Six Degrees Speed Dating Service

Posted by Saucy Sexy on September 15th, 2005 filed in Mixing Sexes |

An out of town jaunt of seven friends who all happened to be single led to a discussion about the single scene and how to spice it up. Previous encounters such as singles parties were found wanting, and the fact that other friends had engaged in the more satisfying speed dating service in the United States and the UK led the group of friends to seriously but animatedly discuss the possibility of putting up the same service here.

And voila, with the theory that everyone’s somehow interrelated by six degrees, the Six Degrees speed dating service was born.

Backed up by sponsors such as Miller Beer, Arctic Vodka, Summit Water, and Virgin Cola, the service is being offered every first and third week of the month at the Somerset Millennium Suites near Greenbelt in Makati. Its location makes it centralized enough for its guests, but more importantly, provides privacy.

The Sign-Up Process

Since its inception in January 2005, Six Degrees has enjoyed referrals from its previously satisfied guests, and forms the main bulk of their business. Special events, such as the one I observed, can also be arranged. Cosmopolitan and FHM have already hired the group to hold its own private speed dating sessions, as well as the Ms. Philippines candidates. On the night I attended, a group of Filipino-Chinese men and women were the attendees.

The sign-up process starts with a call to their assistant Cris at 0917.8538168. According to Genevieve Lao, one of the partners, the most common concern seems to be the age of the other guests. Although there is no age limit, the ages of the guests range from 20-35 years old.

The next step is a visit to their website Six Degrees Events, which lists the schedule and frequently asked questions, and, where a guest can fill up an information sheet with such details such as his/her name, residence and email addresses, contact numbers, occupation, hobbies, and then submitted online. (Don’t worry, the information is for their files only, and will not be divulged to any one unless you say so.) Of course, Six Degrees cannot verify the veracity of the information that was given, but must assume that everyone has been forthcoming.

After the guest picks a date that is convenient for him/her, the guest is asked to deposit the full amount of P800 to their bank account.

The Speed Dating Night

The next concern of most guests seems to be what to wear that night. Casual chic seemed to be the mode of the night that I went, with both sexes mostly wearing slacks or pants, and a dressy top/polo shirt.

The affair usually starts at 7pm, with the two genders separated by a bar that also acts as a divider. Dinner is buffet style with 3-4 viands, rice, dessert and unlimited drinks from the aforementioned sponsors–Miller Beer, Arctic Vodka, Summit Water, and Virgin Cola.

At around 8:30pm, there is a brief talk to remind the guests about the activity rules, and then the ladies are led to their assigned seating areas, which are spread out over the lounge, and their first speed dating partners are asked to sit opposite them.

When the bell is rung, the pair is given 3 minutes to get acquainted before it is rung again to signal the end of their tête-� -tête. The gentlemen exchange places, and another round of private conversation with a new partner begins for everybody. This version of musical chairs continues until every one has the chance to talk to all the people who have attended.

To keep track of all the people they meet, all the guests are given mini-folders where they can mark with a yes or no the individual they would like to get to know better. To facilitate the process, everyone is assigned a number for that particular evening.

Realizing that talking to approximately 15-25 people continuously can be quite tiring, a 15 minute break is provided midway, before it resumes. The whole process can take an hour to an hour and a half, depending on the number of attendees.

The Aftermath

At the end, the two sexes are separated again so that they can go over their choices. To help them make sure that their numbers are correct, pictures that were taken at the beginning of the event are projected onto a wall so that everybody can check their notes.

The mini-folders are submitted and a quick tally by the computers produce the results that are given afterward to the guests, most of whom opt to open their documents immediately, so they can go out right after the event with the people who are mutually interested in getting better acquainted with them, i.e. contact numbers and email addresses will only be given out to those people who both said yes to getting to know each other better. So if one guest said yes, but the other said no, then the contact information will not be provided.

My Thoughts on the Matter

This alternative mode of meeting people requires a person to be open minded with a dash of adventurous spirit, because it is quite risky to put oneself in a situation where you’re surrounded by strangers mostly.

If you’re also looking for a way to force yourself to come out of your shell, this may be the perfect activity for you because a one-on-one conversation is manageable, versus being overwhelmed by a group setting where the more outgoing people will probably dominate the discussion.

Nevertheless, do remember that the information provided to you can be falsified. Be open enough to trust what has been put forward, but definitely take it with a grain of salt. Be honest yourself and present your real self, it may be your best and courteous side, but still the real you. I think people will intuitively feel if you’re comfortable in your own skin and will be more drawn to you if you are.

In the event that you decide to pursue this right after the event, to be more assured of your safety, I would strongly suggest that you go to public places and provide your own mode of transportation as much as possible. It wouldn’t hurt to persuade a friend to do the speed dating activity along with you, and then do a sort of double date after.

However, don’t expect to meet Mr. or Ms. Right here, otherwise, you might set yourself up for a disappointment. Instead, as the Six Degrees slogan says, expect to meet new friends and activity partners. According to another Six Degrees partner, Diana Ty, on the average, most of the guests find out that at least half of the opposite gender are interested in them too.

Related Posts

Cosmopolitan Men! vs. FHM Search for the Girl Next Door 2005 Issues
For Him– Pick Up Girls with a Wingwoman
FHM Search for the Girl Next Door 2005 Terms
FHM Search for the Girl Next Door 2005
Cosmopolitan Magazine Printed Sexcapade #1