We have run hundreds of singles events but it’s a very hard thing to do and it’s a unique skill.  However, sometimes people think it’s easy to run a singles events company. Just get a venue, round up some guests, charge them to come and you’ll be rich in no time. But the reality is it’s just not that simple. We see new singles events companies come and go every few months. Their first party might work because they’ve got all their friends to attend but what happens for the next one?

Party Guests

Most of the large online dating sites have tried events at some point. Match.com used to run Matchlive events and even Dating Direct attempted to run their own events. However, even with their large singles databases they just couldn’t get them to work.  In fact, Dating Direct bought Chemistry who were known for their large mass market events around 2002.  But they soon stopped as they could not keep up the momentum or cover their fixed costs. This is for the simple reason that it’s a very difficult thing to do and they aren’t all that profitable!

If you don’t get the right venues, ratios, staff and activities then you are just asking for trouble. Then you’ve got things like minimum bar spends and advertising to consider. That’s why we are so proud to be in our 8th year of operation. We’ve worked extremely hard to make sure that we get the formula right and that’s why our events are so popular and consistently sell out.  We continue to reinvent ourselves and try new things out.  In 2009 we’ve had new events such as Casino parties, Wine Tastings, Theatre and Comedy Trips, a Manhunt and 2010 will see more exciting new developments. They aren’t always perfect but that’s the nature of dating. We can control everything except the people who attend.

That’s where we need your help. It’s only by you telling your friends about us that we can continue to grow and get even better. So please, spread the word and we promise to try even harder!

James Preece

Dating Expert for SingleSolution.com

Based on a seriously unscientific survey, and an unrepresentative sample size of one, i.e. us, here are our top Ten first date ideas

Here are 10 fantastic ideas, none of which will blow your budget but all of which are likely to get your date relaxed and to reveal more about themselves. Yes, we have left out meeting for a drink, or dinner out, because they are too obvious.

* If you both enjoy art, visit an art museum or attend an art gallery opening. These provide an opportunity for conversation, and art galleries may offer wine and snacks. Even if you don’t love art, this can be a fun date, with the event mostly serving as a backdrop for conversation.

* Watch the stars. Pick a nice evening, sit out on a blanket in the yard, and watch the stars. An afternoon alternative is to watch the clouds. Throw in a picnic and you have a complete date. Just make sure to watch the forecast carefully and have a backup plan in case of a last-minute weather change.

try something different

* Play board games. You can learn a lot about a person from playing a game together. Do they cheat? Pout or get angry if they lose? Enjoy a fun, healthy competition? Just avoid skill-based games if one person had a distinct advantage, such as if one person plays chess and the other doesn’t.

* Go nature hunting. Search for seashells on the beach, hunt for wildflowers in the countryside, or just take pictures of your findings. You can enjoy the beauty of nature and a quiet place to talk. Make sure to pack necessary equipment such as water and appropriate shoes.

* Be creative. Whether you’re making pottery, a scrapbook, a collage, or even colouring with crayons, this can be a fun way to start a relationship. Just don’t pick anything too messy unless you’re prepared with a change of clothes.

* Be active. If you share a common interest, you can go for a jog, go hiking or bicycling, or head to the gym. It’s good for your body, and the endorphins generated will give you a positive feeling about each other. The downside is that you may not look or smell your best after getting all sweaty.

* Feed the birds. Buy a bag of bread, find a park bench near ducks or pigeons, and you’ll be set. It can make you feel like a kid again, which is a great experience for a date. Just try to avoid geese, which can be more aggressive.

* Go for coffee or ice cream. This is a good date when you don’t know someone very well. It’s not expensive, it’s public, and it can be short if you don’t click. You might want a second activity planned in case you do like each other and want to extend the date.

* Go to a garden. Whether it’s a public rose garden or a private garden that offer tours, this is a beautiful place to take a stroll and have a nice conversation. Just make sure that neither of you suffer from allergies, which could put a damper on the outing.

* Cook dinner together. Choose a romantic menu, cook together, then enjoy a candlelight dinner. Cooking together lets you talk while you’re preparing the food. Just don’t choose on overly complicated dish unless you are a very skilled cook. You also don’t want your attention to be too focused on the recipe, so something easy like a grilled steak or a simple pasta dish might be a good choice. Also, this is only for a first date option if you already know the person. Don’t invite a stranger to your home or go alone to a stranger’s house.

Get your date – Start searching now. CLICK HERE

Paul Ergatoudis

Director and date coach for SingleSolution.com

It’s official, Robbie Williams is in love and declared it last week on public television on the Jonathan Ross show. It seems that he has now found the one, and wishes to turn his back on his hedonistic past. This public declaration from one of rock’s bad boys may disappoint thousands of fans, but is a real gesture to her showing warmth and romance.

Ayda Field

The relationship is strong after two years and Williams is keen to make it permanent and is now considering children. However, rumours are about that whilst Ayda loves Robbie she is reluctant to get married. This follows from seeing her Mother divorced twice and the pain that was caused.

We understand that Ayda wants to be with Robbie and is planning to be a stay at home Mum.

Our advice to Robbie is to be patient, but to be aware this issue needs to be resolved. For many people living together and starting a family is the main commitment. Perhaps when the discussions of children become more serious the reluctance to get married will pass. If she loves Robbie, her doubts may be superceded by the need to give children that added security. Alternatively, he could learn to accept her position, for some marriage is just a bit of paper after all, and he has made a public declaration now, of sorts!

Although divorce is painful, the most painful part is the act of breaking up, especially where children are involved. In the case of Robbie Williams and Ayda Field, I’m guessing that financially Robbie has got more at stake financially. If he is keen to tie the knot then maybe she should and will accept that marriage will be the best plan. In our view it seems terribly negative to go into a relationship worrying about how its going to end. Time will tell.

Robbie on the Jonathan Ross show

On Saturday night we celebrated our 5th successful Halloween party in a row.

A big thank you to all 195 people who attended and made it such a great night. We had lots of lovely comments on the night and some by email. Here are some of the best ones. After that we address some of the other feedback given about the party.

“I had a really good time on sat night and met some nice people”
“I really like the Abbey, it is the best venue you use, but then I do live nearby!”
“I’m really enjoying this event, its probably the best one for a while.”
“Yes, I enjoyed it, very good atmosphere too.”
“There were some lovely men around.”

Although we mostly get positive feedback here are some of the issues raised along with our responses.

Q1. Were there more women than men?
A. Not really. There were 108 women and 95 men on the confirmed list. We always get a close 50:50 ratio although this cannot be guaranteed. Our product is our guests and therefore we are subject to outside influences, but we make loads of effort to balance all these factors to get an even ratio.

Q2. We only had one free drink.
A. If we were to include lots of drinks in the ticket price, it would simply mean a higher ticket price, and therefore probably less people. We can negotiate deals for a limited number of drinks but the venue is entitled and needs to make a profit. On Saturday night we had drinks left over.

Q3. The eyeball ice breaker was good but I found another woman with the same number as me?
A. We created a simple ice breaking game with plastic eyeballs with matching numbers. We had lots of duplicates to make it really easy so everyone who made an effort could get their drink. You would therefore find same people with the same number in both sexes.

Q4. Why was the tarot reader fully booked?
A. She was very popular but there was only one Haley, and 200 guests. We always state on the site and in the reminder email sent out the day prior, that activities will get booked up. We advise early arrival. In the future we may offer a pre-booking service for this with a small additional charge. Please let us know your thoughts on this.

Q5. Why was speed dating fully booked?
A. It’s popular. Again with 200 guests its not possible for everyone to take part and we make it clear that its available on a first come first served basis in the reminder email. Generally our speed dating runs very smoothly but with large crowds and alcohol flowing there are going to be some disappointments but these are rare. The general rule is arrive early to be sure of a place.

Q6. I didn’t like the music the band played.
A. The band always play a variety of music, and we get lots of good feedback about them. Sorry, but you just can’t please everyone. We thought they were great.

Q7. It offered no benefit to being in a bar.
A. We offer a relaxed format where singles, who are typically past clubbing age, can come in groups or alone, and know that there will be a very welcoming friendly atmosphere. Everyone is single, there is an even or close to even ratio of men to women, carefully controlled music volume, several mechanisms to help you interact with other guests, events tailored to fairly narrow age bands of around 10-15 years, live music, magician, tarot reader – and that was just this one event! We would not be in our 8th year if our events did not offer benefits over just being in a bar.

Q8. The ‘hosts’ seemed more interested in standing by the bar in the far right corner than mingling with the guests
A. The hosts stood at the bar were managing and handing out the free drinks. We had 7 other hosts who were mingling and coordinating activities. It’s our hosts that make our events different. If you want introductions please ask, as its not always obvious.

We have lots more events coming up. Over the past 8 years we have found that people enjoy the events more the 2nd and subsequent times they attend. We also continually innovate with new ideas to keep things fresh and to attract new people. So we hope to see you again soon. Although, giving you a fun night out is our key objective lots of couples have met through our parties. Keep coming and it could be you.

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