A Sault Ste. Marie woman is organizing a night where singles can meet each other in person instead of on dating apps.
Alysha Jordbro has a fun evening planned next month when she will host Resolution Romance Speed Dating with 30 local singles at Mane Street Cafe and Lounge.
Jordbro decided to organize a speed dating event after noticing that meeting people in real life is almost non-existent now.
“Most people rely on online dating to find their partner and it’s often not successful . . . it can take a really long time,” she said in an interview with SooToday.
She recently created the No Swipe Society Facebook page as a way to promote speed dating events.
Jordbro said she came up with the idea after hearing friends describe how difficult it is to meet people in Sault Ste. Marie -- with online dating as the only option.
The Resolution Romance Speed Dating night is recommended for people who are between 30 and 45 years old.
“It is going to be set up like speed dating in the movies. There will be 15 tables that everyone gets to rotate between so you get about three minutes with each person.
“Every table will have some conversation starters to help the conversation flow,” Jordbro said.
Each participant will receive a card with everyone’s name on it. After speaking with each person, you check off ‘yes’ or ‘no’ if you’re interested in seeing them again.
“This will eliminate the pressure of having to ask anyone for their number or if they are interested in going on a date,” she said.
There will be a break mid way through for people to mingle and at the end of the night they will turn in their date cards.
“Within a day or two I will reach out to everyone to share their matches and contact information, then it’s up to them to set up their first date,” Jordbro said.
She said there will be no pressure or judgment because "everyone will be there for the same reason, looking to hopefully find their person."
"The advantages of meeting someone in person are possibly experiencing a spark, if there’s chemistry right away," she said.
"Being able to read non-verbal cues through body language, or overall demeanour can really give you a good feel of someone right away.
"And as human beings, we all need genuine social interactions, meeting in person can also encourage people to be their true selves, which can be challenging when communicating online."
Jordbro was also inspired to organize this event by her background in behaviour therapy.
This is her first event, but she’s hoping to organize more speed dating events.
“Hopefully it’s a success because I’m already planning more events for different age groups like 21-plus, 50-plus, and adults on the autism spectrum,” Jordbro said.
Tickets for the Jan. 25 event are around $33, which includes a drink ticket, and are available here.
As of Thursday night, all tickets for women are sold out and there were some tickets left for men. There is also a waiting list in case people decide they can't attend after all.