We get this a lot. Many of our clients feel a little bit prickly about attending one of our singles events because they’re not sure how private they will be.
There are many reasons why someone may not want the world to know what goes on in their private lives and as a responsible business, we are super aware of the nerves around this topic so I thought I would try and put your mind at ease.
I’ve met a lot of people over the last couple of years and all of them have amazing and different personalities. Some are loud and proud and don’t mind people knowing that they’re on the dating scene whilst others are a little more reserved and cautious about who they tell.
And it’s important to know that it’s all relevant and valid.
We are keen to ensure the safety of our clients, not just physically but also mentally. Dating should be fun and exciting so we am always keen to make sure that there is the feel good factor around it and we will always try our best to eliminate any worries our clients may have.
Why might our singles want privacy?
We’ve also been asked why anyone would want to keep it private? After all, if you’re out there on the dating scene, surely the more people who know, the better?
Well, not always.
There are lots of reasons some of my clients don’t just want to keep it private but also, need to.
Some dating events plaster their guests all over their socials at every event, but we’d rather keep it this way.
Confidence
Perhaps the most common reason. Just because you’re ready to embark on the dating scene doesn’t automatically mean you feel confident about it.
Many of our clients, especially those who are new to these events are very nervous about attending and perhaps aren’t sure how ready they really are but want to give it a go anyway.
Some feel that they wouldn’t always get the support from friends and family members and don’t want to put themselves in a situation where they would be made to feel vulnerable.
Cultural
There are many reasons why someone’s culture may stop them from going public with their dating intentions. And it’s not just about religious cultures but also social cultures too.
It may be difficult for someone to express their wishes to family members for fear of disapproval and may also be hard for someone who hangs out in particular cultural circles to be open and honest about what they want to do.
Ex partners
We’ve all been through break-up’s but for some, they’re a little more complicated. It could be that someone has a particularly possessive ex partner or even worse, an ex with abusive tendencies.
By being open about attending a singles event, they could actually be putting themselves in harm’s way and that is something we could never get on board with.
Social anxiety
It’s real and more common than you may think. If someone is new to the world of singles events, they may like the idea of attending but the reality can be very different.
It may be easier for them to try it privately before opening themselves up to questioning from others. Sometimes, you need to give something a go to know whether or not you can actually do it.
If you’re someone who struggles with conversation or any interaction at social events, then it stands to reason that you wouldn’t want to openly tell people you are trying this but I have to say, if you are giving it a go, good on you!
Over shadowing
It could also be as simple as wanting to try something on your own without being overshadowed by friends. If you have a particularly confident friend who you know will likely want to join in, you may want to just try it out for yourself first to find your own footing before bringing in the big guns.
Whatever the reason for wanting your singles event experience to stay private, it’s relevant.
So, what do we do about it?
No pre-event guest list
We don’t publish the names or photos of the people who are booked to attend an event.
We’ve been asked on a number of occasions whether a certain individual is booked to attend an event, but under no circumstances do we share this information.
Later in 2024 when our new booking platform launches, you’ll be able to see who attended an event, but you won’t be able to see who is attending an event – this is to protect the privacy of our lovely singles.
Videography & Photography
As much as we want everyone to have an amazing time at our events and more importantly, stay safe, we are also a business who needs to engage in marketing activities to encourage more people to come along.
Ultimately, the more people interested in our events, the more people there are for you to meet, and the better the experience for you.
So, we have to find a balance between making you feel safe, and promoting our service.
How we combat this is by clearly stating on our event listings whether or not photographers and/or videographers will be out in force at an event.
This gives you a choice. You can choose to attend an event where this is not stated and be safe in the knowledge that your attendance will be kept as private as you want it to be. Or you can join in knowing you’ll be captured on camera.
In fact, we tend to capture content twice a year – and in any case, we’ll request that you sign a model release disclaimer at the point of booking your ticket to confirm you’re happy to appear in our marketing.
So, if we haven’t said there will be a photographer and/or videographer at the event then you can put your name down without any worries.
Occasionally our hosts or venue partners might ask your permission during an event if they can capture some photos or videos, but they’ll ask first.
I hope that helps.
