a. What is the concept behind the “b2fair” Matchmaking Event at the Hannover Messe 2007?

The event aims at fostering beneficial interaction among the European metal clusters through giving companies a time-and-cost efficient possibility to find partners that fit into their internationalization prospects. Within the framework of the international Industrial Trade Fair in Hannover, the “b2fair” Matchmaking Event provides for an interactive possibility to carry out face-to-face meetings pre-arranged on the basis of cooperation profiles of each participating company.

Being one of the world’s largest industrial fairs, Hannover Messe is also an excellent platform to promote your business to a highly internationalized audience, learn of the latest technological advances, attend conferences and seminars dedicated to the modern business practices, and learn of the business opportunities offered in the world-wide markets.

b. Which industrial sectors do participating companies have to come from?

The “b2fair” Matchmaking Event is aimed at the companies involved into the metal industry covering the sectors of microsystems technology and nanotechnology; industrial services, maintenance and condition monitoring; factory automation; integrated industrial and building automation systems; integrated process and IT solutions; mechanical engineering and robotics; mechanical and plant engineering; pipeline technology and network management; process automation; production automation (electrical engineering and electronics); integrated facility management; production automation (mechanical engineering); renewable and conventional power generation, transmission, distribution and utility management; research and technology; maintenance and engineering services; subcontracting services, materials, components and systems for mechanical engineering; surface technology.

c. Where and when does the event take place?

The “b2fair” Matchmaking Event will be carried out during the Hannover Messe on April 16 through April 20 with the peak activity during the first three days of the event from Monday afternoon till Wednesday afternoon (April 16 through 18).

d. What is the organizational charter of the event?

The “b2fair” HMI 2007 is organized by the Deutsche Messe as a part of the Hannover Messe. With the joint support from the Enterprise Europe Network and many other professional organizations involved as partners, the event is coordinated by the Enterprise Europe Network - Luxembourg.

e. How does the “b2fair” Matchmaking Event work?

If your company becomes interested in taking part at the “b2fair” HMI 2007, get in contact with your regional “b2fair” partner (please, refer to www.b2fair.com, section “Partner list”). Your regional partner will provide you with more information, as well, as help with the registration and guide through the whole application, participation and after-event stages. If there is no national partner for your region, please contact the “b2fair” Coordination Unit in Luxembourg directly (b2fair@cc.lu or hannovermesse@b2fair.com). 

First, your company has to create a cooperation profile using the online registration form at www.b2fair.com. Upon the registration, your profile will be processed and validated by your national partner; once approved, the profile will be published online in the Business Cooperation Exchange catalogue on www.b2fair.com. Every registered company will have access to the catalogue and be able to browse profiles of other participants and indicate those companies with which it would like to meet during the event.

Based on the requested meetings, every company will receive a meeting schedule for the “b2fair” Matchmaking Event indicating time and place for every scheduled meeting.
After the event, your national partner will coach you giving all the requested support on your way of establishing and sustaining cooperation with the companies you met during the event.

f. How will the matchmaking be carried out?

The matchmaking of the profiles of participating companies will be implemented electronically via a software employed specifically for this purpose. The matchmaking will not be automatic, though. This means that national partners will approach their companies asking to place meeting requests via the online registration system at www.b2fair.com. By using the assigned username and password, each company can monitor the number of requested/asked meetings.

Through the electronic pooling of all the “Requested Meetings” (placed by a company) and “Asked Meetings” (meetings requested with a company by other participants), an individual meeting schedule will be scheduled for each company.