The limits of strictly sector-based matchmaking
Matching participants solely by sector of activity has an obvious advantage: relevance seems guaranteed from the outset. Two companies in the same sector share common vocabulary and similar challenges. A guide on professional networking points out that it’s worth seeking contacts outside one’s own sector, since the most interesting opportunities often come from there.
But this logic hides an important limitation. A participant who only meets peers from their own sector ends up hearing the same ideas, the same challenges and the same already-known solutions. The most interesting opportunities often come from adjacent or complementary sectors, never explored for lack of suitable matchmaking.
This limitation becomes especially visible at multi-sector events, where the organizer sometimes imposes sector-based matchmaking simply because it’s the easiest method to configure, without regard for the real diversity of the audience present. A participant who came looking for a technology partner then ends up matched only with peers from their own sector, who often have neither the need nor the offer being sought.
What affinity-based matching actually means
Affinity-based networking shifts the matchmaking criterion from sector of activity to the objective, interest or need expressed by each participant. Two people from completely different sectors can thus be matched because they are both looking for a technology partner, or because they share an interest in a specific issue like digital transformation.
This approach requires a richer participant profile than a simple sector of activity. The most useful elements for configuring this kind of matchmaking generally include:
- the main objective sought at the event, rather than sector of membership
- the organization’s current business challenges
- the types of partnerships already considered or being sought
- cross-cutting personal or professional interests, such as innovation or sustainability
When this approach works better than traditional matchmaking
Affinity-based networking gives the best results at events where participants already come from varied sectors, such as an innovation forum or a gathering of multi-sector entrepreneurs. In this context, forcing sector-based matchmaking would artificially limit meetings that would otherwise naturally make sense.
A gathering of business leaders, for example, often brings together very different sectors around a shared interest in an issue like digital transformation or talent management. Forcing strictly sector-based matchmaking in this context would mean ignoring exactly what makes the event valuable to its participants: the chance to meet peers facing similar challenges despite working in different industries.
Conversely, a highly specialized trade show, where all participants come from the same sector, benefits less from this approach since the variety needed to create interesting affinities is already limited from the start.
The table below summarizes the differences between the two matchmaking approaches.
| Criterion |
Sector-based matchmaking |
Affinity-based networking |
| Matchmaking basis |
Industry or sector of activity |
Objective, need or interest expressed |
| Best context of use |
Highly specialized trade shows |
Multi-sector events |
| Main risk |
Repetitive exchanges |
Sometimes less predictable meetings |
| Profile depth required |
Moderate |
Higher |
An article on the impact of artificial intelligence on matchmaking explains how this kind of algorithm can identify affinities that sector of activity alone would never reveal.
Configuring an affinity-based matchmaking algorithm
Configuring this kind of matchmaking requires rethinking the questions asked of participants before the event. Rather than asking only for sector of activity, it becomes necessary to probe objectives, challenges and cross-cutting interests for each person.
The exceptional networking tools make it possible to configure these compatibility criteria based on the specific needs of each event, rather than defaulting to strictly sector-based matchmaking.
Diversifying your network through affinity-based networking
Affinity-based networking opens up possibilities that traditional sector-based matchmaking simply cannot offer, particularly at events where the diversity of participants is already a strength. By structuring matchmaking around real objectives and needs rather than sector of membership, organizers enable meetings that sometimes lead to the most unexpected, and most profitable, partnerships.
Organizers who want to explore this approach for their next event can request a demo of the platform to see how to configure this kind of matchmaking.
Frequently asked questions
What is affinity-based networking?
Affinity-based networking is a matchmaking approach that emphasizes participants’ shared objectives, needs or interests rather than their sector of activity. It creates meetings between companies from different sectors that nonetheless share a similar challenge or objective, opening doors that a traditional sector-based approach would never have suggested.
Does affinity-based networking replace sector-based matchmaking?
Not necessarily. The two approaches serve different contexts. A highly specialized trade show generally benefits from sector-based matchmaking, while a multi-sector event benefits more from affinity-based networking, which makes better use of the diversity of profiles present. Some events even combine both approaches depending on the type of meeting each participant is looking for.
What information should be collected to configure affinity-based matchmaking?
You generally need to collect the participant’s main objective, their current business challenges and the types of partnerships they’re seeking, in addition to cross-cutting interests such as innovation or sustainability. This information lets the algorithm identify affinities that go beyond the declared sector of activity alone, which requires a richer participant profile than a traditional sector-based approach.
