UFI European Conference
82delegates in the session
287one-to-one meetings
Case studies
NetWorks case studies
Real events, real numbers. How organisers have used NetWorks, the event networking app from ExpoPlatform, to put the right people at the same table, and what happened when they did.
Trade fair · Germany · Walk-in sessions
boe international 2026: 407 one-to-one meetings in two days
Messe Dortmund used walk-in NetWorks sessions at boe international, its trade fair for the events industry, to get a mixed audience of agencies, venues, suppliers and buyers talking. It was the first time NetWorks ran in Germany, and the first time one show ran several themed sessions for different groups.
- Organiser
- Messe Dortmund / Westfalenhallen Unternehmensgruppe
- Event
- boe international 2026, the trade fair for event solutions
- Venue
- Messe Dortmund, Dortmund, Germany
- Format
- Five walk-in NetWorks sessions, one hour each, over two days
136check-ins across the sessions
407one-to-one meetings completed
814meeting slots filled
6meetings per participant, per one-hour session, on average
5themed one-hour sessions over two days
The brief
The organiser wanted more meaningful interaction across a diverse audience. Traditional networking formats were limiting who people discovered, especially across different participant groups.
Whatever ran had to connect mixed profiles in minutes, support different session concepts, cut out unproductive conversations and work without complex onboarding.
What they ran
NetWorks ran walk-in: easy to join on the day, with structure and matching behind it.
- Participants were imported ahead of the show from the registration system; people who joined on site were added through the ExpoPlatform check-in app.
- Attendees joined on their own phones, with no long profiles to fill in.
- NetWorks paired people on shared interests and objectives.
- Five themed one-hour sessions, each with its own goal, brought together service providers, agencies, venues, suppliers and buyers, including a Women in Events and Exhibitions session.
The results
Across five sessions, 136 check-ins became 407 completed meetings and 814 meeting slots: an average of six meetings per participant in each one-hour session.
The Women in Events and Exhibitions sessions had particularly strong participation and engagement, which showed the value of themed formats inside a wider programme.
What really impressed us was how well people engaged with NetWorks. Early attendee engagement increased by around 25% and participants had around twice as many meaningful conversations in one hour than could normally happen over two days. These quick meetings are so important as they open the door to valuable connections at boe international and beyond.
What it showed
- Themed sessions let one show bring different groups together without forcing a one-size-fits-all format.
- Walk-in sessions got people joining on the spur of the moment.
- Matching cut down irrelevant conversations.
- On-site and data issues were handled without disrupting the sessions.
- It gave NetWorks a base in the German-speaking (DACH) market.
Based on the boe international 2026 case study first published on networksevents.com on 25 June 2026. Figures and quote as published there.
Association · Europe, the Americas and Asia
UFI: matched meetings from Zurich and Monterrey to Hong Kong
UFI, The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, made ExpoPlatform its official matchmaking partner in 2024. NetWorks sessions launched at UFI’s European and Americas conferences that year, then ran at the UFI Global Congress, the exhibition industry’s largest international gathering.
- Organiser
- UFI, The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry
- Events
- UFI European Conference and UFI Americas Conference, 2024; 92nd UFI Global Congress, 2025
- Venues
- Messe Zürich, Switzerland; OCV Monterrey, Mexico; AsiaWorld-Expo, Hong Kong
- Format
- One-to-one NetWorks sessions inside the conference programme, on delegates’ own phones
UFI Americas Conference
102delegates
357meetings in one 68-minute session
7meetings each, on average
92nd UFI Global Congress
600+senior leaders at the Congress
10meetings per delegate, at most, in one short session
4.5/5average meeting rating
The brief
Before the first session, Nick Dugdale-Moore, UFI Regional Director Europe, put the problem plainly: “Matchmaking sessions are hard to perfect. Even with quality delegates, a great setting, good organization – late cancellations and other eventualities often put a spanner in the works.”
At the Global Congress the problem was scale: hundreds of executives, many of whom did not know each other and others who wanted to reconnect, with little time in a busy agenda.
How it ran at the Congress
- No advance registration: delegates checked in on site.
- They used their own phones, signing in with the email address they registered with.
- Each delegate was matched straight away with relevant peers.
- Up to 10 meetings in one short session, fitted into the Congress agenda.
What it showed
- UFI took NetWorks from two regional conferences to its flagship Congress.
- In Monterrey, delegates averaged about seven meetings in 68 minutes.
- At the Congress the format worked for first-time and returning delegates alike, with an average meeting rating of 4.5 out of 5.
In an event as large as this one – which is over 600 people – people do not know each other that much or maybe they need to reconnect, so we need to be able to deliver that. NetWorks now has given us the opportunity to do it. People love it because they just arrive there, it is quick and easy, they have their appointments, they have new connections, they have fun.
Ana Maria ArangoDirector of Sponsorship and Partnerships, UFI · 92nd UFI Global Congress
“It was a terrific success and I am really grateful to the NetWorks team for all the effort they put in.”
Nick Dugdale-MooreRegional Director Europe, UFI“This platform is a great way to have new elements for developing business in the region - and having NetWorks was a must.”
Ana Maria ArangoDirector of Sponsorship and Partnerships, UFI“I love the NetWorks team, they’re super helpful. They’re the exact partner you want.”
Nick Dugdale-MooreRegional Director Europe, UFIFigures from ExpoPlatform’s UFI European and Americas Conferences 2024 and 92nd UFI Global Congress case studies, and the UFI Global Congress partnership announcement. Nick Dugdale-Moore’s brief is from the May 2024 partnership announcement.
Attendees · Video
In their words: people at the tables
Short interviews filmed straight after NetWorks sessions. The quotes are transcribed from the videos.
Watch · 0:33I thought that the people I met were interesting. I don’t know if it’s using AI or anything, but the matching was quite good… If a match wasn’t good, then you were on to the next one fast enough.Michael BarnettCEO (Board Member), InGo (CEMA)
Watch · 0:45I can tell you that I was always the first sitting and waiting for the people that I have to meet… You can meet a lot of people coming from the whole industry.Pauline TeyssedreStrategy and Sustainable Development Director, Gails Group
Watch · 0:27I met new people actually, so it’s interesting to make new connections… That’s the goal, it’s to make connections, whatever you speak about.Stephan ForseillesCTO, Easyfairs
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