Forget online apps Tinder or Plenty of Fish, a newish way to potentially meet the love of your life in the flesh is again exploding in popularity on the Sunshine Coast.
And for those participating, it might just mean finding comfort with the love of your dreams for the festive season.
The safe and fun way to meet a new romantic interest has been around for some time but has recently experienced a resurgence in the region and is already gaining in popularity – it’s speed dating.
As a consequence, the latest Sunshine Coast speed dating night will be held this Saturday, in what co-founder Marie Celere hopes will result in some new matches and love blossoming just in time for Christmas.
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“Speed dating is a much better way than doing online dating, where you can be chatting for weeks until you meet up,” Ms Celere explained.
“It’s like a dating experience like Tinder, but in the flesh,”
“At least this way you meet up and if you don’t gel with that person that’s okay, you just continue trying your luck.”
If anyone gets nervous the hosts will bust out the ice breaker cards, but Ms Celere said they had barely been needed in past events.
“People just seem to feel at ease, which is really good,” she said.
Ms Celere spearheaded the event with her friend Julie Callingham, after they identified a need for it in the region.
“There is nothing really here for us,” she said.
“If you go onto the dating apps, most people are in Brisbane … it is just a great way to spend a fun social Saturday night and have a good time.
“If you don’t meet the love of your life, you will definitely make some friends.”
She said the popularity of the new event was “shocking”.
“The interest and response has been truly shocking. We are doing an event a month now, but next year we are going to aim for twice a month,” she said.
“We are finding that every time we host an event, people say, ‘Oh I wish I had of known, I would have come along’.”
Saturday’s event is fittingly themed for Christmas and will see 15 males and 15 females between the ages of 50 to 65 sit down and have a drink and a casual chat for several minutes.
A bell will ring to signal time for each person moves to the next, until the hosts call a break and raffles are drawn for the speed daters.
There are also mystery games throughout the night such as human bingo. Once the dates are all completed, the hosts’ will tally the dating ballot cards.
If there is a double mutual match – just like Tinder – the hosts will send both parties a text saying, ‘you’ve just matched with so and so, here’s their number – good luck’.
While this Saturdays’ event is nearly full, Ms Celere said there is a fun mixed-ages event in January followed by an event specifically for the LGBTQI community.
After hosting their first major double event in September, the co-founders started up the Speed dating Sunshine Coast Facebook page so people could easily find out when events were on.
Since October 1, the page already has 282 members.
“It’s a really good sign and we hope to see the movement grow.”
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