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(Jannet Walsh/Star-Banner)
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Marcia
Winter, of Gainesville, with Pre-Dating Events,
rings a bell to let daters know it's time to meet
another person at Tony's Sushi, Monday evening,
Ocala, FL USA .
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| MORE ON PRE-DATING MORE ON PRE-DATING |
• MORE INFO
For information about Pre-Dating Events and a schedule
of locations, visit www.pre-dating.com. To contact Marcia
Winter, area pre-dating coordinator, call (352) 222-9338
or email her at marcia@pre-dating.com.
Pre-registration required for dating |
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Speed dating
Published July 14. 2004 7:30AM
BY MARIAN RIZZO
SPECIAL TO THE STAR-BANNER
You've heard of whirlwind
courtships? How about six minutes to get to know someone?
Such was the case Monday evening, when 10 women and seven men got
together for a speed dating session at Tony's Sushi Restaurant in
Ocala. Each male spent six minutes talking to each female. For some,
it was an opportunity to make a new friend, someone to get together
with now and then. For others, the goal was for a more serious relationship,
maybe even marriage someday.
Any outcome is possible with speed dating, said Marcia Winter, the
coordinator for Pre-Dating Events in Gainesville and Ocala. The
nationwide speed dating service had its first session in Ocala Monday.
"Even if people haven't met the perfect match, they still have fun,"
Winter said. "In the Gainesville group, we have one couple that
met and are still dating."
Winter said survey cards following an event generally show people
were pleased. One of the most common remarks is that people are
impressed with the caliber of folks that sign up. They basically
are educated professionals who don't have time for other types of
search, Winter said.
Monday's gathering focused on women, ages 42 to 52, and men, ages
46 to 59. All of the gatherings are grouped by age. The women sat
at pre-assigned tables and the men rotated from one to the next,
spending six minutes in conversation with each female. At the sound
of a bell ending each session, there were sighs, the scraping of
chairs and an occasional "Oh darn."
Susan, who did not wish to use her last name, said she found the
service on the Internet and decided to try it out.
"I thought it would be fun," Susan said. "It's like a party. I'm
very shy. It makes me feel like I'm a great conversationalist, like
I can talk to anybody."
Bob Spiegel, of Sparr, spends a lot of time in volunteer work and
doesn't get the opportunity to meet women his age.
"I'm into jazz," he said. "It surprised me that most of the women
I talked to here tonight like jazz. It blew my mind."
Cecil Brownfield lives in Gainesville and participated in a group
there about six weeks ago.
"It was very pleasant," Brownfield said. "You're on an equal playing
field. It's not the bar scene, not meeting in a grocery store. It's
very easy to walk away from or make a connection."
The drawbacks?
"The name tag," Brownfield said. "And, that stupid bell. Six minutes
is too short. With some, you'd like to see it be 60 minutes."
Speed dating started about five years ago in Los Angeles, when a
Jewish rabbi wanted to encourage relationships among single members
of his faith. The concept spread across the nation and caught the
interest of Vince Gelormine, a Fort Lauderdale resident who was
not Jewish. Gelormine saw it as a business venture and as a way
to go beyond personal ads and Internet match sites. He founded Pre-Dating
Events in South Florida in 2001. Today, Pre-Dating Events are held
in 63 cities throughout the nation. It's the largest speed dating
service in the world, Gelormine said.
Sessions are well-organized and casual. They are generally held
in a private area of a restaurant. After spending six minutes with
each person of the opposite gender, participants fill out a match
sheet indicating "match" or "friend" or nothing at all. Within 24
hours the results are passed on, and when the choices are mutual,
further contacts can be made by Internet or telephone.
"Ninety percent of the people attending our events will circle one
or more people," Gelormine said. "That doesn't mean that other person
is going to be interested in them back, and that's when the odds
drop."
Gelormine believes speed dating has become the hottest dating trend
in the country. Recently, he started including an occasional theme
night that focused on specific groups, such as Christian, Jewish
or African-American. The surveys show people like it, he said.
"About 65 percent of people will say that the experience was better
than they thought it would be," said Gelormine. "To me, it is mind-boggling
that I have had such an effect just because I had an idea to start
this company. Just that action has resulted in changing people's
lives for the better. It's kind of overwhelming. I'm responsible
for marriages and stuff and it's mind-boggling to me."
The typical fee for speed dating is $31 to $34, depending on the
city where it's being held. Pre-registration is required, usually
using a credit card. Since there is no screening process, using
a credit card helps track participants, and it adds a sense of security
and comfort for others who sign up, Gelormine said. At each session,
at least one couple will find their match, he said.
"I don't think we ever had a zero percent match rate," said Gelormine.
"We've had a couple that were 100 percent. That's one of those nights
when all the planets are aligned."
Marian Rizzo can be reached at marianrizzo@aol.com.
MORE ON PRE-DATING MORE
ON PRE-DATING
MORE INFO
For information about Pre-Dating Events and a schedule of locations,
visit www.pre-dating.com.
To contact Marcia Winter, area pre-dating coordinator, call (352)
222-9338 or email her at marcia@pre-dating.com.
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