you are here: Meeting Someone New: Where and How to Make a Connection
by Jennifer Good
Meeting a potential partner can often feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. However, if you get a little creative and take advantage of everyday opportunities, you can narrow down your search to something more easily confronted. In fact, you can meet someone just about anywhere.
Finding your perfect someone isn't always the stuff of fairy tales like we imagined when we were young. It often takes a good amount of planning and being open to new opportunities. However, looking for your prince charming in the typical places usually forces you to weed through a lot of frogs. Cut out some of the hassle by using these easy tips.
1. Determine what type of person you'd like to meet.
Smart daters select venues that will yield them the most possible matches. When choosing where to go, make sure it's not only a place you'll enjoy being, but that it will attract people who will most likely meet your standards of an ideal partner.
2. Get out there and meet people!
You can't find your Mr. or Miss Right if you're doing your usual thing every night. Shake things up and try one of these ten unexpected places to meet people.
Self-Help, Motivational or Business Seminars
These venues are ripe with possibilities. In fact, one of the main reasons people attend these events is to meet other like-minded individuals. Make sure before you go that you have business or personal cards made up with your contact information. This will make your odds of arranging a second meeting a lot higher and easier.
Expos or Conventions
Looking for someone interested in a particular hobby or topic? Expos and conventions are the perfect place to meet a large number of like-minded enthusiasts. Striking up conversation is easy as well, just talk about whatever the convention is about, since it's obviously a shared interest. Additionally, most conventions and expos offer some type of related classes. Enroll in a few to increase your odds of making contact.
Volunteer Work
Help yourself while helping others. You don't need to do the typical soup kitchen type work, either. Activities such as fundraisers, getting involved in political campaigns, and even marathons for a cause are all excellent places to meet people. Not only are you increasing awareness for a cause you believe in, but you're meeting people who are passionate about the same issues as yourself.
Group Dancing Classes
Get fit and meet your mate! Most bars and dance schools offer free or inexpensive dance classes in a variety of techniques. Get your swing on or learn the sultry tango. Either way, be daring and come alone and get paired up with someone new. If you don't feel the "vibe" at a particular place, try another. If you get paired up with someone you don't care for, don't give up straight away. Give it at least three sessions before judging this activity. That allows ample opportunity for other options to show up.
Concerts
This venue doesn't always seem like the most obvious place to meet new people, but you'd be surprised at what type of connections you can make. Most concert goers are excited, talkative and very open to swapping stories about their favorite band or artist, giving you the perfect opportunity to get in a conversation where you wouldn't normally be able to.
Hotel Lobbies
Instead of your usual midday rountine, try lunch at a hotel restaurant. You're bound to run into a few people who are spending their lunch alone. You could also have a cup of coffee or a drink at the hotel bar. You never know the type of conversation you could strike up with a fellow patron.
Airports
Stuck between flights with nothing to do, many travelers are looking for something to do to pass the time. Visit an airport restaurant or bar to increase your chances of meeting someone.
Recreational Sports Teams
The natural closeness of being on a team makes this a great place to meet your future mate. Get a good workout while building lasting friendships and showing off your physical prowess to the opposite sex.
Cyber or Gaming Cafes
Browse the internet and scope out the scene for potential partners. Internet and gaming cafes are typically filled with a larger male to female ratio, making it a good venue if you're looking to stand out. If you're actually interested in gaming, showing that fact off can give you a few extra points in the man magnet department. If you're interested and don't know any of the games, ask someone to show you how to play. You never know where a friendship might develop.
Group Classes
Expand your knowledge of in a topic or hobby you're interested in and meet new people who share your interests. Try cooking, dance, yoga, vocal, musical instrument, painting or acting classes.
3. Make a Connection.
Once you've met, it's time to make actual contact. Here are some tips to make this process as smooth as possible.
First, be willing to make the first move and strike up a conversation. Talk about something you both have in common at the moment. Usually, bringing up something about the place you're both at will work. Make sure you're being real. People can tell when you're just faking it. Show you're genuinely interested in that person and what they have to say. One way to do this is make sure you remember their name and use it a few times so they know you've taken that extra effort.
Once you feel like this person is someone you'd like to know further, make the next move. Ask for their business card or to exchange phone numbers. If you're feeling particular confident, ask to go out for a cup of coffee.
When you're meeting someone, try not to sum them up as potential life partner material right off the bat. Consider taking the viewpoint of meeting new friends first. That way, you're open to a lot more options and you're not ruling out people before you get a chance to know them. As the saying goes, "Love is friendship set on fire." Taking the time to try and make friends first could reward you in ways you never thought possible.
