Beyond The Handshake
The Events & Networking Blog
Connect Meetings to Deliver Always-On Lead Generation for Event Sponsors with MatchPoint
Following a successful year supporting networking across multiple Connect Meetings events, Connect Meetings, a division of Informa, is expanding its strategic partnership with...
Best Event Matchmaking Software for Conferences and Associations
What organizers should actually look for and why the best platforms do more than just generate more meetings. When event organizers start looking at matchmaking software, it's...
Why Opportunity Shouldn’t Be Left to Chance: How Leaders Design Intentional Networking
The future of growth belongs to leaders who design the right conditions for the right conversations to happen. A few years ago, I was standing in the middle of a convention...
The Rise of the Connector Model: The 2026 Reset for Associations
For years, associations have operated under the same assumption: More content = more value.More programming = more engagement.More output = more relevance. That model is hitting...
Professional Networking is Dead. Long Live Shared Experience.
For decades, professional networking has followed a predictable formula: assemble a large group of professionals in a room, facilitate introductions, encourage business card...
The Smarter Way Associations Are Thinking About Revenue in 2026
If 2025 was about digital reinvention, then 2026 is shaping up to be the year of strategic clarity for associations. Associations are walking into this year with eyes wide open:✅...
AI, Empathy, and the Future of Networking: Strengthening Human Connection at Events
The events industry is buzzing with AI, from generative content to predictive analytics. But one question rises above the noise: How do we use AI to strengthen human connection,...
MatchPoint Wins 2025 ESCA Innovation Award for Transforming Networking
ESCA honors MatchPoint for advancing innovation in live event networking with data-driven, human-centered technology. Edison, New Jersey — December 10,...
Stop Wasting the Most Valuable Block on Your Event Agenda: Networking
When it comes to event planning, every keynote, panel, and breakout session is carefully curated. But one block is consistently overlooked: “Open Networking.” You’ve probably...