The Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency usually doesn’t play a role that could be confused with a dating website like Match.com, but if it improves the economic environment for local businesses, they’re willing to play matchmaker.

On Wednesday, March 18, the Chautauqua County IDA will be hosting the first Business To Business Networking Event at the Chautauqua Harbor Hotel in Celoron starting at 7:30 a.m. The “matchmaking” event for local companies will use a speed dating format to have people meet and greet to discover what each other’s business does, said Mark Geise, IDA CEO.

“There is going to be an opportunity for people to come and companies to come and go and meet in a speed dating format with suppliers or purchasers,” he said. “The issue is we’ve got these manufacturers here that are purchasing products from outside of the region where there might potential be people and companies locally that can provide those same services in the county. It’s an opportunity for companies to get to know each other and see if there is an opportunity to see if there are local buyers.”

Geise said a similar event was held and was very popular when he was the head of the IDA in Monroe County. He also said that while IDA officials are touring local businesses, they can see how local companies aren’t using services another county business might be able to offer.

“We see the diversity of what companies are making and then see that other companies aren’t using those local services and products,” he said. “So it just makes sense to have a venue to see if they can get to know each other and have an opportunity to do business with each other.”

Geise said every business involved in manufacturing in the county is invited to the networking event.

He said businesses can register online at ccida.com/ccb2b. He added that business officials can find out more information about the networking event by visiting the website.

“We are just starting, but we are hoping to have dozens and dozens of businesses there,” he said. “As people go online and register, there will be a spreadsheet of those that have signed up so people can see who else is going to be there. Initially there aren’t a lot right now, but as more sign up, the list will grow and grow and, hopefully, it will encourage more people to sign up.”

Geise said there are several services and products being offered by local business that other county companies might be surprised they can find offered locally.

“There are legal services to architectural services to products. It’s everything,” he said. “We’re doing this for the businesses so that we can encourage more local purchasing and selling.”

Geise said he hopes the networking event will become an annual event.

“We will see how it goes the first year then make a decision on whether to continue it,” he said. “We want to see the interest first. It’s going to be dedicated time with companies and their management people that normally they might not get the time with. There is going to be a list of all the people in attendance and contact information and what they make or purchase so they will leave with a spreadsheet of contacts.”

Along with the speed dating format for business officials to meet one another, Patience Fairbrother will be the lunch speaker. Fairbrother is an account director for Development Counsellors International (DCI). Geise said Fairbrother will be discussing the topic of talent attraction, which will include findings from DCI’s latest “Talent Wars” study, a survey of 1,500 plus working-age individuals on how they make decisions about jobs and locations and best practice examples from communities engaging in cutting-edge talent attraction marketing. DCI’s work for Cleveland County, North Carolina, Upstate South Carolina and Northern Colorado has garnered multiple awards from the International Economic Development Council and is centered around talent attraction.