Sacha Walters, Staff Reporter

People are willing to try almost anything in the name of love.

And it wouldn't hurt if they were to clock a record time doing it.

Speed dating, which is basically timed dating, is not a new concept, especially in major cities across the world, but it's hardly popular here in Jamaica. It accelerates the meeting process by giving people the opportunity to talk to 20 persons, in under an hour. Each participant is given a number and has a specific time to ask as many questions as possible of each other. At the sound of a buzzer, each participant moves on to the next candidate.

"It almost looks like a game of musical chairs," said Colin Morgan of Good Life Entertainment who organises speed-dating sessions, called Fast Lane, in the Corporate Area. At the end of the session, each participant writes down the number of the person they would most likely date and if that person also chose him or her, then there's a match.

"If there's a match, then Good Life Entertainment pays for your first date," Morgan said.

In major cities like the United Kingdom, Australia and the United States of America, the process links individuals who have difficulty finding the right partner, often because of the share enormity of the city. Speed dating also prevents them from having to rummage through friends, or friends of friends, trying to find 'the one' or enduring the monotony of long, unproductive conversations.

Fast Lane forms a part of Good Friday, a monthly games event which involves a myriad of other games and activities, like karaoke and board games.

"It's (speed dating) something we started about eight months ago. Initially, people were a little hesitant, but we've done it and it has been very successful," notes Morgan.

Clean entertainment

Morgan, who is a Christian, said while the company is not run under the ambit of the church he attends, its foundation is providing clean entertainment to people. And with speed dating specifically, he came up with the idea because sometimes in the Church, the issue of dating can be taboo and even just plain difficult for a Christian. Providing a fun, light-hearted way of breaking the ice or just meeting a new friend was his aim.

Two of the participants who had played the game more than once insisted it was far from being about romance.

"I don't think anybody really went into it thinking, 'I'm going to find a girlfriend or a boyfriend'," said Fiona Miller, 29, who played the game twice.

"It's done in the spirit of fun," said Marlon Young, who has also tried it. "You're not going to come and ask people any weird questions," he said.

He said there is a misconception that it's about finding a mate. He explained that it acts as an icebreaker when coming across someone you just met without the pressure.

"Speed dating can also be used for future reference," he said. You might not form a connection with that person then and there, but later on, you never know.

For Miller, she found a match at one of the games. Although they had seen each other at church before, they never really spoke. But that icebreaker led to a friendship they still maintain to this day.

"It's very short but with first impressions, you never know," said Miller.