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

pre-clinical
From Classroom to Clinic: Pre-Clinical Talent Steps Into Healthcare’s Hard-to-Fill Roles
April 23, 2026

Healthcare systems are facing a workforce crisis that’s no longer temporary—it’s structural. Even before COVID-19, staffing shortages across nursing, technical, and administrative roles were already straining capacity; today, those gaps are wider, costlier, and directly impacting patient access. With labor shortages persisting and burnout rising, health systems are being forced to rethink not just…

Read More
learning
If Higher Ed Wants Experiential Learning at Scale, It Needs a Broader Playbook
April 21, 2026

The ground is shifting under higher education. AI is changing how people learn almost overnight—and at the same time, more than half of graduates are underemployed after finishing their degrees. That’s forcing a more uncomfortable question into the open: what is a college credential really worth today? As employers and governments shift their focus…

Read More
skilled trades mentorship
Why the Modern Data Center Is Forcing Communities and Policymakers to Rethink Infrastructure
April 21, 2026

Data centers have moved from largely invisible digital infrastructure to a highly visible source of public debate as artificial intelligence accelerates demand for power, fiber, and compute capacity. The modern data center is now being built closer to population centers to support low-latency services, bringing critical infrastructure into direct contact with residential communities for…

Read More
Inside the Spot Freight Shift: How Manifold Is Simplifying a Fragmented Logistics Market
April 21, 2026

The freight market is in the midst of a notable shift. With national tender rejection rates approaching 14% by the end of Q1, freight conditions have shifted back in carriers’ favor, often coinciding with increased activity in the spot market. At the same time, logistics teams are juggling an increasingly fragmented ecosystem of portals, emails,…

Read More