This story first appeared in the winter/spring edition of Eat Play Stay | Canberra & Riverina. You can view it online here.
A quiet revolution is happening in the dating world. People are putting down their phones, closing their apps, and in many cases, travelling hours across the country just to meet that special person.
Part of this movement are events hosted by Merge Dating, a company dedicated to reviving the art of the offline introduction.
"We are seeing a wave of 'dating app burnout,'" Joel Wilson, CEO and founder of Merge Dating said. "People are tired of relying on the apps to meet someone. It's really deflating constantly swiping, having surface-level conversations that lead nowhere, and getting ghosted."
You already know everyone's open to meeting someone, which takes a lot of the pressure off.
The antidote, it turns out, is old-school.
"At a Merge event, there are no screens. You meet people in person and can instantly tell if there's chemistry - bringing back the old way of meeting people rather than endless weeks of messaging."
This desire for genuine connection sees attendees packing their bags and hitting the road.
"People often travel from the other side of the city, or from other towns close by, particularly if there isn't anything on in their local town. It allows a great range of people, some even stay the night and make a weekend of the place they are visiting," Joel said.
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Walking into a room full of strangers can be daunting, especially when the collective goal is romance. The primary benefit of these curated spaces, however, is that the guesswork is entirely stripped away.
"Putting together like-minded singles in the same environment is one of the benefits. Everyone has come along because they actually wanted to meet someone - so it takes away the guessing game of 'are they single' like you do in the real world."
For those battling anxiety or first-date jitters, Joel offers a grounded piece of advice
"Take the pressure off yourself. Don't walk in thinking you need to meet your future partner straight away. Try to make friends first, so you can ease into the night. Also have patience, things can change quickly in one conversation. How it is in the first 10 minutes is not how it's going to be in the next 10 minutes."
If the spark just isn't there, bowing out gracefully is simpler than you think.
"Something simple and kind works best, like: "It was really nice meeting you - I might grab another drink and chat to a few more people." Everyone understands why people are there, so it's completely normal," Joel said.
Safety is also a huge priority.
"We operate under a strict code of conduct, and anyone who makes others feel unsafe or uncomfortable can be removed and banned from future events," Joel said.
You can find upcoming events at mergedating.com.au.
