By TV9 News Anchor/Reporter Renee Chou

Single professionals in Eastern Iowa will soon have the chance to find romance in eight minutes.

Originating from the East Coast, "8Minute Dating" will host its first event in Cedar Rapids on Tuesday, January 14th, at Brick's Bar and Grill.

It works like this: Men and women are paired off for a one-on-one conversation. After eight minutes, a bell rings, and the participants go to their next table for another eight-minute conversation. Each participant will have eight, eight-minute conversations by the end of the night.

Organizer Susie Hamilton says 8Minute Dating is a hip new way for singles to meet. "We figure that in eight minutes, you can decide whether you would like to talk to a person again," says Hamilton.

Melissa Baker of Mount Vernon has signed up for the event. "Who knows? If a romantic connection came out of it, great, but right now, I just want to meet some other people and develop a new circle of friends," says Baker. "Because after you get out of college, it's kind of hard to meet people your age, unless you're at work."

For a fee of $28.88, the participants receive a dating card. After each "date," participants record the names of the people they talked to, and whether they want to see that person again for dating, friendship, or business. After the event, the participants will all log onto a website to enter the info. When two participants are interested in meeting each other again, the website automatically sends e-mails to both parties with their contact information. If the participant receives no match, he/she can attend the next 8minute Dating event for free.

Hamilton says she hopes to plan an 8Minute Dating event once a month for the Cedar Rapids-Iowa City area.

Single professionals can register for the January 14th by going to the Special Newslinks section here on KCRG.com

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