On your mark, get set: find romance

Local service speeds up time it takes to land potential mate

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By LAURA TUCKER

VIEW STAFF WRITER

Las Vegas resident Linda Benitez plays cupid on Tuesday nights, coordinating the Las Vegas speed dating events for Cupid.com.

Benitez puts together a series of PreDating, more commonly known as speed dating, events in which busy single professionals can meet over a drink and attempt to snag some dates in a comfortable setting. She usually hosts the events on Tuesday nights, with some occurring on Sundays, at sites around the valley.

"It's the ideal first date," Benitez said.

Participants have six minutes to talk with each potential date. Each event varies by age range and is limited to 10 women and 10 men. The Web site only allows a man to sign up after a woman has signed up, and vice versa. That way, there is only ever one more of either sex than the other.

"I try to keep them more intimate," Benitez said.

Men in the 49- to 59-year-old age range are the hardest to get to sign up for events, she said. Benitez said she is not sure why the age group is hard to pin down.

Benitez said she also hosts gay speed dating nights and other themed events.

Participants are encouraged to take notes and receive a set of suggested topics, but are free to discuss what they wish. Benitez said participants do not exchange personal information for privacy reasons.

At the end of each session, participants hand in a list of which people they would like to speak to again.

Typically, each event lasts 1 1/2 to two hours, Benitez said. Within 24 hours, each participant will receive an e-mail with information from the people on their list. From there, it's up to them whether to contact the people on their list for a follow-up date. "It's a win-win situation," Benitez said.

Each speed dating session costs $32, which includes a gold membership to Cupid.com.

Cynthia Guire has been to seven speed dating events. Although she has yet to find Mr. Right, Guire said the event is a fun night out with a group of her female friends.

"Even if you don't like any of the guys and even if you don't walk away with something, it is a nice evening with the girls. It's a light evening for a weeknight," she said.

Guire said she has landed a few dates and friends as a result. Although Guire said the six-minute limit is not always enough time to spend with someone she is interested in, "It's easily compensated with not having to talk with the bad ones," she said.

Benitez said she has observed that the six-minute limit is usually a good amount of time to decide if two people are compatible. "Most women know whether they even want to engage in conversation right away," Benitez said.

Guire said the setting helps ease the discomfort of meeting people in more stereotypical places, such as a bar.

"You have a presumed notion in your head when you meet somebody in those types of places," Guire said. "When you meet someone at a dating event, it's obvious they are single. It's obvious they are looking for someone."

Benitez said many people go to the events hoping to meet someone they will eventually marry.

"People usually use our service, especially if they are marriage-minded," she said. "They are searching for a certain type of woman, and often they find her at our events. And of course, the same could be said for women, as well."

Last October, Benitez said a couple was married in Las Vegas as a result of meeting at a speed dating event.

Guire said the men she meets are professionals who don't have a lot of time to date.

"I usually have a glass of wine and roll with the punches," she said.