Ushering in a New Way of Networking for The Next Generation

What does the next generation of B2B want? What does it need? Many believe it’s the metaverse. In 2022, more than 75% of U.S. marketers invested in metaverse-related activities. Top retail brands like Gucci and Lego saw the benefits of investing in the metaverse and leaped.

2023 tells a potentially different story. In its 2023 report on trends marketers may leave behind, HubSpot indicated that 29% of those surveyed indicated reducing their spending in the metaverse this year. How quickly mindsets change. Uncertainty about the future of the metaverse may have the B2B space asking, “What just happened?”

The situation could be that marketers haven’t found the metaverse’s sweet spot yet. However, some companies have invested in metaverse solutions that could pay off for B2B organizations in surprising ways. Mext B2B Metaverse is one of those organizations successfully creating virtual networking solutions for the metaverse.

What types of benefits can virtual networking platforms provide for those in the B2B space? It turns out to be quite a few. Mext’s CEO, Hanene Maupas, says Mext built its solutions to solve real challenges for B2B. She spoke with What Just Happened? and host Christine Russo about the potential of the metaverse to provide green solutions and better interconnectivity for B2B companies. In the metaverse, blending digital and in-person interactions creates a potentially powerful networking tool for B2B.

“These are new ways that will consolidate the advantages of the physical and also allow physical events to communicate digitally with everyone who can’t participate, to get knowledge and contribute in true ways in something very interactive,” Maupas said.

Russo and Maupas’ conversation includes:

  • How organizations desire to become greener and do less travel leads to networking opportunities within the metaverse.
  • Mext’s forward-looking goals regarding the B2B space
  • Some of the inspiring aspects of the metaverse

“It’s the experience itself,” Maupas said. “I can discover new products and connect with people. I can attend events. You don’t need to travel anywhere. When you hear about things and cannot do anything because you don’t have the money, knowledge, or opportunity, it isn’t easy to do much about it and progress. With the metaverse, we give this chance to anyone.”

Hanene Maupas is an experienced Chief Executive Officer with a demonstrated history of working in the semiconductor and internet industries. Maupas is a strong business development professional with skills in sales and marketing. She received her Ph.D. from the Ecole centrale de Lyon.

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Image

Latest

home
Delivering Moments That Matter: The Art of Joy, Memory, and Meaning at Anthropologie Home
January 8, 2026

These days, ‘home’ means more than just four walls. It’s where people reset, gather, and express who they are—raising the bar for what they expect from the brands that help shape those spaces. Consumers are no longer just buying décor—they’re investing in meaning, memory, and moments that last. Research continues to show that people…

Read More
Texas energy
Small Margins, Big Risks: How Fraud Hurts Texas Energy Retailers
January 6, 2026

Fraud has quietly become one of the most existential threats in Texas’s deregulated retail electricity market—because the business runs on razor-thin margins and delayed payment. Under the non-POR system overseen by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), retail energy providers assume the full risk of nonpayment. With profit margins often measured in just a…

Read More
learning
From 30 to 1,500 Students: Scaling Mass Experiential Learning with How to Change the World
January 5, 2026

Higher education is at a crossroads. Institutions are being asked to do more with less—serve more students, prepare them for a rapidly changing, AI-shaped workforce, and prove the real-world value of a degree—all at the same time. Employers consistently note that while graduates are technically capable, many struggle to apply what they’ve learned to…

Read More
What the Future Looks Like if We Get It Right
What the Future Looks Like if We Get It Right
December 30, 2025

As the Patient Monitoring series concludes, the conversation shifts from today’s challenges to tomorrow’s possibilities. This final episode of the five-part Health and Life Sciences at the Edge series looks ahead to what healthcare could become if patient monitoring gets it right. Intel’s Kaeli Tully is joined by Sudha Yellapantula, Senior Researcher at Medical…

Read More