Guys if you've never been speed dating before or even if you have but want to get more out of the experience next time round, you've came to the right place. We have a wealth of dating events to choose from and knowing where to start can be tricky but with some insider tips and a little know how, you'll get the most out of your speed dating experience.
Firstly not a lot of guys know about speed dating or consider it to be an actual real life option that people do and they're missing out. Which is a shame because if you want to meet girls this is the best place to do it. If you think the apps are where you'll find your next date then I'm gonna tell you a little secret. Everyone who goes to our events are the same bunch of people you're likely to meet on dating apps. People who want to have fun and be proactive with their dating life.
Them: "I'd never go speed dating"
Me: "Are you on tinder?"
Them: "Yeah"
Me: "What's the difference?"
Well there's not much difference in terms of the people attending and the people on tinder, like I said it's two in the same. People are more willing to take control of their dating life these days, rather than leave it up to chance. The difference is the process – Meet first, match after. If you've ever had a bad date from one of these dating apps, would you have still put a night aside for them if you had already met them for just 4 minutes?
Well there's the beauty of speed dating. Don't get me wrong there's a lot of good things about apps, and their success is different for everyone but with speed dating your swiping in the room, with people you've actually met. 4 minutes to see if they're someone you'd like to see again instead of a whole night!
So by now you should be starting to see sense. Meeting people in person is a lot more useful, not that I have anything against apps, it's just face to face is always gonna trump texting for me and lets face it the whole point of apps is to ultimately meet them in person, right?
But with all these events to choose from how do you pick what's right for you?
Well, let's break this down, as there's so many factors; location, format, busyness and you. What are you like, are you someone who thrives in a group situation- Dating Against Humanity or are you better with people one on one and in smaller crowds- Speed dating earlier in the week or maybe you're the entertainer and like a big crowd- Weekend speed dating. These are all things you'll need to ask yourself when choosing an event.
Yes busier is great but not for everyone and some people thrive on the quieter events because they feel that they connect more to the people rather than being overwhelmed by lots and lots of dates. If you're not sure try one to see, you can always try the other one a different time.
You could also factor in what kind of person you're looking for. Not that I would say it's necessarily a hard and fast rule but maybe someone on an event like Quiz Dating would be the sort of fun outgoing personality you tend to look for.
Now here's the insider tips or trade secrets, if you like. I've been hosting events for over 5 years now and one thing I've noticed is that while our standard speed dating events are popular for everyone, our alternative dating events such as Quiz Dating, Chocolate Speed Dating and Dating Against Humanity are particularly popular with women (just as busy as weekend events). Think about it, Chocolate Speed Dating – who loves chocolate? So if you're just looking to meet a lot of people in one fun night, this is the best solution - especially if you can't make our super busy weekend events.
While most people don't mind traveling in relationships, you might be someone who does. So you might prefer to meet someone locally in Clapham or Angel? Or at a Central London venue because you're just not that bothered where they live.
In the end you might just realise that events with Original Dating really are a great way to meet people and want to try them all and I wouldn't blame you. Each event, venue and host all add a little something different to every Original Dating night. Whether it's 2-4-1 cocktails at the Winchester every other Thursday or the twisted sense of humour that grabs your attention at Dating Against Humanity, it's a cracking night out every single time!
Stuart is the Business Development Director for Original Dating and has been a regular host for many years, making him an expert in the field of offline dating. Watch out for his regular posts full of dating tips and advice.