Sick of online dating, NYC singles are looking for love via PowerPoint presentations
At the buzzy new dating event Pitch and Pair, Gothamites try to sell the audience on their single friends with three-to-five minute PowerPoint presentations.
'I have a lot of shy friends who are single who are really great catches, and they kind of don't flourish in the typical dating apps or speed dating because they're introverted,' said the event's founder, Joe Teblum, a 33-year-old who lives in Chelsea and works in tech marketing. 'I also saw that there was this trend of people wanting to meet in person especially after Covid.'
At an event last week at Slate in the Flatiron District, 16 locals gave presentations to a few hundred in the audience. There were bullet points, short videos and tickers.
'He can explain things without making you fall asleep,' Kedar Venkataramani's cousin told the audience of the 30-year-old, 5-foot-8 intellectual property lawyer who lives in NYC. 'He has a sharp mind, a sharp suit, and zero ego.'
The cousin also praised Venkataramani as a soccer enthusiast and tasting menu aficionado. 'He will take you to a Broadway show including 'Hamilton' or 'Book of Mormon',' she said. 'He also Citi Bikes everywhere like it's his personal Tour de France.'
The crowd was especially excited about the presentation for Chris Puch, a 33-year-old firefighter who lives in Staten Island and is a pseudo-celebrity on Tik Tok for being a hunky public servant.
'He will cook healthy for you even though I've seen him eat $50 worth of Taco Bell in one sitting, so you don't have to worry about him being too healthy,' said his matchmaker friend, laughing. 'If you guys like to travel, he loves it. He's a world traveler, and he's been all over the world, and he's looking for someone to go with besides himself.'
Anand Tamirisa, a 33-year-old who lives in Chelsea and works in investment banking, was another one of the singles on offer. He admitted that he had authored much of the presentation himself, even though it was given by a dating guru buddy.
'I'm working in PowerPoint all day so it's easy for me,' he said. 'I made it in two hours. I even have a ticker on the top and stuff.'
His deck included information such as 'Moved to NYC in 2018 after being inspired by Jay-Z,' 'Works in investment banking but doesn't wear a vest,' and, 'Has performed stand-up comedy at world-class dive bars.'
It proved effective. By the time he walked off stage, Tamirisa had five new 'follow' requests on Instagram. (At the end of each presentation the matchmaker friend tells the crowd how to reach the single, whether it's via Instagram, email or text.)
'If I end up with one of them it would be a really good story,' Tamirisa said.
Pitch & Pair takes place twice a month at venues round town, including City Winery in the Meatpacking District and Second City in Brooklyn. It costs $40 to $60 pitch — with two tickets to the event included — and $15 to $25 to sit in the audience. The next event is August 4th at Caveat on the Lower East Side.
Events regularly sell out shortly after being announced — in as little as 34 hours.
When Teblum first came up with the idea about a year ago, interest was limited.
'Only one person wanted to do a presentation,' he said of the first event, which was held at Kilo Bravo bar in Williamsburg and only attracted a few people beyond his friends.
ts some early iterations, people tended to roast their friends in an attempt to be funny. Audiences sometimes erupted into 'boos.'
Now, Teblum tells participants to keep it positive.
'The crowd gets so into it,' he said. 'Like the matchmaker shows a picture of someone's dog or hobby and everyone breaks out cheering.'
Still, Sophia Demetriou, who was the first single presented at last week's event, said the experience was slightly uncomfortable. Her former roommate extolled her virtues, including the fact that she has never lost a game of backgammon, can 'serve looks' and is a Pizza Hut connoisseur.
'It was terrifying,' said Demetriou, a 26-year-old fashion designer. 'But I do think this is how people are going to date in the future. It just makes sense.'
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