What is Speed Dating?
Speed Dating is a scheduled, pre-registered event. It isn't mingling uncomfortably - it is one-on-one time with like singles. Each event is made up of a single demographic having several, chaperoned mini dates in one evening. Each participant has time to shine in a private, one-on-one mini date and you get to have eight (8) mini dates in one evening.

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Why do I have to pay in advance? 
Paying first assures an equal number of men to women and you meet as many dates as possible. It is our way of guaranteeing you at least 8 singles per event.  We were recently featured in The Virginian-Pilot click here and in 7Cities.com click here. We couldn't have done it without the help of our participants. So for that, we thank you!! As we try to expand our market presence, please refer to our Upcoming Events for updates on new speed dating events.

Speed Dating Article

Carlynn Pearson
7 Cities

February 16, 2007

HAMPTON -- So we've all seen it in the movies. From Hitch to National Lampoons Animal House, it seems like speed dating is everywhere. But what exactly is this metropolitan trend really about?

This past weekend I had the chance to observe this wildly popular dating phenomenon at McFadden's during their Last Call for Love promotion.

As soon as McFadden's patrons stepped inside, signs with arrows reading 'this way to speed dating' attempted to attract singles to arranged tables marked reserved in the back of the venue.

The setting and ambiance were perfect. There music was good, and the bar was packed with plenty of energetic people. But one issue remained--finding speed daters.

Being that it was McFadden's first time hosting a speed dating event, the restaurant/saloon decided to offer the usually pre-registered event for free--as somewhat of a dating experiment.

An hour after literally rounding up potential daters, speed dating hosts Extraordinary Encounters had finally gathered sixteen willing participants who unassumingly labeled themselves "single and ready to mingle."

At the instruction of the speed dating hosts, participants sat paired directly across from one another. At the sound of a bell, the dating free for all began. The rules are simple. Every person goes on eight mini-dates for five minutes each. At the end of the five minutes, each male gets up and moves on to the next girl.

I must admit, I was quite intrigued by this alternative to conventional dating. Although I turned down the opportunity to participate--because it was an older crowd--I must say that speed dating is definitely something I would attempt. The possibility of dating eight men within forty minutes seems crazy--but an experience worth trying.

I am not sure I would pay the $25 to participate, but for males it might be a good idea. Getting the opportunity to date eight girls, without having to pay for dinner and a movie might sound too good to be true.

And let's not forget the ladies. Speed dating helps women steer clear of the many disasters associated with dating. Avoiding bad blind dates, first date jitters, and the dreaded good night kiss may just be enough to entice women to consider speed dating. One of the most appealing aspects of the process was that it eliminated awkwardness and maintained dating confidentiality.

As daters wrapped up their last mini-dates and closed off conversations with hand-shakes and simple goodbyes, it wasn't altogether clear if any love connections were made. However, this speed dating group all seemed to go away satisfied that they tried something new, while getting the opportunity to meet interesting people in the process.

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Getting to Know You Article

Tell-All Sites Put Online Dater Profiles to Truth Test
By Sandy Fernandez
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, May 30, 2005; Page C01

Online dating traditionally has been a pretty solitary affair: just you and your computer, flipping through profiles with the hope that somewhere, typing away, there's someone else who enjoys Montecristo sandwiches, the Faint, and late-night viewings of "Aqua Teen Hunger Force."

You have no wingman amusing her friends barside as you chat up the cute brunette in nerdy glasses. No reassurances from your cousin that her neighbor, though a little strait-laced, is "a really nice guy." And if that athletic 28-year-old you've been e-mailing turns out to be a dumpy, married 35-year-old, no recourse but to go back online and try again.

But now you can roast 'em on one of a handful of new Web sites that are making it their business to let users review their online dates.

"This dater takes great photos, but when you meet face to face, he's small and skinny. The face is the same, but none of his photos show his true size," says a typical posting.

Singles, be afraid. Be very afraid.

One of the sites creating the biggest buzz is Truedater.com, which launched in January and claims, says co-founder Mark Geller, "tens of thousands" of users so far. On Truedater (which features the quote used above), visitors can input online identities from four dating sites -- market leaders Match.com, American Singles and Yahoo Personals, plus the more nichey Jewish site JDate-- and search for reviews that'll tell them if, say, Lovinit62 isn't quite the six feet he claimed, or if Cutedoctor14 seems longer in the tooth than 32.

Helpful links take you to the target's profile with a button click. Users can also post anonymously, under an online name (Truedater advises people not to repeat the handle they date under). The site's basic question: whether the person reviewed is a "truedater," i.e., truthful in his or her self-portrayal.

"What we're trying to do is create a system of feedback, so people understand that they can't just get away with lying," says Geller, a veteran of online dating. "Our real goal is a