Rescue Dating
For the Perfect Search
by Melinda Maximova

Online dating services have come a long way since inception and there’s certainly something for everyone. Even if you’re not looking to find a match for yourself, Girl’s in Tech Virtual Dating 101, will offer valuable insights into the profitable, online business. The expert panel of entrepreneurs include Perfect Search, SingleMomSeeking, SpeedDate, Zoosk and Thread, discussing what works and what doesn’t in the world of online amour.

Since 1995, when the first major online dating site began offering user generated profiles, the online dating industry has grown by leaps and bounds. Starting as a service people rarely admitted to using, it has now become part of everyday conversation. “We met online”, is a common phrase many of us have uttered, or at least heard. How did this industry overcome such stigma to become one of the most competitive online businesses?

Girls in Tech: Virtual Dating 101, addresses this question and will explore the evolution of the online dating industry with Perfect Search, Thread (formerly Frintro), Single Mom Seeking, Zoosk and SpeedDate. Discussions will include how the online medium has overcome a major stigma and become the dating norm in a short 14 year span. The event will follow the different approaches to fee structures (paid/free/SNS) used by providers and will look ahead to see what’s on the horizon for the future of love via the internet.

According to Online Dating Magazine, eHarmony claims that from their service alone there were 33,000 marriages that occurred in a one year period. The same article estimates that the number of marriages resulting from all online dating sites is over 100,000 annually. Online Personals Watch reports that Match.com and eHarmony saw 16% and 20% growth when compared to the same time frame the previous year with Match.com boasting over 15 million current members.

Alternatives to these classic user-created profile models are being offered by both Thread and SpeedDate. Thread allows users to play matchmaker by introducing friends via Facebook. Users can log on to Facebook and browse profiles of friends of friend’s to ask for introductions or introduce themselves. No more meeting complete strangers. SpeedDate, on the other hand, believes that two people know if there’s a connection within the first 3 minutes of meeting and have created a platform through email, chat, voice or web cam in which users can test the spark factor before risking their time on a real date. Connect Zoosk with Facebook to interact with your friends on this site and to share on Facebook through your Wall and friends’ News Feeds. This site will also be able to automatically post recent activity back to Facebook.

Guiding the Virtual Dating 101 discussion is moderating panelist Melinda Maximova, relationship expert and founding matchmaker at Perfect Search, a VIP matchmaking service which combines old-world, face-to-face matchmaking with the added convenience and speed of the internet. Melinda is RescueDating blogger Examiner.com writer, matchmaker teacher, and author of the e-book, Power Shift: Rescue Dating For Women.

Once the business side of the industry is covered the discussion will move toward user tips from Rachel Sarah, online dating expert, author of Single Mom Seeking and founder of one the largest blogs for single parents, who will address the most common missteps people make when dating online. Also a contributor for Match.com, Rachel claims there is a science to successful online dating and she’ll share first hand from her experiences in the field.

Conference Date: Monday, October 19th, 2009
Time: 6:30 pm check in, 7:00 pm start
Venue: E & O Trading Company, Downtown San Francisco
Tickets: $10.00 Please RSVP at: www.girlsintechvirtualdating101.eventbrite.com

Visit Eventbrite to reserve your space: www.girlsintechvirtualdating101.eventbrite.com

Hosted By: Girls in Tech

Girls in Tech is a social network enterprise focused on the engagement, education and empowerment of like-minded, professional, intelligent and influential women in technology. As young women with the capacity to inspire, we made it our personal desire and passion to create and sustain an organization that focuses on the collaboration, promotion, growth and success of women in the technology sector.

Created in February of 2007, ‘Girls in Tech’ (GIT) was founded by Adriana Gascoigne. GIT and was born out of a need to provide a place for women to cultivate ideas around their careers and business concepts involving technology.

Girls in Tech aims to offer a variety of resources and tools for women to supplement and further enhance their professional careers and aspirations in technology. Some of these resources include, educational workshops and lectures, networking functions, round table discussions, conferences, social engagements, and recruitment events.

For more information, contact Melinda Maximova, matchmaker with Perfect Search melinda@theperfectsearch.com