As the COVID-19 pandemic hit businesses and individuals alike, Samantha Bendo made the effort to help her friend’s business and regular folks connect.
“I started it because, one: that [the bar] was dead on Wednesdays; two: mental health at the time was very, very low,” Bendo said.
“I’m kind of a hopeless romantic, so I kind of like…in person before you’re like, internet stalking them, I think it’s meaningful,” she said.
Eventually, the event grew to Happy Hour Events, an events organizing business for speed-dating events in Hamilton, Kitchener, London and Guelph.
The events, which are age-divided, draw diverse crowds.
“I take out anyone that’s come to more than one event, and we were over 2400 people that came last year,” Bendo said. “It must have been over 100 events.”
At the event for singles aged 25 to 35 that took place on Jan. 30, 2025, at The Waterloo Brewery, it was a packed house with 31 attendees. Attendees included local business owners, academics and friends supporting friends.
Every five minutes, women would rotate to the men at separate tables and have a short conversation. Each attendee would write yes or no beside the names of their dates on a sheet that would be submitted at the end of the night. If two people said “yes” to each other, the hosts would connect them in the following days.
Ivy McSwain, a 25-year-old outdoor recreation worker attempting dating for the first time, said attending the event was part of her resolution to focus on love in all its forms this year.
“I’m coming into this with the hope that it allows me to be more vulnerable in the future, to have more confidence in the future,” McSwain said. “This might not be for me and it might not be for a lot of people, but…we gotta try things, so I’m just gonna keep trying.”
Sebastian Valero is a pilot and a repeat attendee of Happy Hours Speed-dating events. He said men often have the expectation of approaching women placed on them, which can be overwhelming.
“You’re kind of in the perfect setting to talk with a woman, as opposed to having to approach the woman like you know, the approach is done for you,” Valero said.
Attendees and hosts alike shared that speed-dating was preferable for them to online dating. Krystal McFadden, host for the Kitchener events, said the five-minute face-to-face interactions encourage open, honest and vulnerable connections.
“I think people are just nervous. It’s easier to be behind a keyboard in the apps where you can think about your answers. You’re put into a vulnerable situation, being in front of the person where you’re not normally,” McFadden said.
In addition, ghosting cannot be an issue.
“A lot of people ghost,” McFadden said. “[When] you’re kind of forced to have that five minute interaction with everybody…it kind of lets your guard down and see that everybody’s here for the same thing, it’s not a scary place.”
Bendo and McFadden said they value creating safe spaces for attendees to meet and grow their social circles.
“I think it’s just, I think it’s really important to me to create these safe spaces where people have an opportunity to meet people in real life,” Bendo said.
“I really do cherish a safe atmosphere for people to meet,” McFadden said.
Attendees said the event was an opportunity to step out of their comfort zones.
Valero said people should attend more than one session. He said people should grasp the opportunity presented to them and take chances.
“If you think that something might happen, just say yes. It doesn’t hurt. Just say yes, because it doesn’t matter…you never know, the person might surprise you,” Valero said.
McSwain said that doing things that may seem scary are necessary for growth.
“I think anyone looking like outside in on these events, it’s like, if it scares you, that’s a good thing. If it terrifies you, it’s okay,” she said.
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