Imagine a small packaging manufacturer in the interior of Minas Gerais, in Brazil. In the same week, the owner receives three invitations: a business round open to every sector, run by the city's commercial association; a round only for food companies; and a round where a supermarket chain will say what it wants to buy. There is room in the calendar for just one. The choice depends less on the invitation and more on what the company needs right now: new clients, a large buyer or contacts inside its own sector. Before deciding, take the Networking Diagnosis and see where the gaps in your network are.
What changes from one type of round to another
Every business round follows the same logic: short conversations between companies that have a reason to meet, matched on what each one offers and looks for. If you have never seen one from the inside, the guide on how a business round works walks you through it step by step. What sets one type apart from another is who sits on the other side of the conversation and what that person came looking for.
The table sums up the most common types from the participant's point of view. A single event can combine two of them: a sector round can be online, and an exclusive round can have an anchor company.
| Type | Who it serves | What to bring |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-sector | Companies that sell to many segments or are still finding out who buys from them | One clear sentence about what you offer and what you are looking for |
| Sector | Companies looking for suppliers, clients or partners inside their own supply chain | Technical data, delivery capacity and what sets you apart from competitors |
| Exclusive | Members of an organization or guests of a group | Willingness to build a long-term relationship and to ask for referrals |
| Themed | Companies working on the event's subject, such as innovation or the circular economy | A concrete case from your company linked to the theme |
| Anchor-led | Suppliers that already meet the requirements of a large buyer | An answer to the stated demand, documents and payment terms |
| International | Companies with a ready product and the structure to export | Material in another language, export pricing and production lead time |
| Online | Companies that want to talk to businesses in other cities without traveling | A stable connection, a camera, a complete profile and punctuality |
Multi-sector: for companies still finding out who buys
In a multi-sector round, the accounting firm talks to the metalworks, the marketing agency to the food distributor, the print shop to the clinic. Nobody needs to be in the same line of business.
Who it serves. Service companies that can work with any segment (accounting, technology, maintenance, logistics, training) tend to get a lot out of it, because almost every participant is a possible client.
How to prepare. Here, your profile does a large part of the introducing. Describe what you offer in words a layperson understands and state what you are looking for just as clearly. "We look after the vehicle fleets of companies that own their cars and trucks" says more than "mobility solutions".
Signs it is not for you. If your product only interests a very specific kind of company, such as a part for farm machinery, many conversations will end with "that is not my area". In that case, a sector round will give you more.
Sector: technical conversations with people who know your supply chain
A sector round brings together companies from the same production chain: construction, food, fashion, health, technology. On the other side are suppliers, clients and partners who speak your language.
Who it serves. Manufacturers and specialized suppliers that need a buyer who understands specifications, standards and lead times.
How to prepare. Bring the information the sector uses to decide: monthly capacity, delivery time, minimum order, certifications. Have a short answer ready for the question that will come up: "what is the difference between you and the supplier I already buy from?". Many sector rounds are run by industry federations, trade unions and Sebrae, Brazil's small business support agency; the guide to Sebrae business rounds (in Portuguese) shows how they usually work.
Signs it is not for you. Direct competitors will be in the same round. If your differentiator is not yet clear even to you, a sector round can turn into a price comparison.
Exclusive and themed: when the filter is the organization or the subject
Exclusive (members or guests only)
Some rounds only accept members of an organization, members of a networking group or guests of a company. The advantage is trust: everyone there has passed some kind of filter, and a referral after the conversation tends to meet less resistance.
To make the most of it, treat each conversation as the start of a relationship, not as a sale. The sign that it is not for you lies in the audience: if the organization does not bring together companies that buy what you sell, joining it just for the round does not pay off.
Themed
A themed round brings together companies from different sectors around one subject: the circular economy, innovation, public procurement, women-led businesses, regional tourism. The theme is the filter.
Bring a concrete case: what your company has already done within the theme, for whom and what the practical effect was. If the theme is just a label and your business has nothing to show in it, the conversation stays shallow and you miss the chance to be remembered.
Anchor-led: when a large company says what it wants to buy
In an anchor-led round, one or a few large companies (a manufacturer, a retail chain, a construction company, a hospital) present what they need to buy, and small and mid-sized companies sign up to offer it. The conversations revolve around the anchor's demand.
Who it serves. Suppliers that already meet, or are close to meeting, the requirements of a large buyer: invoicing in order, tax clearance certificates, delivery capacity and the cash to handle longer payment terms.
How to prepare. Read the anchor's demand carefully and answer it, not your whole catalog. Bring the documents the purchasing department will ask for and know how much you can sell while waiting to be paid. The article on how to sell to large companies covers supplier registration, the documents involved and the effect of payment terms on your cash flow.
Signs it is not for you. If a large order today would throw your cash flow or your production into disarray, wait. Closing a deal with a large company and failing to deliver tends to shut the door for a long time.
International: only once your company can handle exporting
An international round puts you in front of buyers or partners from other countries.
Who it serves. Companies with a ready product, a price that holds up outside Brazil and someone able to lead the conversation in another language.
How to prepare. Have material in English or Spanish, prices calculated with international delivery terms, a production lead time for an export order and a clear picture of packaging, certifications and the documents required in the destination country.
Signs it is not for you. If you still do not know what it costs to get your product to a port, or if nobody in the company can hold a conversation in another language, start with domestic rounds and come back to this type later.
Online: the same meeting, without the trip
An online round is not a separate type in terms of content: it can be multi-sector, sector, exclusive or themed. What changes is the format. Conversations happen one on one over video call, with a fixed duration, and the room switches on its own at the end of each one. There is no advance schedule: at the set time, the platform forms the pairs live, among the companies that are present, with no repeated conversations.
Who it serves. Companies that want to talk to businesses in other cities and states without taking days away from the operation to travel.
How to prepare. Test your connection, camera and audio in the place you will join from. Fill in your profile carefully, because that is what the platform uses to suggest conversations with people looking for what you offer, without repeating a conversation. To see the screens before the day, use the Round Simulator. If you are unsure whether to go to a trade fair or join an online round, the article on business rounds versus trade fairs compares the two paths.
Signs it is not for you. If your product only convinces people when they touch or taste it, a video conversation opens the door but does not do the job alone. Plan how a sample will reach the interested company right after.
How to choose the right type for your company
- You need new clients and sell to many segments: start with a multi-sector round.
- You want to grow inside your own sector: choose a sector round and bring technical data.
- You already meet a large company's requirements: look for anchor-led rounds in your field.
- You depend on referrals and trust: the exclusive round of your own organization is worth it.
- You have a project tied to a theme: a themed round shortens the path to the right partners.
- You have the structure to export: only then, an international round.
In any case, ask the organizer which sectors the registered companies come from. To find out where to look for each type, see where to find business rounds. And match the type with the format: if the right round takes place far away, the online version solves the distance.
Where to start
Pick one type and one date, not several at once. Take the diagnosis, write your profile with that type's audience in mind and note down, after each conversation, whether it was worth the time.
Your company's first online business round is on us: all you need is an active Brazilian CNPJ (the Brazilian company registration number), once per CNPJ, and contact details are only shared when both sides mark interest. See the upcoming business rounds and pick the one that matches the kind of conversation your company needs right now.