Tag: Featured News

Global Love Report – June 9, 2021
A translated article by Pamela Stephanie

In the abandoned Vetex factory in Kortrijk, more than 100 Kortrijk residents came together in person in order to look for love. This happened through corona-safe speed dates during the Sinksenfeesten festival.

“During the times of Corona dating is not so simple. That’s why we try to give the people a helping hand,” stated Kelly’s en Tim’s Relatiebureau.

The Sinksenfeesten in Kortrijk had a hard time this year due to Corona safety measures and the bad weather. But in the abandoned Vetex fabric factory, more than a hundred Kortrijk residents came together in person to speed date, in smaller groups of about 25 each. The candidates chat briefly in pairs at a table and then move on to the next participant.

“The aim is to get to know new people with whom you can enter into a relationship. It can be that you will walk the dog together or just to go out for a night, but it can also be a romantic relationship,” said Kelly of Kelly’s en Tim’s Relatiebureau. “Based on the information that they filled out in our digital friends’ book, we look for people that match with each other. We then invited them for a speed dating session.”

Whether couples are created after a speed date is not certain. “But we think that there is at least 1 match among the candidates,” laughed Kelly and Tim.

To read the original article (in Dutch), please click here.

Original article written by VRT NWS.

(Image source: Pexels, cottonbro)

Global Love Report – June 9, 2021
A review article by Pamela Stephanie

Proxy matchmaking or omiai events held for parents with unmarried adult children has happened in Japan since 2005. These events are specifically geared for parents with unmarried children who wish to find a match for their child.

The organizers of these proxy matchmaking events assign the parents a number when they register. And each parent holds a “roster” that lists each person’s number along with basic information about the person’s child. The information includes, age, height, hobbies, marital history, and details on their ideal partner.

Parents speak to other parents to exchange information regarding their own child. After a conversation describing each child, the parents who feel their son and daughter would be a good match will exchange personal information called “personal statements”. These include the child’s name, photograph, as well as their contact information.

One reason why some parents attend these proxy matchmaking events is because they believe that information exchanged on the internet may not be real. So, they believe that online matchmaking may not work out. In fact, one parent stated he felt safe at the event because he could hear from other parents.

These events are held by the Association of Parents of Marriage Proposal Information. They have held over 500 of these events throughout Japan since 2005 with 40,000 participants. The organizers hold these events because they believe that while people know their own good qualities, they may be blind to their bad qualities. They believe parents are more objective and can speak honestly about their child’s bad qualities.

Please read the full article to know more about these proxy matchmaking events. Click here to read more.

Original article written by The Mainichi.

(Image source: Unsplash, Brit Gaiser)

Global Love Report – June 9, 2021
A review article by Pamela Stephanie

Anuradha Gupta’s Vows for Eternity is a bespoke matchmaking agency that offers personalized service for “global millennials”. They have offices in Bombay, New Delhi, and London, with their headquarters in New York.

According to Gupta, her clients have spent their time on their education, their careers, and have not had the time to find their match. But these clients have thought things through and deemed it the right time for them to find someone. And this is where Vows for Eternity can help them.

As for the types of services they offer, they have different member tiers, with premium membership being designed for professionals who will be helped by the team at Vows for Eternity. However, it is Gupta herself who will do the search for those in their “Privilege Suite”, being there with the client through all the steps.

For the full interview with Anuradha Gupta, please click here.

Original article written by She The People.

(Image source: Pexels, Asad)

Global Love Report – June 2, 2021
A translated article by Pamela Stephanie

To find a date has been a lot more difficult now that we haven’t been able to go to the restaurant, the pub or the club for months. That’s what Ilse Jespers has noticed. That’s why the matchmaker from Breda came up with a new initiative: she drives singles around in a car on the street to look for “the one”.

Next level flirting, that’s what Ilse is calling the concept. She drives around in a black car with red hearts, in search of singles on the streets. In the backseat is a single man or woman who wants to be matched.

Driving around for an hour

“Beforehand, I do an intake interview with each candidate to find out what he or she is looking for,” Ilse tells EditieNL. “Based on this, we draw up a profile. Then we plan a trip of one hour. We do this in the candidate’s hometown.”
When the bachelor/bachelorette sees a potential date Ilse drives over there, opens the window and a sign appears with the question: are you single? If the answer is yes, then a second sign is taken out: am I your type?

Fishing Rod

If that question is answered positively, a long fishing rod appears where a business card of the dating agency is handed over. “The passerby can then look up the candidate’s profile on my website to see more information, and can report to me if they’re interested. Then I screen the messages to see if there are any matches.”

Yesterday, the 36-year-old matchmaker had the first two rides: one with Stijn (27) and one with Kiki (30). “The people on the street responded very nicely. For the candidates it might be strange to talk to someone this way, but you get used to it quickly and because you are sitting in a car, it feels fairly anonymous.”

Pleasant Ride

People laughed a lot in the card, according to Ilse. “We kept shouting, ‘Hey, that’s another one, we have to go there!’ But sometimes that person turns out not be a match at all when they turned around,” she said. “It’s just funny.”
The new concept is an accessible way to meet potential dates, according to Ilse. “I notice that young people find it very difficult during corona. All of the people that they see, they know: family, coworkers and maybe a neighbor. But where can you find a new partner?”

Outside Brabant

Although her company is called Matchmaker Brabant, people from other provinces can also register for a car ride. “I live in Breda but can easily go somewhere. Only Groningen and Friesland would be difficult, at best, If I receive several registrations there I can combine them.”

To read the original article (in Dutch) on this new matchmaking tactic of driving clients around their hometown, please click here.

Original article written by RTL Nieuws.

(Image source: Pexels, Jan Baborak)

Global Love Report – June 2, 2021
A review article by Pamela Stephanie

Japan’s biggest dating app has been hacked. The Omiai hack occurred in April, according to Net Marketing Co, the company in charge of running the app.

Omiai is one of Japan’s most popular app, with almost 2 million accounts. Women are able to create an account for free on the app. However, men have to pay for a monthly subscription of approximately $37 in order to access the app.

One of the biggest concerns of the hack is that among the data in the servers are photographs of users’ identification, which ranges from drivers’ licenses to insurance cards.

To read the full article on the Omiai Hack, please click here.

Original article written by Bloomberg.

(Image Source: Pexels, Pixabay)

Global Love Report – June 2, 2020
A review article by Pamela Stephanie

People have largely adjusted to dating through Zoom or through the use of websites and dating apps. However, in the post-vaccination, and hopefully post-pandemic world, people have been hesitant to date.

The transition from online dating to offline dating has been awkward for some. Others have found that being social is more difficult than before.

But though the fear to date may be relevant and real, dating coach Damona Hoffman advised that people should just get back into things. Because you’re not alone in feeling this way and the best way to not be hesitant to date is to go for it. “You just have to start.”

To read the full article, please click here.

Original article written by Georgia Public Broadcasting.

(Image source: Pexels, Samson Katt)

Global Love Report – May 25, 2020
A review article by Pamela

Speed dating in the pandemic seems like an impossibility. However, that is not the case for Hugh Redmond, a matchmaker with 15 years of experience in the business.

He is the owner of 2CONNECT, an agency that provides matchmaking and coaching, and that also arranges dating events. When every day activities had to change because of the pandemic, Redmond made sure that his company would still be able to run its speed dating events.

By pairing up with a programmer from Belgium, his company created a platform for virtual speed dating. Each date is assigned to a room with a six minutes time limit. At the end of each day, each party is asked to rate the date before the next date will start with a new person.

Thanks to this innovative idea of speed dating in the pandemic, he saw the traffic to his website increase by 200%. He mentioned that interest in his matchmaking and coaching services have greatly increased in the last six months.

For more information, read the full article here.

Original article written by RTE.

(Image source: Pexels, Cottonbro)

Global Love Report – May 26, 2020
A review article by Pamela

The answer to the question, “What are the best cities in the US for singles,” has been answered. At least, according to MyDatingAdviser.com.

The website recently released the best and worst cities for singles in the US, according to their grading criteria. The cities are scored based on four different criteria: Population Attributes, Romance, Quality of Life and Affordability.

They also look at different metrics to weigh in on each criterion. Some metrics include: marriage rate, cost of dinner for two, average salary, and others.

The number one city for singles in the US is Lincoln, Nebraska. In second and third places are: New Haven, Connecticut and Buffalo, New York.

So, what do these rankings mean for you, as a matchmaker?

Matchmakers based in cities that have a smaller singles population yet rank well in romance, quality of life, and affordability ranks can use this as an opportunity to entice clients to look outside their city for their match(es).

Clients who are initially reluctant to date outside of their own city may find that a more affordable city with better public transport or even one with a better marriage rate is better than one with a larger potential dating pool.

Those who are already in cities with a sizeable singles population would generally not have any issues with finding matches for their clients. But they can also take this opportunity to draw clients in surrounding areas who are perhaps looking for a more specific match.

For to view the complete list of best cities in the US for singles and the methodology used, read the full article here.

Original article written by MyDatingAdviser.com

(Image source: Unsplash, Ethan Hu)

Global Love Report – May 25, 2020
A review article by Pamela

A new Dating Academy in the UK, located in Basingstoke in Hampshire, is ready for new students. The facility’s director, Carrie Lorenz, founded the academy with the aim to help singletons work on themselves first in order to become successful in dating. Lorenz based her teaching on things that she learned herself while she was trying to date.

Lorenz established the Dating Academy for the “everyday person” who is struggling to find love. She wished to make the knowledge she obtained accessible for people unable to afford one-on-one coaching.

The Academy offers seminars and workshops on a number of topics such as communications and empowerment, as well as self-love and sexual confidence.

Please read the Full Article for more information on the new Dating Academy in the UK.

Original article written by the Basingstoke Gazette

(Image source: Unsplash, M. Monk)

Global Love Report – April 28, 2020
A review article by Adrina

Since the pandemic, dating no longer involves going to bars and flirting casually with strangers. This has resulted in Singles becoming more intentional and selective about who they date. Physical appearance, while still important, is no longer a determining factor. What is more important right now is a person’s communication skills and personality. 

Matchmakers, Dating Coaches and Dating Apps have all experienced a surge in clients since the pandemic started, with most noticing that their members are now more concerned with long-term compatibility. There are less distractions and limitations to socializing these days. Essentially, no one wants to be stuck with someone whom they cannot enjoy interesting conversations with. 

Bustle covers the full story here.

(Image source: Pexels, Katerina Holmes)