In honor of the very quickly approaching Valentine’s Day, I reached out to the co-founder of a new dating tool, Tobin Schwaiger-Hastanan, for some tips on what his new service has to offer. A common complaint (so I hear!) among online daters is that the prospects are not always what they seem. Singles tend to paint a picture of the best version of his or herself online, displaying an eloquent way with words and a connection that might only be captured when given ample turn around time to think about what to say next. Often times, the face-to-face meeting doesn’t offer the same, ahem, spark…

Co-founders, Tobin and Jevaun Howell, have invented a unique fix to this phenomenon with the introduction of their company: Cupid’s Lab.

Alyson Campbell: So Tobin, what is Cupid’s Lab?

Tobin Schwaiger-Hastanan: Cupid’s Lab aims to bring geek and chic together, helping singles break the ice by allowing them to flirt with or match each other via a custom mobile text messaging system used in a real world setting (sounds fancy, but if you can send a text, you’re golden!). If you’re single, it’s business as usual but with an awesome interactive twist. At our events, you can flirt anonymously if you’re shy, or directly if you’re feeling bold. Either way, you’re in a room filled with people who are open to the possibility of mingling, at an event hosted by Cupid’s Lab, so it breaks the ice.

AC: How does it differ from many of the other dating websites that are out there?

TSH: Our goal is to go beyond the barriers of a single profile page and allow users to discover one another through interaction. Specifically our live events use a custom mobile text messaging system that allows users to interact with each other in a fun environment. Afterwards users can come back to the site and view a recap of the event which includes photos, attendee lists, comments, and a summary of what happened. Right now our events are unique, but we expect to see others try to recreate similar experiences as our community grows.

AC: It sounds kind of high-tech, can the tech illiterate try it out to?

TSH: It takes a little warming up for some, but our technology is quite simple to use at the events. The users interact with one another through their cellphones by sending text messages to our service. Users can use various functions such as crushing, winking, and matchmaking to indicate interest in another attendee.

Crushes are anonymous and it allows someone to comfortably participate at the event if they are shy. If there is someone that catches an attendee’s attention they can send an anonymous Crush to that user. The sender simply texts in the word “crush” and their crush’s badge # to our service. The recipient will receive an anonymous message stating that someone has a crush on them. If they want to learn the identity of the crush, they are encouraged to send in their own crushes. If there’s a mutual crush, both users are notified of each others identity.

Winks are a more direct means of interacting with someone. A user can send a short message to a specific person’s badge # and the recipient will receive the message along with the senders identity. For example someone can send a wink telling the recipient “You’re cute, meet me at the end of the bar.” This is done by texting in the word “wink” followed by the users badge number and a short message.

Matchmaking is a fun way to get involved with other people at the event and it also allows those in relationships to participate as well. If there are two people someone thinks would be a good match for one another, all they have to do is text in the badge numbers of the match and they will both receive a message notifying them of the suggestion.

At the same time we also display suggested matches and a leader board of who are the top 5 users receiving the most crushes up on the big screen. This seems awkward at first, but a lot of people start having fun with it and use it as a means to talk to new people.

There are times where users don’t utilize the texting system we’ve created and they take an “old fashioned” approach. We see nothing wrong with this and we like to think that we’re bridging a divide between an online social experience and a real-life social situation.

AC: So if you’re taken, but your single best friend wants your support as his or her wingman, joining in the fun is fair game?

TSH: Of course! We encourage everyone to come with at least one friend and we’ve especially designed the matchmaker functionality to encourage those that are in relationships to participate. We try to make it fun for everyone!

AC: Have you seen any matchmaking success?

After each event we’ve heard of people going out or getting involved. We’ve also received a few emails from users who started seriously dating after one of our events. Most notably:

“Thanks so much for throwing your party. You picked a great venue and had kickin’ tunes, but more to the point I had a great time talking to a bunch of people I hadn’t met before in an environment made safer by the fact that everyone had been vouched for by at least one person (their not-date). It was easy to chat up anyone in the room because everyone was there to be friendly. I am, in fact, seeing someone I met at the event – which is only sad because I might have to miss your next party! Thanks again.”-Kira

AC: And, what’s next for cupid’s lab?

We’re always looking for new ways to get people to interact. Meeting new people and dating in a large city like New York isn’t always easy and we are trying to find ways to let everyone be themselves and enjoy themselves. As we grow we’re looking to throw more events geared towards specific demographics.

Online ,we’re building a system that encourages conversation with other users. There’s more to a person then a 200 word dating profile and we’re looking to extend that and allow others to discover one another through engaging in online discussions and activities.

AC: Thanks Tobin! Sounds like fun!

For those interested in testing out the action, Cupid Lab’s next event will be held on Valentine’s Day, Saturday, February 14th, from 7pm-10pm @ M1-5 (randomly the site of AMP3’s first office). This is a “Not My Date” party, meaning that they encourage you to bring a single friend of the opposite sex who you are NOT interested in. For details on how to RSVP, visit: www.CupidsLab.com.

[Alyson Campbell for It's All Very PR]

Tags: Alyson Campbell, AMP3 pr, Cupid's Lab, It's All Very PR, Online Dating, Tobin Schwaiger-Hastanan

This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 11th, 2009 at 4:26 pm and is filed under connecting the dots, hostessess with the mostessess, special events. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.