Anyone been speed dating?

Mitchell175 and FairOne--

I don't understand (and I haven't been speed dating, but am considering it). If you aren't actually dating anyone from these events (please correct me if I'm wrong on this), what made it worthwhile for you? Isn't the point to get dates? I feel like I'm totally missing something.

Thanks for your response. Let me clarify a little.

Online dating does lead to dates. I understand that nothing is 100%, but I don't know anyone who got dates from speed dating. So, from my perspective, it seems the success rate for actual dates is 0%. Having never done it, I was just trying to figure out if I was missing something or possibly even the bigger picture.

Basically, in terms of potential experiments to consider this year, I'm trying to figure out if it should it be high on my list or low? Sounds like it's not bad...but not better than attending all the other cocktail mixers, lectures, dinners, etc. that groups I belong to set up...except at these other events I walk away with a new perspective on some topic or other, since they invariably have some expert speak on some relevant subject, and yes, on occasion a date.

I can see your point. And in some senses online dating is "better" because you can see who you are going to be dating up front, instead of leaving it totally up to fate on who you might be paired with that night. Speed Dating takes away that element of "choice", and replaces it with "chance". Especially if you fall outside the "norm" - if you're taller or shorter or fatter or thinner or whatever than the average dater - you might not meet anyone at a SD event who you could legitimately end up dating.

I haven't had great success with online dating. Sure, online dating has led to some dates, but not as many as I would have hoped. Speed Dating has never led to a date, but I've only been to 2 events, and met with 8 different guys at each event. Compare that to the thousands of potential profiles you might encounter on any dating site. SD offers a very small sample size, so the odds are not in your favor.

But, as they say, it only takes one. Who's to say that I couldn't meet someone at a SD event? Or online? Or at Church? Or in the grocery store? Or anywhere that people congregate?

Because I have no idea where I might meet someone, I like to explore different avenues, 'cause you never know. For that reason, if I get the chance to attend another SD event, I probably will. Not because I am guaranteed to meet someone at the event - but I could.

Fantastic answer!!!! This should be a sticky

I don't think that speed dating has a 0% success rate and not sure where you got that from Emma....

As mentioned...until we are married....we are always searching and hoping and putting ourselves out there and looking everywhere for that next date that may lead us to that wonderful partner

I didn't say "has," I said "it seems the success rate is zero." I don't know the actual success rate because my denominator from comments I've heard is relatively low. Neither Mitchell nor FairOne dated anyone when they went. None of my friends who have attended these events over the years have dated anyone either. There may be other benefits, besides dates, that one gets from attending these events. I was also interested in understanding what some of these might be for a single woman.

Personally, since time is limited, if the primary purpose of an activity is to find dates, I try to prioritize those with the most promising potential.