Finding the truth through PowerPoint?

“Seriously, I switched from Tinder to Bumble yesterday,” said a friend, lifting her wine glass. “Why?” “Because Tinder really is just… well. You get me.” “Then you should try Breeze,” another friend chimed in. “You have to go on a date after three matches. No endless swiping.” And then we really looked at each other. That collective realization: we’ve had this conversation a hundred times and half of us are still single.

The shine of dating apps has worn off. What once felt exciting now feels painfully predictable. And precisely in that dating fatigue, space opens up for something new. No profiles, no algorithms, and no perfect selfies or bios. Just a PowerPoint presentation. About you. By your friends. Presented to a room full of strangers.

A time without a filter

Throw some fun photos and facts into a PowerPoint and with minimal effort, you’re done. But with PowerPoint dating, the idea is that you go all out. Glitter, chaos, color, and above all: all the ins and outs about your personality. Your life appears on the screen, told by your friends. Vacation photos that really shouldn’t have been shared. Embarrassing habits that they laugh way too hard about. Inside jokes that the audience doesn’t quite get. And of course, a slide with your charming traits. There’s also room to highlight your red flags. After all, you have to rely on your friends. They know you without a filter, and that creates something that’s almost impossible on dating apps: a complete picture.

The pros of PowerPoint dating

1. Imperfect is perfect
   On dating apps, you have everything under control: you choose your best photos, write the prettiest bio, and leave out what isn’t perfect. There are even entire TikTok series where ‘experts’ optimize your profile: ’This photo has to go’ and ‘Better not mention this hobby’. This way, you end up with thousands of identical profiles. And that quickly becomes boring. With PowerPoint dating, the opposite happens. Your friends also show that you’re always late, that you’ve let three plants die, and that your taste in music is questionable. But that’s exactly what distinguishes these evenings from the ’traditional’ dating app.
2. The friends’ seal of approval
   You’re not alone. Your friends are literally behind you, on stage with a clicker in hand. This indicates desirable traits in a partner; the ability to maintain close bonds. Why else would your friends make such a presentation about you?
3. Finally: the whole picture
   A photo on a dating app often raises more questions than answers. Why are you standing with a snake around your neck? Where was that photo taken? And why are you wearing a shirt with that logo? During such an evening, you get that context immediately. The audience can ask questions and give tips & tops. Instead of filling in all the blanks yourself, you know right away how it is.
4. The ultimate vibe check
   Where apps revolve around matches, this is much more about feeling. How does someone come across? How does the audience react? Is there laughter? Does it feel fun? You experience someone immediately in a social setting, without awkward texting or dating beforehand.

These corporate dating nights are popping up everywhere now: from New York to Vienna, from Collingwood to London. It feels like a matter of time before the first bar in Amsterdam picks this up. And it probably won’t be long before you’re invited to a wedding of someone who met their partner through a PowerPoint. The success of these evenings shows that we long for something. Not necessarily for the past, but for something real. Away from that phone. And so we are, very cautiously, returning to old-fashioned dating. But then in a new form: via a projector in a bar. As long as they don’t find a way to incorporate Excel into the dating landscape. Then it gets complicated.