Why Singles Events Remain Worthwhile in the Age of Online Dating

Online dating and social networking are hugely popular now. Millions of people regularly use these techniques to meet others for friendship, romance and relationships. But that doesn't mean the old fashioned "offline" ways of meeting people should be forgotten!

After all, you're only going online so that you can meet someone offline, eventually. (Well, that's the theory, anyway!) So why not cut to the chase? Singles nights, get-togethers and speed dating events are a great way to meet new people. While they can be more expensive than online dating (when you consider the cost of transport, food and drink) they do have some advantages over the internet.

Firstly, you get to see all those other singles for real. You're not looking at a photo that may not truly show what that person is actually like, which is often the case on matchmaking sites. Sadly, many people become smitten with a personal ad photo, and end up bitterly disappointed when they actually meet this person for coffee or drinks.

And when meeting someone in the flesh, you pick up other information about him or her that is missing from e-mail contact, instant messaging and even telephone conversations - things like body language, attitude, emotions. If there's some aspect of a person's character that you find powerfully off-putting, it's better to know about it sooner rather than later. A conversation across a table will tell you this much quicker than any other method of communication.

By going out to a singles event you can also meet people who live locally, particularly if it's a regular event at a hotel or pub. Common sense dictates that it is unlikely for people living a long way from the venue to show up to such low-key get-togethers.

At the risk of sounding unromantic, it's much more likely that a relationship will fire up in the short term - and survive in the long term, for that matter - if those involved live in fairly close proximity to each other. On the internet, though, members often get in touch with others who live distantly - sometimes in a different city, or even a different country.

Finally, even if you don't have any luck, the process of going out and actually meeting people is a good exercise. It's valuable experience for when you do want to take your online dating efforts to the next level. Meeting that person you've been instant messaging and/or e-mailing for the last week or two will seem a lot less daunting if you've recently been to a singles night.

Robert McGrath writes about online dating and singles events. Aussies who would like to meet new people online and offline should check out these top Australian matchmaking sites, which all include listings of get-togethers and events for singles.