If you have romance on your mind and want to meet the nerd of your dreams at ECCC this month, you've got options. Specifically you can participate in something called Pre-Dating Speed Dating, in which you'll "meet up to a dozen other single professionals face-to-face in your age and interest group through a series of six-minute Pre Dates." (That's the ad copy; for ECCC, substitute "disheveled geek" for "single professional.") Later you'll be emailed a list of people who want to see you again, with 2/3 odds of matching with at least one person.
Speed dating is one of those things you find at smaller Cons and not at SDCC. Though now that I think of it, it's kind of amazing some scrappy San Diego event promoter hasn't thrown an offsite speed dating event together. I know for a fact there's a demand for it, because before registration got so crazy, the #1 question I got was "how do I meet someone at Comic-Con?" Nerds like to mate with their own kind, apparently.
Back to ECCC. You have a few choices here, based on your sexual orientation and gender. Not everyone will feel included in the below options, but this is probably as inclusive as the organizers can get within a 3-day convention.
Gay Male Speed Dating: Friday, 3-5 pm
Straight Speed Dating: Saturday, 3-5 pm and Sunday 1-3 pm
Lesbian Speed Dating: Saturday, 5-7 pm
Queer Speed Dating: Saturday, 1-3 pm
The Eventbrite claims "there's no awkwardness, no pressure, no embarrassment and no games... just great fun!" Yeah, I don't believe you, Pre-Dating Speed Dating organizers.
There's a 10 dollar fee for each event and you can register now. ECCC attendees only; no randos. Sorry, lonely Seattleites. But if you weren't inspired to buy a pass for Emerald City, you wouldn't understand our ways anyhow.
My only regret is that such a thing didn't exist back when I was dating and looking for geek love. Now that I'm married, I can't participate, but this really does look like fun... at least, from what I've seen of the NYCC version.
ReplyDeleteI've never seen one in action in real life. At least in this case people will have the Con to talk about, so there shouldn't be any awkward silences.
DeleteIf you want to see what it's like...
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQ5iwGApwLM