Dating on the go is gaining popularity, and local singles are taking a new approach.
Sharee Lamphere, Amarillo representative for Cupid.com, says pre-dating (also known as speed dating) is ideal for local singles who want to switch things up and expand their dating pool.
"It's a great way to meet people that you wouldn't normally meet, and it's safer than meeting people online," she said. "It's not necessarily the bar scene — it's a little more classy than the bar scene. We promote classy events, and there's no pressure."
Those who participate in speed dating have the opportunity to speak with several prospective matches in one night by spending a brief amount of time with each person.
"The ladies sit down, and the men rotate every six minutes," Lamphere said, adding that the time frame is enough for most people to know if a second conversation is warranted.
"I think it was the perfect amount of time to where you could meet someone and get to know them and know whether or not you want to talk to them anymore," said Stephanie Steelman, a local single who tried speed dating. "You'd be surprised how much information you can get in six minutes."
Steelman recently moved to Amarillo from Beaumont and decided to try pre-dating to meet people in the local area. Although she admits it took a lot of nerve to try speed dating, she said she is thankful she had the opportunity to come out of her shell.
"I think everybody should give it a try just one time just to say you did it. It's not going to hurt you, and you never know — you might meet someone worth seeing," she said.
Steelman said she met three men through pre-dating that she would consider talking to more.
"If it wasn't for this, I would never have met them. Because of what they do for a living and what I do for a living, we would have never crossed paths," she said.
According to Lamphere, each person that participates in a pre-dating event can make notes on a "match card." If two people mutually decide they want to talk a second time or go on a real date, they can make contact through Cupid.com.
Lamphere also offers a match guarantee to those who don't match with anyone. "Then you can come to the next one for free," she said.
An age margin is in place for each event, and Lamphere said the group that tends to be the most interested in speed dating ranges from 27 to 39 years old. However, an event will be hosted in June that that is targeted for a younger audience. Dustin Cantrell is a 22-year-old single who said he looks forward to attending the event.
"I like to meet new people," he said. "I'm not looking to get married next week or anything like that. If it goes somewhere else then it does, and if not then you may have a new friend."
Cantrell said he sees speed dating as a rare opportunity to explore romantic options.
"If it's going bad, you only have a few minutes with them so it's not like you have to cut the date off early or anything like that. Where else are you going to find 10 other people looking to have fun and go on a date? Where else can you do that?" he said.
According to Lamphere, Cupid.com's pre-dating service aims to recruit professionals so "potential duds" are weeded out.
"We try to encourage people who have careers; people who aren't living at home with mom and dad; people who have ambition," she said. "It's a perfect way to meet people who are in the same boat whether they have been divorced or they just went full force into their career, and now they've decided that they want to do the family thing."
There are opportunities in upcoming months to get a taste of this growing trend.
All single professionals ages 35 to 45 are invited to join in at Marty's Dining and Entertainment May 15 at 7 p.m. Bourbon Street Café will host an event for the 45 to 59 age group at 6 p.m. It costs $35 to those who register at least two days in advance at www.pre-dating.com. The cost increases to $40 for those who register later.
The event for the younger age group — ages 20-27 — will be held at Café Bella June 13 at 7 p.m. The cost is $25 to those who register before June 11 and $30 afterwards.
"I think it's definitely reasonable," Cantrell said. "That'd be a dinner somewhere with one person. A night out on the town is going to cost a lot more than that, and you're meeting more than just one person."
For more information, visit www.cupid.com/predating or e-mail amarillo@predating.com.