Finding Love in 8minutes FlatThen Wilmot heard about 8minuteDating and discovered that in one single evening she could have eight dates with eight different men-which was more than the number of dates she had in 2000 total! 8minuteDating is an exciting, fun and pressure-free way for singles to meet other singles in the Boston area. Through 8minuteDating, participants will meet eight other singles and enjoy one-on-one conversations that last eight minutes each. At each 8minuteDating event, an equal number of men and women meet at a restaurant or nightclub to get to know one another in a relaxed atmosphere. To start the event, everyone puts on a nametag that has his or her first name only - you don't disclose your last name or phone number. For each round of dating, the men and women pair off for one-one-one conversations that last eight minutes. After eight minutes, the host rings a bell and calls out where the men are supposed to sit for their next round of dating. At this point, everyone confidentially writes a check mark on their "Dating Card" - either in the yes column, if they'd like another date, or in the no column if they're not interested in meeting again. The men then move to their next assigned table to meet their next date. The process continues until everyone has had eight dates. After the event, participants log onto the website: www.8minuteDating.com, and enter the names of the people they're interested in seeing again. If two people enter each other's names, then the website automatically e-mails them with the name, phone number and e-mail address of the other person. At that point, it's up to them to set up another date. In addition to the 8 rounds of one-on-one dates per event, there are other opportunities for everyone to meet Mr. or Ms. Right as well. After four rounds of dates there's a 20-minute intermission, and after the event, people can stay to mingle. These are the times in which participants can get to know that special someone they may have had their eye on but didn't get to meet during their rounds of dating. 8minuteDating was founded by Tom Jaffee, an entrepreneurial-minded person who saw a need and decided to provide a solution. By day, he heads a company called WinStruct.com, The No-Brainer Trainer, which produces computer training CD-ROMs and videos. By night, he's a self-professed Cupid. Quick to say that he is single himself, Jaffee grew tired of the bar scene and figured others were looking for a better alternative, as well. "It's hard for single people to meet new people to date." Jaffee said. He continued, "Right now, where can you go? A bar? A dance club? I'm not a big fan of the smoky bar scene and I think a lot of other people feel the same way." So Jaffee formed 8minuteDating.com. So far, the response to his innovative new idea has been phenomenal. For example, according to statistics compiled at the organization's website (www.8minuteDating.com) over 99% of attendees reported that they enjoyed their evening of 8minuteDating. Of that number 81% said they had a "very good" or "excellent" time. 96% of attendees said they would attend another 8minuteDating event and 95% said they would recommend 8minuteDating to others. Phil from Newton was one of the extremely satisfied participants. Phil attended an 8minuteDating event at the Atlantic 101 Restaurant in Boston. He met eight different women and wrote down on his dating card that he would like to see one particular woman again. Lucky for him, she also marked him down as someone she'd like to see again, too. So 8minuteDating e-mailed them one another's contact information. Phil and his date went out together five times in the 2 weeks following their meeting at 8minuteDating. Are they an official couple now? Phil said it's too soon to tell where the relationship is going but he's definitely excited to find out. "8minuteDating worked for me," he said. "I never would have met Susan if I didn't go to the event so I have to say, I'm pretty satisfied with the whole experience." Of course, not all eight-minute dates turn into future relationships. Wilmot, who met eight different men at her event, did not meet anyone she felt a strong enough connection to consider pursuing further. However she stresses that the experience itself was enjoyable and that she is planning to attend a future 8minuteDating event. "It was definitely a great time," she said. "Although I didn't meet anybody I want to date, I met a lot of nice people at the event, and I even met a woman who I'm now becoming friends with. When you're single in your thirties, you tend to lose your single friends to relationships, so finding a new friend was a nice side benefit." For those singles planning on relocating to other cities in the US, you're in luck, at least as far as 8minuteDating goes. "We're rolling 8minuteDating events out around the country, even around the world," Jaffee said. "Our website automates the processing that's required to organize 8minuteDating events in cities all over the world. That way our Event Organizers can focus on making sure everyone has a great time." Jaffee also noted that if anyone is interested in becoming an Event Organizer, they can go to www.8minutedating.com and click on the "Become an Event Organizer" button to get more information. |