Host 2015: Milano hub of professional hospitalityMilan is already the undisputed fashion and design capital of the world, but from 23 to 27 October 2015 it will also be the global hub for the professional hospitality industry. Visitors will be impressed by the seamless and synergistic layout of the 14 halls (two more than the last edition), where manufacturing and shared services sit side by side yet each and every sector and individual exhibitor enjoys the limelight, maximising every investment. Visitors will also appreciate being able to find their way effortlessly across the trade show floor, thanks to a venue that has been designed thoughtfully to enable them to optimise time and enhance the visitor experience. The entire event aims to far exceed both exhibitor and trade visitor expectations.

But Host 2015’s visibility will be further enhanced by the timing of the event - which will overlap with the Universal Exposition running from 1 May to 31 October and only a very short distance away. More than 20 million visitors will be flocking to Milan from every corner of the world to attend an event that will focus the attention of governments, institutions and consumers on Expo 2015’s theme: “Feeding the planet, energy for life”. People will be talking about food, health, wellbeing, innovation and technology with a view to securing a more sustainable future for our planet. Topics that are also extremely relevant to Host, creating remarkable, once-in-a-lifetime synergy between the two events.

Along with Expo 2015: a city that hosts the world

Expo Business Matching: The Service

Expo Business Matching is a new service to foster networking opportunities for Italian companies during the Universal Exposition. The venture will guide enterprises along the path to internationalization by promoting the development of relations, partnerships and joint ventures through contact with non-Italian players and companies from 147 different nations.

Simply by signing up to a matchmaking platform, the service calculates compatibility between different companies’ requirements and sets up a meeting diary with potential new partners.

One-to-one meetings will be scheduled throughout the six-month event arc in Milan.

Expo Business Matching:Stakeholders

This initiative is being promoted by Expo Milano 2015, the Milan Chamber of Commerce, Milan, Promos, Fiera Milan and PwC. It offers a unique opportunity to foster Italian companies’ trade with the rest of the world, offering a tangible opportunity for worldwide growth.

Expo Business Matching:Platform

The multilingual web platform incorporates the latest technologies based on semantic analysis to identify the closest affinities and enhance the effectiveness of the matching process.

A semantic engine and matching algorithm rapidly and accurately parse inputted data and output a compatibility index that is used to build matches between Italian and non-Italian companies.

An auto-compilation functionality makes it easier for companies to compile their profiles and input the data required, making the registration process more straightforward.

The technology infrastructure is compatible with all of the latest generation of operating systems and devices (PCs, smartphones, tablets, iPads, tablets and iPads etc.) to offer the utmost flexibility, ease-of-use and convenience.

How it Works:Three Simple Steps!

• Registration and compilation of corporate profile/contact info

• Search/needs criteria

• Meeting availability

• Compatibility check between Italian and non-Italian firms

• Shortlist selection based on greater than 50% affinity percentage

• Confirmation of interest and scheduling

• Meeting schedule drawn up (from one to a maximum of six per day)

• Assistance in nine foreign languages

• Meeting report

Three Simple Steps: Registration

The information collected is used to ensure that matching is as coherent and effective as possible to cater to individual requirements.

Key data requirements:

• Compile the company profile

• Specify the goal of the search

• Compile a self-assessment questionnaire

• Insert blackout dates

It is possible to upload corporate profile-related data to the system from the main social networks.

Three Simple Steps: Matching

The platform carries out a matching process between the Italian company's needs and the profile characteristics of non-Italian companies based on over 15 predefined criteria.

Where positive, the matching process outputs a list of potential matches based on an affinity percentage between company data that exceeds 50%. A meeting diary is drawn up after checking the adequacy of each result.

Matches are automatically confirmed for levels of affinity exceeding 70%.

Three Simple Steps: Meetings

Once an Italian and non-Italian firm has been matched, they are informed and their meeting diaries confirmed. For Italian companies, the planning system envisages up to a maximum of six individual or multiple meetings per day.

The B2B meetings organized and held during Expo Milano 2015's six-month run offer companies full relationship-building, operational and logistical support before and during meetings, including language assistance in nine foreign languages, attendance by a cultural mediator and drafting a final report on the meeting's outcome.

Expo Business Matching: Benefits

REGISTERING ON THE PLATFORMThe € 250 registration fee includes:

THE MATCHING SERVICE€ 150 for each meeting

€ 100 from the third meeting on the same day onwards *

• Access to publications, documentation and select documents on internationalization

• Self-assessment of a company's orientation towards internationalization

• Two entrance tickets to Expo Milano 2015

• Preferential access to the calendar of international events scheduled in Milan during the event's six-month run

• Diary coordination with selected counterparties

• Reception at the meeting location

• Assistance during meeting start-up and cultural-related preparation (if requested)

• Language technical support

• General report on the meeting

• Analysis of counterparty satisfaction

* First diary date containing three meetings during the same day

Expo Business Matching: Advantages of Registration

Registering on the platform enables companies to take advantage of the following extra benefits:

Receive information on trade delegations coming to Italy

Updates regarding events on the official calendar for

Expo Milano 2015

Exclusive and personalized services

For information and registration, visit the site:

www.expobusinessmatching.com

Write to:

info@expobusinessmatching.com