Blind Lunch. Real Connections. Matched.
On October 5, 2021, the project “Matched! By JCI” was launched, an innovative ‘decentralized’ networking event that ultimately took place on Thursday afternoon, November 25, 2021, in pairs spread across five Michelin–starred restaurants in Limburg: Altermezzo, JER, Kristalijn, Magis, and De Mijlpaal.
It was a combination of “Komen Eten” and “Blind Getrouwd,” but in the business–to–business segment. Promising Limburg entrepreneurs under the age of 40 were “married off” to each other in the hope that they would make a splash together and put Limburg further on the map.
Belgium is known for great food, and even better conversations. Lunch is where ideas flow, deals start, and connections feel real. So right after COVID, JCI Limburg flipped networking on its head with Matched! by JCI. No name-tag chaos. No small talk. Just one simple rule:
👉 You get a lunch… if you sit down with someone new.
The driving force behind the project was JCI Limburg, with the Province of Limburg, the City of Genk, the City of Hasselt, BAN Vlaanderen, and Thalento. The employers‘ organizations Unizo and VKW, and network organizations such as Netwerk Ondernemen and BNI supported this initiative through their communication channels. Several commercial companies, such as PSG Group, Groep JAM, Altery, and STERCK Magazine, also supported the project.
Tom Vandeput, Deputy for Economy and Chairman of POM Limburg: “The number of start–ups has been at record levels for years. Some Limburg start–ups are even breaking through internationally. With SALKturbo, we are strengthening Limburg’s entrepreneurial culture and the collaboration between start–ups and mature companies. This provides a boost to innovation, digitization, and business growth. The JCI Matched project fits perfectly into this strategy and therefore receives our full substantive and financial support.”
Together with Thalento, Provincie Limburg, Stad Genk, Stad Hasselt and BAN Flanders, we created a business blind date that goes deeper than surface-level networking. People were matched on personality and business interests, across sectors, using a smart test and matching algorithm. The result? Real conversations. Unexpected connections. New opportunities. The concept was so strong it got replicated twice across JCI Belgium — with a final twist:
Dessert = table switch, so you double the connections in one evening.
Press article (Made In)
3 editions
- Commission director 2021: JCI Limburg (Benjamin Van Wijnendaele, Nicky Hegmans, Michel Steegmans, Hendrik Geusens, Geert Libregs, Tim Drijkoningen, Nele Buysmans, Bart Van Proeyen)
- Commission director 2023: JCI Belgium (Kenneth De Decker with National President Eugénie Carrez)
- Commission Director 2024: JCI Belgium (Timothy Verellen with National President Sammy Van De Velde)
‘Matched’ 2024
Date: Thursday, October 3, 2024
Location: Hof Ter Heyde, Gooik, Belgium
Program:
– 18:00 – Warm welcome with appetizers and drinks
– 19:00 – Networking dinner (three-course meal) with exclusive one-on-one matchmaking
– 21:00 – Networking with drinks and ambient music
– 24:00 – Final closure of an unforgettable evening
