LoveHowTo Dating Directory: Event Services

The "Evolved" concept: put 20 - 30 singles in a bar at one of 17 cities around the US. Set up 7-minute dates and see if anything clicks. The "Prestige" concept: FastLife confirms identity, income and education and conducts a criminal background check on all members in this category before they may attend the Prestige events. Plus there are special events (currently only in New York City) like "Speed Dating: Doggy Style" where singles bring their dogs to Central Park.

If you're in NY, LA, the SFO Bay area, Chicago, Austin or Boston, try crazyblinddate.com for spontaneous meet-ups in or around your zip code. (If you live elsewhere, you'll be directed to okcupid.com.) Specify single or double date, neighborhood(s), time availability (today, tomorrow or a later date) and the type of place you'd like to meet and CrazyBlindDate will put you together with one or three similar people! It's wild. Owned by Humor Rainbow.

"Dating for busy professionals." 90 locations around the country, 30,000 members worldwide. Requires an interview before matching you.

CA only (LA, Orange County, Sacramento, San Francisco, Mountain View, San Jose, Walnut Creek). Sets up dinner parties for three men and three women, but also has other events throughout the year, "from speed dating to theatre to hiking to black tie events." Sign up online, but the service screens all applicants in person at one of their offices.

The online dating portion of this site relies on a profile questionnaire that limits what you really get to know about someone - much better to let them use their own words. But the main focus of this site is real-world speed dating - click the "Parties" tab and enter your city for a schedule. Owned by Spark Networks.

Events, held in 70 cities around the US, feature 20-100 people. You get eight one-on-one dates that last eight minutes each. If two parties are both interested in each other, 8MD provides contact information so they can set up another date. The company guarantees you'll meet someone you want to see again or they'll give you your next event free.

Operating on the theory that chemistry develops in the first six minutes of meeting someone, Cupid.com's events give you that amount of time with the member of the opposite sex at a local restaurant or bar. You register online and check in the night of the party. You receive a numbered nametag, a scorecard and a string of seat assignments where you'll sit across from a potential date. Within 24 hours you'll receive an email with a list of participants who would like to hear from you again. According to Cupid.com, more than two-thirds of attendees match at least one person.