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Creating connections at the Global Love Conference in London | November 2023

Building connections beyond borders at the Global Love Conference

In October 2024, Compatico partner Andrea joined over 50 of the world’s leading matchmakers at the Global Love Conference in London (GLC). Attendees from the UK, Netherlands, Sweden, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Ukraine, USA, and the Philippines gathered to explore the latest in offline dating.

The conference, hosted annually by the Global Love Institute (formerly the Matchmaking Institute), gathers dating industry professionals to network, collaborate and gain insights into the latest trends and best practices in offline matchmaking.

This conference presented a unique opportunity for Compatico to get to know the world’s leading matchmakers and discuss best practices, universal challenges and ways to do better for members.

The science of relationship readiness

We were inspired by new connections, including Dr. Terri Orbuch, The Love Doctor® and America’s most trusted relationship expert, who shared insights from her 35-year longitudinal study on couples and relationships. Since beginning in 1986, her research has followed hundreds of couples through their relationship journeys, documenting what works, what doesn’t, and—most importantly—how to recognise when someone is truly ready for a relationship. Dr. Terri’s wisdom is on point with that of our own relationship expert, Tiare Tolks, whose columns you can read here.

Interesting client approaches

Rachel Maclynn of Maclynn International shared her personal experience of lessons learned the hard way in the process of building an international luxury matchmaking brand. One interesting idea she shared was about a ’psychological contract’ with every client about the client/matchmaker relationship - everyone has different expectations, so she suggested we ask every member to agree up front whether they want brutal feedback, only useful feedback about something that you can change; or gentle feedback that protects your feelings and confidence. She also recommends clarifying preferences for check-ins—whether clients want frequent updates or only when there’s a match—and their preferred contact method and times.

Collaborating across borders

Mairead Molloy and Megan duPlessis of Berkeley International are leading the charge on inter-agency matches and collaborations. This is a fascinating and fast-growing trend, where matchmaking agencies partner with each other to find matches. The industry is collaborative and highly motivated to find matches for clients, both within and outside their membership base. We are excited about opportunities to match our clients with people in the UK and Europe - please get in touch with your matchmaker to talk about this further.

Blending offline with online matchmaking

LeMarc Thomas from LeMarc Thomas Matchmaking in Sweden is well-loved as the matchmaker on Married at First Sight Sweden. LeMarc is a warmhearted, emotionally generous person who thrives on making people feel calm and serene. His company is hybridising offline/online matchmaking by adding matchmaking expertise to an app they’ve acquired and helping people work through his ‘DIY’ matchmaking system.

Event-based matchmaking

Vanessa Antonio from the Philippines and Genevieve Gresset from the UK shared their unique, event-focused approaches to attract matches for clients. Vanessa, who works with a younger demographic, hosts pub crawls, karaoke nights, yoga, psychology/play-based activities, and workshops on finding love through relationship science—open to the public, not just members. Genevieve runs events similar to Compatico, with a mix of her own clients and the general public. Ksenia Droben of Germany and Ukraine hosts three-day retreats for singles, providing ample time for attendees to connect and move beyond initial biases. She also offered some ‘hard truths’ about common first-date missteps and advice on ‘what not to talk about’ on a first date (her tip: avoid talking about your mother or your children, that's a 3rd or 4th date thing).

Challenges faced by matchmakers worldwide

Across countries and cultures, matchmakers encounter a few universal challenges:

  • managing expectations and trying to protect clients from disappointment
  • helping people connect and not put each other off on date one
  • An imbalance of men to women as per the general population.

A growing industry

Offline matchmaking is growing fast internationally - interest in matchmaking agencies has skyrocketed in the past four years and agencies are collaborating even though they compete. The consensus is that matchmaking is a timely service with huge potential to make a positive difference for many people. Matchmakers by nature are collaborative, kind networkers who thrive on connecting, sharing wisdom and working together for the common goal of matching more people.

Get matched with intention and expertise. Join Compatico and connect with people who are ready for real relationships.