THE NEWS HERALD -- Feb 25 -- Ashton and Vanboxel met on PlentyofFish.com. Before they tried online dating, they found it pretty tough to meet other singles who shared their interests. There are other ways for singles to meet each other, said Lawrence Morrison, an event coordinator for Cupid.com. Along with speed dating, Cupid.com organizes singles events. "If nothing else, people are out there making a connection even if it's just a friendship." That's exactly what Ann DeMuth wanted to do when she started IndividuALLS, a Lake County-based singles club for people 50+ which does everything from hikes and picnics to dining out and theater.
The full article was originally published at The News Herald, but is no longer available.
Mark Brooks: Singles events are a great way to meet people but are very high workload to organize. Match used to offer Matchlive.com but folded it in 2004. (Full Disclosure: POF is a client of Courtland Brooks, and I was VP of Cupid.com at the time they acquired PreDating.com, the speed-dating arm of Cupid)
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I absolutely believe that a company that mixes both online dating and offline events can be successful. The opportunity is a natural, though admittedly difficult to implement. The offline events give people a chance to meet in a casual environment and even if the "date" doesn't go well, the people still have a good time.
Offline events also extend the LTV of a customer as many people stay doing events far longer than they stay on an online dating site. They do this because they are enjoying the non-dating camaraderie of the people they meet and often make same-sex friends within these groups.
The problem with combining offline and online is that the business process in running an online site and offline events is 180 degrees apart. One is about technology. The other is about personal service and very real human interaction. A company can successfully do both. However, it takes people with different skill sets working together and a long-term vision to make it work.
I've consulted with many highly successful offline dating events companies around the country and many successful online dating companies. It's about time these two got together.
Posted by: Glenn Millar | Feb 26, 2009 at 02:46 PM
Internet dating is proving a much more successful way to find long-term romance and friendship for thousands of people than was previously thought.
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Posted by: Stellathomas | Feb 27, 2009 at 04:50 AM
I totally agree with that. Technology is indeed everywhere. It has become the bridge of meeting new people and constantly makes the relationships tighter.
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