Sunday 22 June 2014

"Can I put the organizer's name on my program sheet?"

I've organized three 7for7 events to date, and occasionally, a few participants ask the question, "Can I put Kok Leong's name on my program sheet?" This happened again at the most recent event held this past Wednesday.

Well, not that *I* actually get asked the question. :-) Typically, the person who gets asked the question is my assistant...who is usually at a loss for a response. So, I figured I might as well clarify matters.

To participants who have ever wondered if I'm "on the market", this is my response:

One of the best parts about attending a speed dating event is that participants do not need to expose their interest in someone else unnecessarily unless that other person is also interested in them. As the event organizer, I play the role of an intermediary in bringing guys who have a mutual interest in each other together.

So, if you are interested in getting to know me better, yes, you can put my name down on your program sheet. However, unlike with other participants, you must be aware and be comfortable with the fact that I will know of your interest in me. I may or may not reciprocate your interest, however, regardless of whether I reciprocate, I will be impressed with any guy who is bold enough to be direct with me, and be willing to risk being declined. Doing so takes real mettle, and I admire that kind of spirit in a guy.

If you are really bold, you can save time and just ask me out at the event itself. :-)


On a related and somewhat ironic note, while I myself have been attracted to some of the guys who have attended my events, I generally will not initiate contact with a participant I am interested in. The reason is because I can't.

As event organizer, I hold everyone's registration and contact information in confidence, and it would not be appropriate for me to initiate a call or message with someone in my database. If I was a participant, and I wasn't interested in the organizer, I would be a little perturbed if the organizer cold called me to ask me out. It could also raise uncomfortable questions, such as asking if the organizer had removed matches from guys he was interested in so he could move in.

This might all sound a little fraught and exaggerated, but I prefer to do things professionally. As a rule, when I initiate contact with participants, it will be on event-related matters only.

Thursday 19 June 2014

Post Event Publicity 18 June 2014

7for7 just held an event on 18 June and the event was a *major* success! Thanks to all the participants who attended and Elvin who graciously offered us his bar to hold the event.

The event was held at Out Bar on a Wednesday night. Again, it was a quiet evening and almost a semi-private event despite Out being open to normal custom.

Here are the event statistics.



More than TWO THIRDS of the participants this time round found matches.

Better yet, practically every participant met a whole bunch of guys they had never met before. Many participants told me that they are fairly "non-scene" or "not very social by nature" and this was the first event they had ever attended (which is true, I have the attendance database to back that up!)

As I often mention to participants, I love 'wildcard' participants who don't know anyone at an event. They make the event more interesting and way easier for my seating algorithm to devise a seating arrangement.

Our next event is likely to be in August or perhaps September. Do look out for updates in late July or August.

We also have an exciting announcement to make in the next few weeks that is non-event related and could drive much greater interest in 7for7. It's a tiny side project that I'm really excited about and has the potential to create massive buzz. Stay tuned. =)

Friday 13 June 2014

Details for the Event on 18 June 2014

By now, participants who have registered for the event and confirmed their registration through payment should have received the details for the event via email. Also, the pre-event form has been released.

Please check your email if you are participating in the event on 18 June. We look forward to seeing you there!