Modern Cupid @ Speed Meet.
I have always been a very curious individual. Usually driven by spontaneity and anti-routines, I restlessly applied to a ‘Speedmeet’ event that was going to happen in Delhi in February. I first saw the ad on Facebook and immediately thought about how this was something I had to do. The event was designed to have single eligible men and women meet each other over food and drinks and see if they click. It was an urban matchmaking model that had recently started in Delhi. It chose beautiful venues, gorgeous city backdrops, great people and a lovely ambience.
I wasn’t very sure about what its like to be a part of it. I perceived it to be mostly exciting, and mildly embarrassing, as it talked of ‘marking sheets’ and ‘6 minute introductions’.
I went for it. Curious. Decked up. It got over after 3 hours of conversation with 16 different men. I loved every bit of it. It had the perfect ingredients for a successful social evening. Great company, freedom to choose, beer, conversations and no obligations. It was exhausting, but I realized that the scope in such an event was massive.
Soon after, I started co-hosting the event. My first event was at Office Office, CP. The venue boasted of a large space and great lighting. I was greeted by a healthy crowd of excited individuals. Waiting, smiling, nervous. They all looked curious. I smiled to myself and quickly helped them seat down and handed them their marking sheets.
The event started half an hour post the slotted time. It was majorly because a few of the participants were late. I got busy trying to track them down and carefully answering queries. This part was particularly fun since it involved welcoming people on-board, setting up the venue and being a part of the bigger picture. :)
During the event, I supervised a coordinated movement of all the single men from one table to another. This was important since this is how we ensure that all the participants meet each other.
The event got over in a couple of hours. The best part of hosting such an event is the feedback. I saw happy people chatting up with each other and then telling me how much they enjoyed being a part of something like this. I also had people telling me that they wanted to come back and refer more friends!
My first experience was not only satisfactory, but also utterly different. There is a beautiful kind of peace in facilitating falling in love. I am in!
