Finding your perfect match isn’t always easy, even with the many dating apps out there. A speed dating event could hold the answer for singles looking to meet a special person — without the help of social media.
Table of contents
What is speed dating?
How do speed dating events work?
Hosting a speed dating event
Marketing a speed dating event
What to charge for a speed dating event
Organising a speed dating event online
Creative speed dating ideas
What is speed dating?
Speed dating is a fun way to meet possible love interests, organized in a quick-fire format. It’s usually held in a bar or restaurant, and attendees book their space in advance, ensuring the perfect ratio of potential matches in the room. Speed dating also helps alleviate any nerves for those reentering the dating game; they can take the pressure off having to maintain a conversation with one person all evening. Matches are typically revealed after the event, minimizing the chance of any disappointment and keeping the event light-hearted.
If you’re looking to organize a speed dating event, here’s some guidance to ensure your event is a success.
How do speed dating events work?
It’s a bit like musical chairs. Tables are usually arranged in a line or circle, and attendees move from seat to seat to meet their dates for the night. Here are some simple tips to help you pin down the fundamentals for a speed dating event.
- Attendees embark on several quick-fire encounters, and a bell or buzzer rings when each timed date has come to an end
- Participants progress from one table to the next until everyone has had a chance to meet each other
- Attendees usually register ahead of time to ensure there’s an even number of potential partners
There are many types of speed dating events: those for singles looking for long-term relationships, ones for working professionals, or religion-specific options. Browse Eventbrite’s platform to get a sense of the full scope of speed dating events available.
Common rules of speed dating
If you’re organizing a speed dating event, be clear about who the event is for. Provide a suggested age range or sexual orientation, so the right audience ends up in the room. Once all the dates have taken place, participants can select the people they’d like to meet again (either confidentially on the night via a form or later online). If two speed daters have expressed a mutual interest in each other, they receive each other’s email addresses or phone numbers. Make sure you have consent to share people’s personal information and reassure attendees that their details will only be shared with their matches.
A checklist of rules is also a great way to ensure guests know what’s expected of them on the night. Below are some ideas you might want to suggest:
- Be on time
- Follow the rules of the event
- Be present — switch off your phone or put it on airplane mode
- Be respectful — even if you aren’t interested in the person, be kind
- Don’t put pressure on people to say they’ll match with you
- Dress up for the occasion — but make sure you feel comfortable
- Speak up if someone has said something offensive or behaved inappropriately
- Try to ask creative questions
- Think of what you might want to tell people about yourself
- Have fun — everyone’s in the room for the same reason, so relax!
How long do speed dating events last?
While the dates might be short and sweet at these types of events, you don’t want guests to feel like the whole evening is rushed. Careful planning will help you to facilitate smooth transitions between different parts of the night, allowing your guests to have a much better experience. See the suggestions below to help you pull this off:
- Think about how long you want to give participants to get to know each other — the length of each speed date will vary depending on the organizer, although between three and eight minutes is normal
- Multiply the number of minutes by the number of dates that will take place
- Add on time at the start for everyone to arrive and take their places
- Add on time at the end for people to think about who they might like to see again
Hosting a speed dating event
Organizing a speed dating event requires bringing together lots of elements. A good first step is thinking about where you want to host the event.
Secure a venue
Restaurants and bars work well, as do other sociable spaces. Think coffee shops, student unions, and co-working hubs. Your event could introduce a large number of potential new customers to the venue; they’ll be spending money on drinks and snacks, so use this as bargaining power to negotiate a discount on the rental cost or even secure a venue for free.
Setting up the venue
There are necessary practical arrangements to consider in the planning of your event. These simple suggestions will help ensure your set-up lets your event flow and guests feel like they’re in safe hands.
- Arrange tables and chairs in a row or a circle so people know where to move at the end of each date.
- Have somewhere at the entrance where people can register their arrival and pick up a name badge. Don’t forget to provide a list of the people they’ll meet so they can make notes and identify those they would like to see again.
- Welcome everyone to the event and make an effort to put attendees at ease as you explain the rules. Everyone should get the same amount of time with each other, so explain the event’s format before it kicks off.
Marketing a speed dating event
As soon as you have a date and a venue locked in, promote the event to ensure people have time to register and make plans to attend. Here are some ideas to help you spread the word about your event:
- Publicize the event via your social media channels and website.
- If you’ve held similar events, see if attendees would be willing to provide testimonials. Word-of-mouth and referral marketing can be effective, especially when it comes to promoting an event that people might feel a little nervous about attending.
- Ask the venue to support your marketing efforts by telling their online followers about it and putting up posters.
What to charge for a speed dating event?
Charging a registration fee will help cover costs — check out other speed dating events in your local area to see what they’re charging, as this will help you price your tickets. Find out if the venue is willing to offer discounted drinks or ask whether you could set up your own bar as an additional source of revenue. A complimentary drink on arrival could be a nice incentive to secure early-bird bookings if you have your own venue.
Hosting speed dating online
You might be wondering, “how does speed dating work online?” and “what do I need to consider when hosting the event in an online format?” You’ll want to consider the type of audience for virtual speed dating vs in-person events. For example, an online speed dating event might be better suited to those particularly nervous about getting back into dating — allowing them to meet new people from the comfort of their homes.
Organizing a virtual dating event still requires thoughtful planning. Below are some online-specific considerations you’ll need to factor in:
- Choose a reliable virtual platform to host your event
- Make sure your host explains how the event will run in a virtual format
- Set up breakout rooms in advance to save time on the night
- Set a countdown to appear when guests have one minute left, so they know when to wrap up their conversation
- Encourage guests to dress up — it’s still a date, even if it’s behind a screen!
Creative speed dating ideas
Once you’ve nailed the basic components of your speed dating event, think about incorporating some original ideas to make your event extra fun for your guests. Below are some ideas to get you started:
1. Encourage people to bond over a shared interest
Finding things people have in common is a great way to start a conversation. Hold your speed dating event in a bookshop, an art gallery, or a sporting venue, and you’ll bring like-minded singles together.
2. Choose a theme to help people pick an outfit
What to wear to a speed dating event? Make it simple by theming your evening around a film, TV show, or decade, and ask attendees to come as their favorite characters. You might find Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet’s eyes meeting across a crowded room.
3. Introduce out-of-the-box questions
Asking what someone does for a living 10 times in a row will get boring. Popping quirky questions on each table is a great way to break the ice. For example, “What’s the first thing you’d do with the winnings if you won the lottery?”
4. Pick a strong playlist
Choosing suitable music for your speed dating event is essential. Music will make attendees feel more relaxed and mask potential awkward silences. Don’t forget to control the volume — no one wants to shout to be heard. If you’re hosting a virtual event, share a playlist with attendees so they can listen to the same tracks as their dates.
5. Suggest attendees come with a friend
Getting attendees to come with a friend can be a great way to alleviate pre-event jitters. Plus, even if they don’t meet any future love interests, they’ll have someone they can laugh with after.
Armed with tips and inspiration, what’s stopping you from running your first dating event? Get started with the Eventbrite Organizer app.
