Here’s a scene every Chamber leader knows all too well: the day after a successful event, you get an email from a member saying, “I had no idea Jane from ABC Company was there! I’ve been trying to connect with her for months.”

It’s the agony of the missed connection, and it’s not a small problem; it’s a crisis of value. Attendees consistently cite networking as the #1 reason for attending events, yet a staggering 97% of attendees report being disengaged at conferences. While your members are busy catching up with old friends, dozens of high-potential business opportunities are walking right past each other in the room.This post is your playbook for becoming a real-time “Community Weaver.” We’ll provide tactical, AI-powered ways to facilitate high-value introductions live at your event, turning chance encounters into strategic connections.

Tactic 1: The “Connection Concierge” Booth

This transforms you from a passive host into an active, indispensable hub. It’s a high-touch service that delivers immediate, tangible value to your members.

The Setup: Designate a highly visible spot as the “Connection Concierge” booth. Have a tablet or laptop open with an AI chat tool, pre-loaded with your full, detailed attendee list.

The Master Prompt:

"Act as a business matchmaking expert for our live event. The full attendee list, including names, companies, and industries, is pasted below. When I provide a specific need from a member, your job is to identify the top 3 people in this room for them to meet and provide a compelling, one-sentence reason for the introduction."

The Execution: When a member approaches with a need (e.g., “I’m looking for a commercial real estate agent”), you use the prompt to instantly provide them with a high-quality, curated list of people to talk to right now.

Canadian AI Guy’s Pro Tip: The “Connections Made” Report

Keep a simple log of the introductions you facilitate at the booth. After the event, feed that log to an AI with this prompt: “Act as a data analyst. Based on the list of introductions I made at our event, create a simple one-paragraph summary for our board report. Highlight the total number of connections made and categorize them by industry or need (e.g., ‘facilitated 15 connections, with a high demand for marketing and financial services’).” This is a powerful way to quantify your networking ROI.

Tactic 2: The AI-Powered “Networking Quest”

Turn passive mingling into an active, engaging game. A “Networking Quest” card, given to each attendee upon arrival, encourages them to step outside their comfort zone in a fun, low-pressure way.

The “Networking Quest” Prompt:

Act as a creative event planner. I need to create a "Networking Quest" card for our business event. Generate a list of 5 fun, engaging challenges that encourage attendees to meet new people. The challenges should be simple and focused on learning something new, not on selling. Include challenges like:

"Find someone who has been in business for over 20 years and ask them for their single best piece of advice."

"Find someone in an industry completely different from yours and discover one surprising thing you have in common."

"Find someone who is a new member and make them feel welcome."

Offer a small prize for attendees who complete all five quests. It’s a guaranteed way to inject energy and purpose into your networking session.

Tactic 3: The “Smart Q&A” Connector

Turn your panel discussion’s Q&A—a traditionally passive activity—into a powerful, real-time networking tool. As questions come in from the audience (via a tool like Slido or from the floor), have a staff member feed them to an AI.

The “Q&A Connector” Prompt:

"Act as a community manager. I am analyzing the questions from our live Q&A session. Read the questions I've pasted below. Identify any two people who asked questions on a similar theme or problem. For this pair, draft a suggestion I can make from the stage, like: 'That's a great question, John. It's interesting because it's very similar to a point Sarah made earlier. You two should definitely connect during the break.'"

This simple tactic makes your members feel heard and demonstrates your active role as a community weaver.

Conclusion: From Host to Hub

With AI-powered, real-time tactics, you are no longer just a host who provides the room; you are the central, indispensable hub that makes the connections happen. This is the ultimate value proposition for any member-based organization. It addresses the core reason people join: to connect. In fact, research shows that organizations whose employees are more central to their professional communities significantly outperform their less-connected peers.

Facilitating connections is a powerful way to boost engagement. The next step is to make your formal presentations just as interactive. Learn how in our guide, The Un-Boring Panel: How to Use AI to Crowdsource Questions.

People Also Ask (FAQ)

1. Is it too intrusive to actively facilitate connections?

Not if it’s positioned as a value-added service. Frame the “Connection Concierge” as an optional, complimentary resource to help attendees maximize their time. Most will see it as an incredible benefit.

2. What technology do I need for this?

You can start very simply. A laptop with access to a generative AI tool (like ChatGPT or Gemini) and a well-formatted spreadsheet of your attendees is all you need to pilot the “Connection Concierge” booth.

3. How do I get a clean attendee list for the AI?

Export your registration list as a CSV file. Clean it up to include only the essential columns: First Name, Last Name, Company, and Industry/Title. This simple format is easy for the AI to read and analyze.

4. What’s the ROI on this kind of facilitated networking?

The ROI is immense. Event tech platforms that use AI matchmaking see incredible results, with some facilitating 2,800 one-on-one meetings with a 39% acceptance rate—a number that’s impossible to achieve with unstructured networking.

5. How does this help my Chamber’s brand?

It positions you as an indispensable “superconnector.” Research shows that consumers are 44% more likely to think favourably of businesses that are active Chamber members. By actively facilitating connections, you are visibly demonstrating this value, making your organization the central hub of your local business community.