In general Speed Dating involves a group of men and woman rotating and enjoying timed 3-8 minutes mini dates with each other. When their time is up, a bell may ring and they go to the next person to start a new mini date. After everyone has met and mingled for 3-8 minutes, the participants prepare a list of those people whom they would like to be provided with their contact information to. If there is a match, both parties are given each other’s contact information. During the actual Speed Dating, the participants are not allowed to exchange their contact information. This rule just keeps the selection and the rejection process for when you are not in a participant’s face.

Speed Dating has spread to the US and the UK, since the original Speed Dating event in 1988 in Beverly Hills. There are various specific types of Speed Dating designed to suit the needs of various singles. For instance there are events organized for specific people who share common interests, backgrounds, hobbies and preferences. Speed Dating can be a very customized and formalized method of matchmaking.

There are several advantages of Speed Dating. For instance, it is quick, easy and efficient for people who have limited time and money to invest in finding a meaningful relationship. Also for certain professionals, it is very appealing, as it solves the issue of them having minimum social exposure to meet people in their corporate settings. Speed Dating also put men and women on equal grounds to mutually initiate conversation making nobody the prime aggressor on the date, which makes it fairer.

Also, if a person is shy, it gives them the opportunity to overcome this in a rotating, timed date scenario. It is also appealing to people to have a time limit to the date in the event that they don’t like the person and want to gracefully move onto the next person without anyone feeling rejected. On the topic of rejection, this does not happen face to face as mentioned and so it makes the participants more comfortable in making their selections of which they like or dislike.

Finally, Speed Dating generally insures that the participants are actually single due to the registration and screening process before it all starts. Bars and other places to meet people tend to not offer that same type of certainty in a person’s relationship status. In conclusion, Speed Dating lends itself to being a fun group activity for men and women, in which they can perhaps meet the love of their life.