Ok, so this is your first time attending a speed dating event and you really do not know what to expect. First, it can be exciting to meet other singles looking to meet a potential life partner instead of cruising at a bar looking for a one time kinda deal with a stranger. Second, online dating, as it being a very popular option, leaves you very disappointed with the constant lies and deceitful practices from the opposite sex. Finally, you had enough dealing with this non-sense and looking for different alternatives to dating. This is when Speed dating kicks in high gear. What you see is what you get from the first second the person sits down in front of you. No more of the face pics taken when they were 18 years old. You see the real deal right from the start. You have then 6 to 7 minutes to determine if their personality is a good fit for you. I understand that 7 minutes isn’t enough to really know a person but it’s still enough to make a decision if you want to see them again for a second date. It takes an average of 30 seconds of speaking with someone to feel their vibe, either it be positive or negative. Here are some suggestions you can use to get yourself ready for an upcoming speed dating event:

• Always show up a bit earlier so you can arrive there relaxed and not rushing. Remember, with speed dating event, the challenge is to get an equal number of men and women so there is no one just sitting and waiting for the next rotation to meet someone. So if you arrive late, the rotation has already started and it might distort the overall flow of the event. So for respect to all other attendees, arrive there on time or even a bit earlier so you can get yourself a drink and relax before start of the event.
• Come with a smile: I know that the intimidation can take the best of you but by showing up with a smile, people can feel your positive energy and be excited to meet you on their next round. No matter how your day went, put your problems aside and enjoy your time. There is never a second chance to make a good first impression. To get a perfect match, you need to both say yes on the scorecard so do everything in your power to convince the other person to circle yes on their scorecard, especially if you like them a lot.
• No shorts/sweatpants/sweatshirts: Just like any other evening, when going out on the town, you want to dress to impress. Not saying to arrive at the event on a tux, but dress nicely. When you show to others you put in the effort to look your best, they will appreciate that and feel like it would be worth it to get to know you better after the 6 or 7 minutes. This is a guaranteed second date
• No one enjoys negative people: Regardless if this is for dating or anything else, negativity is draining. No one enjoys being around people who just share their misfortune with others. Avoid coming at the event with this kind of mentality. People will feel it and will immediately circle NO as their first choice. This, in return, will depress you even more that no one would ever want to see you again. Stay positive at all times. Keep your problems to yourself until you get back home.
• What to talk about? Well, this is definitely a good one. Avoid asking anything about their financial status, because it is NONE of your business. Any discussion that has to do with what you possess or how many cars you have should be aborted. Ideally, you want to figure out what you have in common with the other person, what type of activities you enjoy, etc.. Make sure your questions are open-ended so you can expect some elaborated answers. If all you hear is Yes, No, No, Yes again, the 6 minutes will feel like eternity. Be original.
• Do not make your selection obvious to the person sitting across the table: Avoid making your selection when the other person has a clear view of your scorecard. You can wait till you sit at the next table to make your choice of the person you just met. Once you make your choice, you can start your next rotation. The hosts will always give you a few seconds to make your choice prior to starting the 6 or 7 minutes countdown.
• You are not 100% sure of your choice? No one can be in that time frame. No one can be their best in that short period of time. So if you feel there was some connection happening during these short minutes, I would recommend to circle YES. This way, you can meet them again and get more time to talk and get to know each other better.
• Make some selections please: A scorecard is there to use and choose who you want to meet or not. Make sure to circle a yes or no because when you return the scorecard to the hosts at the end of the evening, it can be difficult to determine if you wanted to meet them again, OR NOT, if no choices have been circled on the scorecard. It is crucial to always circle something so we can provide you with accurate match. If we do not see any selections circled, we will assume it is a NO. You might lose out on a great partner if you fail to circle your choices.
• Follow up: At the end of the evening, make sure to return your scorecard to your hosts so they can tally up the selections among men and women and send your matches by the next day. You will receive an email either you had matches or not. If you do not receive anything, you can always email us at [email protected] and request a resent. It is possible that your email provider dumped your match results into junkmail folder. Make sure you pay attention to junkmail.
• When you receive your results: What do i do? Hmm, let me take a second to think about that one. Well, how about reaching out to your matches and re-introduce yourself to them. Set up another rendez-vous and VOILA. Meet the person again and enjoy your date. Now, if you didn’t get any matches, well, it is possible that no chemistry was present at the event. Do not despair. Lightning Speed dating will have plenty more of these events in the near future. Stay positive!

So here you go. Speed dating isn’t that bad. You can come and enjoy a nice evening with amazing people and potentially meet someone that will be your life partner. We always welcome comments and feedback so we can do better the next time around. So come and join us for our upcoming events and let’s take you from Single to mingle, all under 7 minutes.