Trade show matchmaking has traditionally meant a lanyard, a business card and a lot of luck. WTE Miami is betting AI can do better.
The international travel trade show takes place October 27-28 at the Miami Beach Convention Center. It will use SnapCard AI for the first time this year. It’s an AI-powered matchmaking app built by Fairfest Media, the company that organizes the show.
How the Matching Actually Works
Attendees describe the business connections they’re looking for in their own words. SnapCard AI then surfaces relevant matches across the show floor, rather than making attendees dig through an exhibitor directory.
With 26 tourism offices and visitors bureaus confirmed so far, the tool aims to match interests, not just titles. That’s a narrower promise than most matchmaking software makes, and a more useful one.
The Numbers From Its First Real Test
SnapCard AI isn’t untested. At OTM 2026, a separate travel trade show, it logged 7,291 active users from 140 countries. That’s 42% adoption, according to Fairfest, despite limited dedicated promotion.
The results that matter more to exhibitors: 82% secured meetings through the platform. Meeting requests rose 97% year over year.
“SnapCard AI is the first matchmaking platform I’ve used that genuinely feels built for how people do business,” said Simon Press of Fairfest Media. “Bringing it to WTE Miami… means we’re not just talking about the future of this industry. We’re putting it to work on the show floor.”
AI Is Also the Subject, Not Just the Tool
WTE Miami’s conference programming leans into the same theme. A session called “AI Solutions for the Travel Industry” will feature Grace Van Hollebeke of Tern alongside an invited Google speaker.
An MPI Certification Course led by Tim Luepke will cover “AI for Travel Professionals.” Sabre Corp’s Karen Ring will keynote on how AI is reshaping the traveler experience.
Why Miami Is the Test Case
Miami Beach Convention Center hosts one of the largest B2B travel trade shows in the hemisphere. The 2026 edition is expected to draw more than 500 exhibitors, 7,000 travel trade professionals and 10,000 pre-scheduled B2B meetings.
That scale makes it a real stress test for AI matchmaking, not a pilot program. If SnapCard AI can hold up across thousands of meetings on a Miami Beach show floor, Fairfest has proof. It’s a case study it can sell to every other trade show it runs.
Travel still runs largely on relationships built face to face. That’s the real experiment happening in Miami this October.
