzges, initiator of the annual WerteEvent, about ethics, morals, and his tips for event planners who want to offer matchmaking.
The Most Important #Hashtag Rules for Event Managers
#Hashtags brought a system to chaotic social worlds. Follow these easy rules to elevate your social media game and spread the word about your events.
Top Performance under Pressure: Stress Relief for Event Managers
Event managers juggle deadlines, clients and constant conflict. Here are practical strategies to relieve stress and stay centered, even in the biggest chaos.
Mid-year Statement: Exciting Blog Articles for Event Managers in 2017
A small reading and link list for the summer: the most interesting topics in the event blogosphere in the first half of 2017, from live streaming and VR/AR to security and the Oscar fail.
Go home with 30 new business cards from your next business event, guaranteed!
Despite digitalisation, business cards remain a key networking tool. These checklists show what to keep in mind before, during and after a business event so you collect as many new contacts as possible.
Survey: User Experience Decisive factor of Software-based Business Matchmaking
A Converve survey of more than 60 trade fair, congress and event planners reveals what matters most in business matchmaking: ease of use, responsive design and a strong user experience.
New Event Formats and What They Mean for Business Networking
Participative event formats and meeting design are hot topics, and even B2B events rely on interactive elements. We look at what this means for business networking and matchmaking.
The 11 Worst B2B Networking Mistakes at Events
Trade fairs, congresses and events are top occasions to expand your business network. Here are the 11 networking mistakes you definitely need to avoid.
The 5 'hottest' Icebreakers for Business Networking
Creating new contacts at trade fairs and congresses isn't easy for everyone. These five icebreaker questions help you get any conversation at a business event going.
Matchmaking at Career Fairs: TALENT DAY Case Study
How TALENT DAY Media + IT in Hamburg uses matchmaking technology to connect over 850 school pupils with 50 companies. A behind-the-scenes look at a successful career fair.
A Solid Argument: Why Should Your Exhibitors Use a B2B Matchmaking Tool?
B2B matchmaking professionalizes the exchange between exhibitors and trade fair visitors. Here are 8 arguments you can use to motivate your exhibitors to embrace a matchmaking tool.
Conflict management at events: How do I deal with difficult customers?
Events are fast-paced, high-pressure environments where emotions run high. Seven practical tips for event managers on handling conflicts with upset customers.
More Team Productivity With Podio
E-mails and Excel no longer suffice for managing event team collaboration. Here is why and how Converve uses the Podio online platform instead.
20 Sources for Free Photos, Videos, Graphics and Music
Online marketing for events needs a lot of audio-visual content, and producing it is expensive. Here are 20 sources for free music, video, photos and graphics you can use right away.
What is the Ideal Timing for Pre-Event Matchmaking? Tips from Linda Hull, Silicon Valley Telecom Council
Linda Hull of the Telecom Council of Silicon Valley shares why timing is crucial for B2B matchmaking and how she condenses the matchmaking process for the TC3 Summit into just three weeks.
8 Tips for Sustainable Events
A lot of people talk about sustainable events these days, but few actually know what that really means. Sustainable events are more than just „green“. Here are 8 tips on how to organize your trade fair or congress sustainably.
Hosted Buyer Programme Pitfalls: 7 Mistakes Organisers Still Make in 2026
Hosted buyer programmes rarely fail at the meeting table. They fail months earlier, in the rules nobody wrote down: who qualifies, who may contact whom, what a missed meeting costs, and how a remote buyer is treated. Seven pitfalls, each with the fix.
Work-Life Balance Tips: Especially for Event Managers Plagued by Stress
Do the usual work-life balance approaches even fit the hectic events world? Tips for event managers and their executives to keep stress in check.
CO-BRANDS: Cooperation Speed-dating for Brands and Media
Since 2009, the CO-BRANDS event in Hamburg has brought marketing decision makers together for cooperation speed-dating. Organizer Nils Pickenpack explains the concept and the role of the Converve platform.
Five tips for successful event networking
Whether you are an organiser or a participant: the Converve platform helps you prepare for exhibitions and meetings. Five practical tips for making the most of an event.
Interactive Events: This is what Audience Response Tools Can (and Can't) Do
Slido, Glisser and VoxR promise more interactive events. We look at what audience response tools really deliver, where their limits are and what organizers need to know about data protection.
ABM Events in Canada Case Study: Aboriginals and Private Sector Get Together
How event organizer Raven Events uses the Converve matchmaking platform to power its ABM events (Aboriginal Business Match), connecting Canada's indigenous peoples with the private sector.
Web Apps vs. Native Event Apps: What are the pros and cons?
Is a downloadable native app worthwhile or is a web app enough? We compare both approaches and explain why Converve relies on web-based event apps.
Graphics Software Shootout: Where Does Canva Beat InDesign?
The brave new colourful marketing world of content and social media is very demanding for graphic designers and marketing managers. We compare free graphic tools like Canva against pro gear such as InDesign and Photoshop.
Case Study GDC 2016: How Do You Attract More Than 26,000 Game Developers to San Francisco?
For 30 years the Game Developers Conference has been the meeting point of the gaming industry. A look at how UBM gathers 26,000 experts in San Francisco and how Converve powers the B2B matchmaking behind it.
Beer and Networking? Not Such a Bad Match!
In our Behind the Scenes series we introduce the Converve team: CTO Sören Gregor talks about why he brews his own beer in his spare time.
Time Management: Don't Get Overwhelmed By Your E-mail Inbox
Drowning in e-mail? With clear routines, fixed inbox-checking slots and the right tools, event and marketing managers can take back control of their working day.
5 Tips to Market Your Event Apps
Building a great event app is only half the job. These 5 tips help you market it well and secure a strong adoption rate.