The main kinds
| Kind | How it works | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| A person | A host or concierge introduces people they know about. | Small rooms, and high-value guests. |
| Scheduled one-to-ones | Attendees browse a directory and book meetings in advance, often with table numbers. | Trade shows, investor forums and buyer-seller events. |
| Attendee apps | A feature in the event app suggests people to contact, and you message them. | Multi-day conferences with a dedicated app. |
| Rotations | Speed dating or speed networking, with a timer and a set rotation. | When everyone should meet many people. |
| In-room matching | Guests answer questions on arrival, and get introduced in person, during the event. | Receptions, mixers and social events. |
What to look for
- What people need to do. Each extra step costs you participation: another login, a profile to fill in, a directory to browse. Check what a guest has to do before anything useful happens.
- What information is used. Job titles and interests alone often produce weak suggestions. Asking what someone needs and offers tends to be more useful.
- Whether it works in both directions. A match should be worth it to both people, not just the one who asked.
- What happens to the data. Who sees answers? Do you get a lead list? Are guests told?
- What happens in the room. A suggestion on a screen is only useful if the two people actually meet.
When you don’t need it
If your event is small, if everyone knows each other, or if you have a host who knows the room, a good host beats software. If your sponsors need leads, or your attendees have fixed meetings to attend, you want a scheduling tool rather than something like Flare.
Where Flare fits
Flare is in-room matching. It’s built for the moment when people are standing in the same room. Guests scan a code, answer your questions, and two phones light up in the same color. Closeness is worked out between the two phones, so nobody’s location goes anywhere. There’s no directory, no messages, and no attendee list for anyone.
That makes it a good fit for receptions and mixers, and a poor one for pre-booked meetings or lead capture. Read how it works.