Apps from Bumble to Happn are opening real life cafes and spaces across the world
FROM Bumble’s Hive to Happn’s Cafe, a new trend sees dating apps popping up in real life — but why? Single in Sydney’s Sarah swings by one to find out.
Manly
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FROM dating trends to tales of love, horror dates to expert tips, Sarah Swain explores single life in Sydney.
APPS GO FROM SCREEN TO STREET
DATING apps are getting real.
No longer content with hovering on your phone, a new trend sees them springing up in all their love-or-hate glory in actual life too.
Bumble, for example had a space in SoHo in New York a couple of months ago, called the Bumble Hive.
Painted bright yellow and with the app’s bee and honey motifs, it offered all kinds of events — many unrelated to dating.
When I swung by a mingling event, I was given free rose and mini pastries, which is basically all it takes to impress me.
And I did chat up a few blokes — a Lycra-clad climber who was rushing off to climb something and a few preppy college grads caught my attention.
But the best thing was meeting a new gal pal who I later went on a few nights out with.
Meanwhile, in Sydney, the dating app’s also holding events — but they’re a little more exclusive.
Just last weekend a bunch of ‘influencers’ were invited to the trendy boathouse at Shelly Beach to celebrate International Friendship Day, with yoga and free handbags from trendy brand, Mon Purse.
Of course choosing gorgeous beauty-queens and professional instagrammers ensured plenty of publicity for the app’s BFF feature, which lets you search for new friends as well as dates.
You didn’t need an invite though to go to Happn’s pop up cafe in Paris — with the folk behind the app saying they’d like to do something in Australia too.
They say they were inspired by the fact a common first date is coffee.
Meanwhile eHarmony has an event at the end of the month called eHarmony Live, aimed at singles who may or may not use the app, to meet each other offline.
No word yet on any events from Tinder — perhaps though they could introduce actual real life face swiping, seeing as they invented it. Could be a bit violent though.
So what’s behind this urge to go from virtual to real?
It’s about marketing, more than helping folk find love, said expert Dr Mitchell Hobbs, from Sydney University’s Department of Media and Communications.
“Dating apps have lost their novelty factor and they don’t work for everyone,” he said.
“Indeed, some app users are now likely suffering from Tinder fatigue in that the digital dating experience has not met their expectations,” he said.
“Real life dating events by the app companies is actually clever public relations designed to refresh the brands and challenge some of the negative images associated with the technology.
“Sponsoring an event reminds singles, and others, that the apps are only a means to an end, with digital connections and flirtations potentially leading to real world dates and intimacy. ”
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