It feels like there are so many options out there for B2B appointment scheduling software and it can be so hard to understand what you need for your event. Do you want a simple calendar scheduling system, much like we all use every day for work? Or perhaps you need more? Something that can actually match your attendees with each other based on their business needs? If you answered MORE – then TEAM™ is the right choice for you.
There are many options for appointment scheduling at both live and virtual events but how many of those actually generate business for your clients? The TEAM™ solutions do just that by facilitating meaningful face-to-face meetings (in-person, virtual or hybrid) that match buyers with suppliers and get your attendees back to business.
So, how does TEAM™ Matchmaker and Appointment Scheduling work? Below is a description of the major features and the general process – but don’t forget we have been in this business for over 25 years so if you don’t see it listed, chances are we can still do it!
Step 1: Appointment Data Collection
In addition to general registration information such as name, organisation and booth, your attendees will also provide information relating to their organisation that other attendees will be interested in. These questions are different for each industry but some examples are:
- Company description
- Location where services are provided
- Location where services are required
- Specific products supplied
- Specific products required
Step 2: Appointment Requests
Attendees login to a personalised website to submit their appointment requests. Here they will see all the companies or people they are allowed to meet with, can review their profiles, including the data entered above, and filter using this information. For example, if I’m representing a 4-star hotel in California, I can search for, and request, all Tour Operators who are looking for 4-star hotels in California.
We use AI-driven searches, so your attendees can filter the results down to those that are the best potential match. These filters use the submitted information to provide recommendations. Each attendee can also prioritize their requests. They will put the company they want to meet with the most at the top of their list.
They can review who has already requested them, and decide if they would like to request them back, therefore making a “mutual” request – one that will have the highest priority when we create the schedules.
It is important to note that, at this point, the attendees do not choose a specific time for the appointment. They are just saying “yes please, I would like an appointment with Company A”.
Step 3: Scheduling Appointments
This is where the magic happens! You, as the administrator, decide how the appointments will fit into your event. Perhaps you have a dedicated 2 hours on Monday morning set aside for appointments, or perhaps you would like to have a full 3 days dedicated to B2B appointments. Next you decide the length of your appointments and all your other variables. Most events keep the appointments to 15 minutes or less, but that is really up to you. In addition to appointment length, you can also set a multitude of other parameters such as:
- Virtual, In-Person or Hybrid appointments
- Order of request scheduling
- Minimum appointment target
- Scheduling limits
- Breaks during the day
- Automatic scheduling
- “Robin Hood” scheduling (where we “steal” appointments from those that have a lot and give them to attendees who have few)
- Manual manipulation of appointments
*Please note this list is not even close to exhaustive – get in touch if you have an idea and we will talk it through with you.
After all the variables have been entered, we push the button! The complex algorithms are deployed and a few minutes later, you will have access to review the appointment schedules for your attendees.
Step 4: Appointments Available
Once you are satisfied with the appointments, you will make them available to your attendees through the same personalized portal they used to submit their requests. They can review their appointments, cancel, change and even add more using our simple Insta-Match system.
Step 5: Start Doing Business
There are different methods to actually conduct the appointments (virtual, in-person and hybrid) but whatever you choose, your attendees will thank you!