Unorthodox new dating trend Aussies are jumping on as they ditch frustrating apps: 'Such a different vibe'
Instead of getting lost in toxic online platforms, friends are using PowerPoint presentations to pitch their lovelorn mates as a romantic prospect to a pub full of singles.
The events are a refreshing departure from the grim world of dating apps that involve endless swiping, lacklustre conversations with matches, and disappointing meet-ups.
A Forbes study in 2024 found 75 per cent of Gen Z singles who used Tinder, Hinge or Bumble felt burnt out and didn't think they could make a genuine connection.
Matchmaking company Pitch Perfect Match hosts the new dating events, with co-founder Selani Adikari labelling it a game-changer.
'Friends are better matchmakers for two reasons, they know you best and they're not afraid to boast about you in ways that you might not feel comfortable with,' she said.
'A person's friendships are a direct reflection of themselves, so when your friends go up to pitch you, someone watching can get a vibe for who you are, through your friends, and that's very difficult on dating apps.
'Meeting people in person is such a different vibe to scrolling through 2D photos on an app.'
The Sydney local said the 'aha moment' for the idea arrived after three years of singledom and a growing frustration with the limitations of dating apps.
The format is simple yet refreshing. Instead of self-promoting, singles get pitched by their friends in a three-to-four-minute PowerPoint-style presentation.
Ms Adikari said that the friend advantage hits different because best pals can boast with honest charm.
She said the novel approach challenges the superficial swiping culture and makes people feel more hopeful about love.
Forrester's in Surry Hills debuted the idea on Valentine's Day and declared it wildly successful, with the next event planned for September 18.
Events and reservations manager Sarah Cheney said they trialled the idea after witnessing the growing trend of 'Pitch Your Friend' nights popping up across the US.
Ms Cheney agreed friends made better matchmakers than dating apps and algorithms.
'A friend knows you; an app doesn't,' she said.
'Apps rely on hard data filters like age and height, while a friend sees the full picture – your personality, your values, your quirks.
'With dating apps and algorithms, people are trying to portray themselves as they see themselves, but what actually ends up happening is that they portray themselves as they aspire to be.
'This is why so many first dates are such flops – the person you fell in love with on the app isn't the same as the one you met for a coffee, for dinner, or at the park.'
Ms Cheney said events that bring strangers together in real life were becoming rarer.
'Younger generations that have grown up online with social media as a primary source of interpersonal connection are craving more than likes and DMs,' she said.
'I think this trend is also challenging the way we tend to judge a book by its cover when using dating apps.
'You can't swipe left on someone pitching their bestie in person – you have to watch and listen to the whole thing.
'By the end of the pitch, I think most people find that their initial judgment of that person was wrong and it opens them up to be more curious and less reactionary.'
While it's early days, Forrester's has been offered as a free wedding venue for any couple that ties the knot after meeting at their inaugural event.
Scientist-turned-love-guru Samantha Jayne praised the concept because it revealed authentic multidimensional qualities missing from the swiping culture.
'When your friends promote you it is real, it shows the connections you have in your life and you are a great person important enough in someone's life that they have gone to the effort of creating a pitch for you,' she said.
'The energy of a friend who believes in you is contagious. It invites the audience and potential dates to feel something, connection, curiosity, empathy.
'That is rarely achieved in static app profiles.'
Ms Jayne said there had been a 'drastic' decline in singles using dating apps.
'At first when joining a dating app a person gets excited with the prospects of options it's a confidence boost but after no genuine connections or outcomes that occur as a result then that is when frustration kicks in,' she said.
'The technology itself is very useful and makes sense but the biggest problem is the people don't know how to use it.
'However, there are effective ways to make the apps work if you know how to use them.'
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