AI-Powered Attendee Matchmaking: How It Works and the Best Tools in 2026
9 min read
Quick answer
AI-powered attendee matchmaking is a system that analyses attendee goals, interests, and behaviour to suggest who each person should meet at your event and then handles meeting scheduling automatically. The best tools in 2026 include Brella, Grip, Swapcard, Glue Up, and Jublia.
Networking is the number one reason most people attend professional events.
But traditional networking is mostly luck. You walk into a room of 500 people and hope you end up in the right conversation at the right time. Most attendees leave with a handful of business cards from people they will never speak to again.
AI-powered attendee matchmaking changes this completely. Instead of leaving connections to chance, it analyses what each attendee is looking for and connects them with the people most likely to be useful to them. The result is better conversations, higher attendee satisfaction, and stronger ROI for your event.
This guide explains how AI matchmaking works, what data it uses, which tools are worth looking at, and how to set it up for your next event.
One event using AI-powered matchmaking recorded a 39% meeting acceptance rate and generated 2,800 one-to-one meetings at a two-day conference. Without AI matchmaking, most events average far fewer meaningful connections per attendee. Source: Brella case study, TechBBQ, 2025.
What is AI-powered attendee matchmaking?
AI-powered attendee matchmaking is a system that uses data about your attendees to suggest who they should meet at your event. It goes well beyond sorting people by job title or industry.
A good matchmaking system looks at what each attendee is trying to achieve. Someone looking for a supplier has different needs from someone looking for a new job or someone trying to find a co-founder. Matching people with the same job title is not useful if their goals are completely different.
The AI looks at goals, interests, expertise, company type, and behaviour at the event to find connections with the highest chance of being valuable to both people.
Matchmaking vs networking: what is the difference?
Traditional networking is open-ended. Attendees choose who to approach based on what they can see: a name badge, a friendly face, or someone standing alone. AI matchmaking is structured. Attendees receive a curated shortlist of people they should meet, with suggested times and a reason for the connection. The result is fewer wasted conversations and more meetings that lead somewhere.
How does AI matchmaking work?
Most AI matchmaking systems work in 4 stages.
Stage 1: Data collection
When attendees register, they fill in a profile. This includes their job title, company, industry, and areas of interest. Most systems also ask attendees to state their goals for the event: are they looking to buy, sell, hire, learn, or partner? This goal data is the most important input of all.
The more detail attendees provide, the better the matches will be. This is why the registration process matters. A two-minute profile gives the AI far more to work with than a name and email address.
Stage 2: The matching algorithm
The AI looks at every attendee profile and calculates a compatibility score for each possible pair. It considers:
- Shared interests and overlapping expertise
- Complementary goals (one person wants to buy what the other sells)
- Company size and stage (a seed-stage startup may not need an enterprise supplier)
- Industry and sector alignment
- Previous connections (to avoid suggesting people who already know each other)
Each attendee then receives a ranked shortlist of suggested connections, usually between 10 and 30 people depending on the event size.
Stage 3: Meeting scheduling
Once matches are suggested, attendees can request meetings with the people they want to connect with. The system handles the scheduling automatically. It finds a time that works for both people, books a table or meeting room, and sends a confirmation to both.
This is one of the biggest time savings for event organisers. Instead of managing hundreds of meeting requests manually, the system handles all of it.
Stage 4: Learning and improving
The best AI matchmaking systems learn from attendee behaviour. If Person A accepts a meeting with Person C but declines one with Person B, the system takes note. Over time, it gets better at predicting which connections will be accepted and which will be ignored.
This means the system improves not just within one event but across all your events over time. The more events you run on the same platform, the smarter the matching gets.
What data does AI matchmaking use?
The quality of your matches depends entirely on the quality of your data. Here is what most AI matchmaking systems use.
| Data type | What it tells the AI | How important |
|---|---|---|
| Attendee goals | What each person is trying to achieve at this event | Essential |
| Areas of interest | Topics, industries, or challenges they care about | Essential |
| Job title and company | Seniority level and company type | Important |
| Industry and sector | Which market they operate in | Important |
| Session attendance | Which topics they chose to learn about at the event | Useful |
| Profile views | Who they looked at but did not connect with yet | Useful |
| Previous meetings | Who they have already met so they are not suggested again | Useful |
| Meeting outcomes | Whether past suggested meetings were accepted or declined | Very useful (over time) |
The most important thing to get right
The goal question in your registration form is more important than any other data point. Asking 'What are you hoping to achieve at this event?' and offering structured options (find a supplier, find a partner, hire someone, learn, get investment, sell my product) gives the AI exactly what it needs to make useful matches. A vague free-text field is much less useful than a structured dropdown.
The best AI matchmaking tools in 2026
There are several platforms that offer AI-powered attendee matchmaking. Here are the main options worth knowing about in 2026.
Brella
One of the most established names in AI matchmaking for events. Brella focuses on intent-based matching, meaning it prioritises what attendees want to achieve over basic demographic similarity. It handles the full workflow from profile creation to meeting scheduling to post-event analytics. Best suited for B2B conferences and trade shows.
Grip
Grip markets itself as an event networking platform built for business relationships. Its AI matchmaking system analyses attendee profiles, stated objectives, and behavioural data to generate curated connection suggestions. It also includes a white-label mobile app, badge scanning, and lead retrieval tools. Strong choice for large conferences and trade shows where sponsors need to meet the right buyers.
Swapcard
Swapcard combines AI matchmaking with event app features, content recommendations, and exhibitor tools. It is a strong option for hybrid events where you need to connect in-person and online attendees in the same matchmaking system. Pricing starts from around 520 euros per year for smaller events.
Glue Up
Glue Up is an all-in-one event and membership management platform that includes AI matchmaking as part of a broader feature set. It is a good option for associations and membership organisations that run multiple events on the same platform. The matchmaking data improves across events as the system learns from member behaviour.
Jublia
Jublia is designed specifically for B2B engagement at trade shows and business events. Its matchmaking system uses attendee profiles, stated objectives, and behavioural signals such as content interactions and bookmark activity. Strong analytics dashboard for organisers. Good choice if measuring networking ROI is a priority for your client.
Always ask for a demo before committing to any of these platforms. The quality of the matchmaking algorithm varies significantly between tools. Ask the platform to show you data from a real event: what was the average meeting acceptance rate, how many meetings were held per attendee, and what did attendees say about the quality of the connections.
How to set up AI matchmaking for your event
Setting up AI matchmaking for the first time feels daunting. Here is a simple step by step process.
Step 1: Choose your platform early
Do not leave this until 2 weeks before the event. AI matchmaking needs time to collect profile data, generate matches, and let attendees schedule meetings. Start the platform setup at least 6 to 8 weeks before the event.
Step 2: Design your registration form carefully
The registration form is where matchmaking quality is won or lost. Include a goals question with structured options. Include an interests section with relevant categories for your event topic. Keep it short: 4 to 6 questions is enough. Every extra question reduces completion rates.
Step 3: Encourage profile completion before the event
Send reminder emails to attendees who have not completed their profile. Tell them that a complete profile means better connections. Most platforms show a profile completion percentage in the app. Gamifying this (show a 'top connector' badge for full profiles) increases completion rates.
Step 4: Open the platform to attendees at least 2 weeks before the event
Give attendees time to browse their matches and request meetings before the event day. Meetings booked in advance have much higher attendance rates than meetings booked on the day. Most of your meeting volume will happen in the week before the event if you open the platform early enough.
Step 5: Create a dedicated networking area at the venue
AI matchmaking only works if attendees have a comfortable place to meet. Set aside a clearly signposted networking area with tables, chairs, and good acoustics. Number the tables so attendees can find each other easily. Make sure the area is separate enough from the main sessions that conversations are not disrupted by background noise.
Step 6: Measure the results
After the event, pull the matchmaking analytics from your platform. Key metrics to report to your client or stakeholders:
- Total meetings held
- Meeting acceptance rate (meetings held divided by meetings requested)
- Average meetings per attendee
- Profile completion rate
- Attendee satisfaction score for networking (from your post-event survey)
Common mistakes to avoid
Starting too late
If you only open the matchmaking platform a few days before the event, most attendees will not have time to request meetings. The platform needs at least 2 weeks of run time before the event date.
Collecting too little data at registration
Name, company, and job title alone gives the AI very little to work with. The matches will be generic and unhelpful. Always include a goals question and an interests section in registration.
Not promoting the matchmaking feature
If attendees do not know the matchmaking platform exists, they will not use it. Mention it in your registration confirmation email, your practical info email, and on the day from the stage. Show attendees how to use it in the first 10 minutes of the event.
Over-relying on the algorithm
AI matchmaking is very good at finding relevant connections. But it cannot replace every form of networking. Keep some open networking time in your programme where attendees can connect with people the algorithm did not suggest. Serendipity still has value.
A note on data and privacy
AI matchmaking systems collect and process personal data about your attendees. Make sure your registration form includes a clear explanation of how this data will be used. Check that your chosen platform is GDPR compliant if you are running events in Europe. Ask the platform where data is stored, how long it is kept, and whether it is shared with third parties. This is not optional. It is a legal requirement.
Questions people ask about AI attendee matchmaking
What is AI-powered attendee matchmaking?
AI-powered attendee matchmaking is a system that analyses attendee profiles, goals, and interests to suggest who each person should meet at your event. It then handles meeting scheduling automatically. The result is more relevant connections and fewer wasted networking conversations.
How much does AI matchmaking cost?
Pricing varies widely depending on the platform and event size. Some platforms like Swapcard start from around 520 euros per year for smaller events. Enterprise platforms like Grip and Brella typically charge based on attendee numbers and features required. Always ask for a tailored quote based on your event size and the features you actually need.
Does AI matchmaking work for small events?
It works best when there are at least 50 to 100 attendees. Below that, the number of possible connections is small enough that you could manage matchmaking manually. For events of 100 or more attendees, the time savings and quality improvement from AI matchmaking become very clear.
Does AI matchmaking work for virtual and hybrid events?
Yes. Most of the major platforms support virtual and hybrid formats. For virtual events, the matchmaking system handles video call links instead of meeting room bookings. For hybrid events, the system can connect in-person and online attendees and arrange calls for pairs where one person is attending remotely.
How do I get attendees to actually use the matchmaking platform?
Mention it at every touchpoint before and during the event. Include it in your registration confirmation, your practical info email, and your day before reminder. On the day, have your MC mention it from the stage in the first 10 minutes. If your platform has a mobile app, make sure the event programme links to it. Completion rates go up significantly when attendees understand the value of filling in their profile.
Can I use ChatGPT for attendee matchmaking instead of a dedicated tool?
ChatGPT alone cannot manage real-time meeting scheduling, handle mutual availability, or learn from attendee behaviour across events. However, you can use ChatGPT to write your registration form questions, draft the emails that encourage attendees to complete their profiles, and write the copy that explains the matchmaking feature to attendees. Use a dedicated matchmaking platform for the matching itself.
Final thoughts
Networking is why most people attend events. If your networking is poor, the rest of your event can be excellent and people will still leave disappointed.
AI-powered matchmaking does not guarantee great connections. But it makes great connections significantly more likely. It removes the luck factor, gives introverted attendees a structured way to network, and gives your client data that shows the networking at their event was measurable and valuable.
Start with one event. Pick one of the platforms above, set it up with a clear goals question in registration, open it 2 weeks before the event, and measure what happens. The results will tell you whether to use it on every event you run going forward.
The next post in this series covers how to use AI for event ROI reporting. It is one of the most asked questions in event planning right now and AI can help you turn raw data into a clear report your client will trust. Subscribe below to get it.
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