MW : Can you tell us a bit about NetworkTables ’ s tech ? Matthijs Otto : We launched in 2015 , off the back of event organisers saying to us : “ When making seating arrangements for dinners , I need people to seat themselves like on an aeroplane ”, rather than the organiser needing to seat each guest individually . We decided to make a tool to fix this problem , and it ’ s now in 41 countries . Following this , we now cover one-to-one meetings , topic-based matchmaking , and more . Rather than being another app or registration tool , we ’ re in this specific niche .

CMW : How can the tech be used to make events run smoothly ? MO : We serve a lot of conferences because they ’ re very content-led ; they ’ re about people sharing knowledge . At conferences , delegates attend workshops

or listen to speakers on topics they ’ re interested in – which are great networking opportunities . With the tool , they can see who else is attending before they commit . Along these lines , we ’ ve also added a speed network solution , which has seen a huge uptick in trade show interest because meetings are invaluable for exhibitors .

We ’ ve noticed an upcoming event trend where attending industries are commercial vendor organisers making the shift to trade show organisers . It ’ s difficult for them because it ’ s such a big switch , but at conferences they can see and interact with the different communities and audiences that build the events they want to attend .

CMW : Considering NetworkTables uses tech to aid in-person events , do you think hybrid and virtual events have longevity ? MO : I think that the future of events is

“ Event managers now know how to do both virtual and inperson events effectively ; it ’ s now about focusing on value .”

Above : Matthijs Otto , founder ,

NetworkTables

in-person , that ’ s why we attend events . But we need to rethink the way we do them . We were promoting virtual events during 2017-2018 , but nobody listened to us . Then in 2020 , everybody went virtual in panic mode . Then , we were used by customers to book pre-event tickets on a subscription model – as in , buying a ticket to an event immediately to ensure a year ’ s worth of free additional virtual events . To keep audiences engaged , we must build this in-person subscription model .

Networking virtually can ’ t always be done – you shouldn ’ t walk around an event on a video call . But I think event managers now know how to do both virtual and in-person events effectively , it ’ s now about focusing on value .

CMW : What challenges have you faced in setting up your tech ? MO : We were successful during the pandemic ’ s virtual event period because we were prepared ; we were one step ahead . The challenge at that time was that we needed to convert our in-person customers – but being already prepared helped that . Now that we ’ re returning to in-person , our recent challenge is trying to be ahead of the game again . For that , we ’ ve created a resource platform for vendors .

We want to add momentum to the industry , and it ’ s encouraging to gather support from the industry - while seeing organisers realise the opportunity for always-on events .. n