NEW YORK TIMES - May 8 - Matchmakers are seeing higher demand for advice and coaching services now that drinks and dinner are on hold. Lisa Clampitt is a founder and president of the Matchmaking Institute, which holds conferences and provides training for industry professionals, said ~80% of matchmakers now offer coaching services. Dating hasn't decreased because of the coronavirus. It has actually increased. But the method has shifted online. Maria Avgitidis, a fourth-generation matchmaker in Manhattan who has set up 3,5K first dates and said she is responsible for ~ 200 marriages, ramped up the coaching part of her business, Agape Match, in 2018. Coaching clients, who pay $10K and up for a program called "Dating Refresh," get four months of help curating their online profiles and winnowing suitors, plus a makeover and photo shoot. "Coaching is where we've become quite innovative," she said. "People have questions on how to navigate dating during quarantine, and we've made ourselves available to answer those questions." This happens through a free weekly webinar called "Ask a Matchmaker Live." She is also hosting group coaching programs; $350 buys a five-session package. Janis Spindel, the founder of Serious Matchmaking, also arranges dates through Zoom and FaceTime.
by Tammy Le Gorce
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