A thought-provoking piece about networking in Conference News by one of its columnists Richard John caught our eye.

“Cut to the chase” proposed that much time at event industry networking sessions could be saved if organisers of such events used matchmaking software to identify what each delegate was actually looking for, and published this information on delegate’s badges, so that delegates didn’t waste valuable time networking with people who couldn’t supply what they wanted.

Leaving out the software it is an intriguing idea to simply give delegates bigger badges and allow them to write their needs on it, perhaps after the words LOOKING FOR….. Thus those after employment could write ” A job” and those looking to employ could write “Employees”. Those with a venue, product or service to sell could write “Customers for my venue/product/service” and those organizing an event could write ” A venue/product/service for my event”, though at some networking sessions we’ve attended such delegates could be mobbed by takers. Event industry PR’s could write “Publicity for my clients” and event industry journalists could choose between “Gossip”, “Scandal” and “Anything free”.

Worth a try?