Faced with growing weariness towards meeting applications, new formats emerge in Switzerland. Hikes for singles or speed dating evenings, human and concrete experiences are attracting more and more.
In the Vaud jura, 18 singles, 9 men and 9 women, between 30 and 40 years old find themselves for a somewhat special hike. Over eleven kilometers, the participants change march partners every fifteen minutes. Objective: get to know each other, far from screens.
“These hikes had immediate success,” said the organizer Alessandro Palmieri on Monday in the Basik show. “We are in the sixth edition and seven others are already scheduled.”
For 20 francs, participants take advantage of a natural setting and authentic exchanges. “I have much more fun paying for this kind of services than for an application,” says Lionel, one of the walkers.
Six minutes to seduce
In Lausanne, it is in town and in the evening that the meeting is played out. Manoah Sauvain organizes speed dating events bringing together up to 82 singles. Each participant continues nine six -minute games. For three years, nearly 9,000 people have tried the experience.
“You speak with people that you would not approach normally. It is alchemy, the connection you feel,” says Samantha, one of the participants. The price is 44 francs, a price deemed reasonable by the majority of those questioned.
Application fatigue
Neither Alessandro Palmieri nor Savan Manoah live from these activities. The first works in communication, the second holds a photo and video store. “If I wanted to become rich and famous, I would make another business,” smiles Manoah. “But to receive postcards from trained couples or birth announcements, that is priceless.”
These formats respond to a very real “fatigue dating”. David, used to evenings, summarizes: “I tried everything, Tinder, Happn, Bumble … it’s always the same, we discuss, then nothing”. And, in the end, there are many criticisms: few matches for men, too many solicitations for women, false profiles or ghosting, that is to say an disappearance without explanation.
These initiatives offer a balance between men and women, targeted age groups and a reassuring framework to make new knowledge. While meeting applications are experiencing a decline, these concepts seem to have a bright future ahead of them.
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Charles Reinmann/boi
