Why Meeting in Person Still Matters
- saz675
- Mar 12
- 3 min read
Reflections from the first Zest Speed Dating evening
Last Thursday evening I hosted the very first Zest Speed Dating event in Exeter for singles aged 50–65.
I’ll be honest — as guests started arriving there were a few nervous smiles around the room. That’s completely natural. Walking into a room of strangers always takes a little courage.
But something interesting happened once everyone took their seats.
The atmosphere shifted very quickly. The nerves melted away, conversations started flowing, and within minutes the room was buzzing with laughter and curiosity.
Then something rather lovely happened. I received a double round of applause — once at the beginning and again at the end of the evening.
It was one of those moments when you realise something has truly landed.
A room full of people genuinely open to meeting someone
One of the things people told me afterwards was how refreshing it felt to be in a room where everyone was genuinely open to meeting someone.
That might sound obvious, but it’s actually quite rare.
Several guests mentioned how different it felt compared to online dating. Instead of endless messaging or wondering whether someone is really interested, everyone in the room was there for the same reason: to meet new people face-to-face.
And the feedback reflected that.
When I asked guests afterwards what appealed most about the evening, the most popular answer by far was:
“Knowing everyone there is genuinely open to meeting someone.”
People travelled a long way to attend
One thing that surprised me was how far people travelled.
Guests came from across Devon and Cornwall, including Minehead, North Devon and Cornwall. One lady even travelled from the Lizard in Cornwall and booked a hotel so she could attend.
Some people had driven nearly two hours to be there.
It highlighted something I had suspected for a while: there are very few opportunities in the South West to meet other single people in a structured, relaxed environment.
A simple format that makes it easy
For those who haven’t experienced speed dating before, the idea is simple.
Each person has a series of short conversations with different people during the evening. It removes the awkwardness of approaching someone and makes it easy to meet a number of new people in one night.
Many guests said they liked the structure of the evening because it took away the pressure.
You simply sit down, have a conversation, and see whether there is a connection.
Some lovely matches
At the end of the evening, guests indicate who they would like to see again. If two people both choose each other, they receive each other’s contact details.
We had several mutual matches on the night, which was lovely to see.
But even for those who didn’t find a romantic match, many said they had simply enjoyed meeting new people and trying something different.
A new chapter for Zest
Six of the men who attended had never heard of Zest before and told me afterwards they wished they had discovered the community sooner.
That was particularly encouraging, because one of the aims of Zest Speed Dating is to reach people who may not normally attend social events but are genuinely open to meeting someone.
The success of this first evening has confirmed something important for me.
There is clearly a desire for real, face-to-face connection.
In a world where so much dating happens behind screens, sometimes the simplest approach is still the best: two people sitting down and having a conversation.
Looking ahead
The next Zest Speed Dating events are already planned, with different age groups throughout the spring and summer.
If you’re curious about trying it for yourself, you can learn more here:
Because sometimes the best way to meet someone… is simply to meet them.
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