Online Personals Watch

Prestige Speed Dating w/Honesty Online

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS -- Sep 7 -- Prestige Speed Dating is a new service catering to "successful" singles, launched by dating firm FastLife.com and Honesty Online, an identity-verification service. FastLife says it has identified an increase in concern among its members about finances, as opposed to appearance and age. All Prestige members will meet minimum financial criteria. "Recessions cause people to alter their behaviors, and dating habits are no exception," says FastLife founder Justin Parfitt. FULL ARTICLE @ SEATTLE TIMES

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Lookin' For Love In Canada

CANWEST -- Aug 16 -- A growing number of Canadians are willing to pay for services such as online dating, speed dating, singles groups and matchmakers. Kim Hughes, editor-in-chief of Lavalife, says there are two key reasons that people pay to date: efficiency and customized searches. It's Just Lunch is a matchmaking service that works with upscale restaurant partners and charges $1,995 for one-year membership. Meet Market Adventures is a more casual singles service. It is a "pay-as-you-play" model with no membership fee, but individual fees are charged for each event. Meet Market organizes approximately 35 to 45 events every month. Justin Parfitt was single and looking to improve on existing speed-dating models when he founded his company, FastLife, in Australia in 2003. FastLife is now based in Toronto and has expanded into Canada, the U.S., New Zealand, the U.K. and China. The price of a standard event is $79 and includes an open bar. FULL ARTICLE @ THE WINDSOR STAR

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Extreme Fitness And FastLife Team Up

PRESS RELEASE -- July 11 -- Extreme Fitness, a fitness club operator in the Greater Toronto Area, has teamed up with FastLife, the speed dating and singles event service, to introduce Fit2SpeedDate, a group fitness fusion class that combines circuit training with speed dating. FULL ARTICLE @ PR-INSIDE

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FastLife Speed Dating In China

PRESS RELEASE -- May 22 -- FastLife Speed Dating, the international singles events service, is set to launch in China on 31st May 2008. FastLife will invite Zhenai.com's (China's leading online dating website, formerly known as 96333.com) eight million registered members to participate in stylish speed dating events in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Guangzhou. FULL ARTICLE @ FAST LIFE

Mark Brooks: Speed dating is popular in China. Irena and I spent 2 months in Shanghai last year after the Asian Internet Dating Conference. The main challenge for Chinese idating companies is monthly billing. Very few Chinese users have credit cards. So dating sites bill via cell phones. However, the government effectively halved the maximum amount that can be charged on a recurring basis...from ~$3 to ~$1.50 a month. 96333.com is run by Dr Song Li, a frequent, vocal and very knowledgeable attendee of the internet dating conferences.

Guinness World Record Speed Dating Event

PRESS RELEASE -- Feb 11 -- In cities around the world over 2500 singles will participate in a Guinness World Record attempt for the world's biggest speed date event, this Valentine's Day. FastLife Speed Dating will host 19 simultaneous events in cities around the globe, including London, Sydney, Toronto and New York. The event is free for the public to attend; any single night owls that would like to attend need only register on www.fastlife.com and pay the $1 booking fee. FULL ARTICLE @ FASTLIFE

Mark Brooks: FastLife charges $70 and includes free food and drink at events. Predating (part of Cupid.com) charges $39, Hurrydate charges $37, and 8 Minute Dating charges $35. People will pay $70 for speed dating events, just so they can meet other people who are able and motivated enough to pay $70.