Matchmaking record at World Bioenergy
Just put in an order for a customer or supplier and hey presto! they’re supplied. Business matchmaking was at record levels at World Bioenergy 2010 in Jönköping, Sweden.
“160 companies from 35 countries have met within the space of a day and a half,” said Ellen Carlsson of LTC Enterprise Europe Network.
Enterprise Europe Network is an EU project that works to help companies, authorities and organisations make important contacts across national boundaries. One of the project’s selected forums is World Bioenergy, where matchmaking has been on the agenda for the past three fairs in a row.
Interested parties provide a description of themselves and then say who they would like to meet. The resulting profiles are then matched up as far as possible. Each meeting is limited to 25 minutes and then people move on to a new match-up.
“It’s perfect to have this activity at the same time as a conference and trade fair,” says Roberto Bassetto of Italy, who used the matchmaking service himself. “If the meeting turns out well, you can take it further after the fair.”
In Jönköping it was not only companies that made the most of the opportunity. Other participants were authorities from various countries and also organisations.
So what is the best way to achieve a successful match?
“Be very clear in your presentation about yourself. People who try to provide a broad profile in order to attract a lot of response end up being of interest to no one,” Carlsson says.