FINDING LOVE OVER 40
On Tuesday, 31st May we hosted another night of our very popular dating events for ages 40-55 at McHughs. As usual we had a full house of attendees with tickets selling out well in advance. As we entered the room where we host our event we were pleasantly surprised to see that McHughs had recently refurbished it. A new lick of paint had made it look like a brand new venue, our excitement to get underway had just increased and we couldn’t wait to get started and meet our guests.
As always when our guests arrived, they were treated to a free glass of Prosecco alongside their ratemydateni pack – everything you need to start the night off along with a little Dutch courage before the dates begin of course…
We started the night around 8pm – I explain how the night works from start to finish so there’s no confusion over how it all plays out – part of this is reminding our guests to make sure they write their own name on the match cards!
We rang the (now) infamous ratemydateni bell and we were off.
After the first date and introductions everybody looked like they were naturals in the dating game – one of the things we pride ourselves on is removing the formality from our events. We want our attendees to feel relaxed so they can enjoy the company of their potential matches in front of them. We always include some dating prompts on each table, so awkward silences rarely happen; however these cues are rarely used as people find themselves getting to know each other through some good old fashioned conversation. A good reminder to all in attendance that everyone is there for the same reason – a great night and a chance at finding that special someone. Laughter and the clinks of drinks ensue…
At our first break we like to mingle and talk to our attendees. Having done speed dating ourselves we love to hear what people think of it in an age where people type more than talk. It was surprising to hear how many people still refuse to use, or never have used dating apps. One of our guests in particular felt that the art of conversation was something that was slowly being lost with each new generation, in fact in the UK alone in is estimated that a whopping 96% of 16-24 year olds own a mobile phone – a stat which makes it hard to disagree with her thinking. Still, it was nice to see the phones put away and the dating apps dismissed. It made me realise that much in the same way Speed Dating has a reputation (especially with those who have never done it) it is clear that dating apps carry a similar notoriety, albeit for very different reasons.
It was also refreshing to hear how broad the range of professions, interests and dating experience our daters came with. For example, we had Travel Agents, Teachers, HR managers, Builders and even Scientists in attendance! Speed Dating really is for everyone and not just for those who struggle to meet people.
After our event we stuck around for some more drinks and some music whilst our guests mingled further. We encourage this where possible as this is an extra chance for our daters to decide if their ticks should be changed from ‘no’ to ‘yes’ …or vice versa.
The next day we sent out the matches to our guests based upon their choices … as our match email states ‘at this point it’s up to you to make the first move’. As well as this we ask our guests for their feedback regarding the event, which they can provide anonymously.
Around 60% of those in attendance responded and here are some of the highlights:
- 88% (of attendees) rated the event as excellent or very good.
- 94% said they were likely to return again.
- 88% said that the event was extremely or very organised.
- ”Great craic, professional delivery’
- ‘Brilliant night with lots of laughs’
- ‘Well done, great job’
It’s this sort of feedback that keeps us doing what we do and why we love hosting our nights.
Our next night is our 25-35 age group on June the 7th back at McHughs, we’re looking forward to another night of mingling and matching.
