New research from event technology provider ExpoPlatform suggests event organisers are ready to ditch the networking free-for-all – with 94% convinced pre-scheduled meetings would give buyers a far better experience. 

The statistic comes from The Meetings Engine, a new report from ExpoPlatform.

More than four in five also see pre-scheduled meetings as a route to new revenue, as the industry shifts away from open networking towards meetings designed around commercial objectives.

Tanya Pinchuk, CEO of ExpoPlatform, said: “This ebook draws on what we’ve learned from running meetings programmes with some of the world’s leading exhibition organisers. 

“It draws on the building of AI infrastructure that makes multi-format meetings viable at scale and on the experience of a senior team that has spent careers on the organiser side of the table before joining ours.”

She added that the research explains seven meeting formats, and offers a framework for choosing the right combination and an honest argument about where AI helps and where human judgement still matters. 

“The aim is to deliver practical advice – supported by data and experience – about how the next generation of events will be designed,” Pinchuk added.

Those seven formats organisers are actively asking for are: Speed Networking, Concierge Meetings, Round Tables, Exhibitor Events, Hosted Buyer Programmes, Board Meetings and Self-Requested Meetings, alongside a framework for choosing the right combination.

The study revealed 91% of organisers plan to introduce new meeting formats in the next 12 months, with Speed Networking the most in-demand format, and 79% of organisers planning to add it. Round Tables follow at 65% – ahead of Concierge Meetings at 62%, Exhibitor Events at 50% and Hosted Buyer Programmes at 35%.

The ExpoPlatform ebook features expert contributors from across the industry, including Arc Network, Hyve, Forge, Terrapinn, miguelseven, Zenus and UFI, who share their advice on designing meetings programmes that deliver measurable results.

They set out strategies for unbundling sponsorship packages, monetising lead enhancement and look-alike data, designing for high-end buyers and using on-site dynamic scheduling to eliminate no-shows.

There is also an interactive element built into the ebook designed to deliver focused summaries based on each reader’s personal interests.

A free copy of The Meetings Engine research is available here