First-Meeting™ The new way to meet your match What is a First-Meeting™? A First-Meeting™ is designed to be a short, informal, low-pressure, in-person meeting between you and your match. It's an opportunity for you to assess whether or not there's any chemistry between you, without all the time and fuss of a first date. Why should I go on a First-Meeting™? We believe that relationships with long-term potential must have both compatibility and chemistry. The compatibility part is easy to figure out: Do you have the same interests? Do you have similar lifestyles? Are you heading in the same general direction in life? But chemistry is harder to define. And really, one of the best ways to find out whether you have chemistry with someone is to meet them face-to-face. The First-Meeting™ gives you the opportunity to meet your matches in person relatively early in the process of getting to know each other. And our patent-pending scheduling system helps you set up your First-Meeting™ at a mutually convenient public place. That way, you aren't investing a lot of time and energy into a relationship that may not be going anywhere. When is the right time to send a First-Meeting™ request? This answer will be different for everyone. Some people will be ready to First-Meeting™ as soon as they reach the email stage with a match. And others will want to wait a while, sending a First-Meeting™ request only after exchanging a few emails back and forth. And, with some of your matches, you may not want to meet them for a First-Meeting™ at all. You are welcome to continue emailing with them, or to close the match altogether. It's all up to you! How long should a First-Meeting™ last? We recommend twenty to thirty minutes for a First-Meeting™. Of course, you are welcome to spend as much - or as little - time together as you like. Why do I have to fill out my First-Meeting™ Preferences? By completing your First-Meeting™ Preferences, you give our system some important information about your general availability. The First-Meeting™ Preferences form asks about your General availability. What about safety? As in any dating situation, whether you've met online or through a friend, there are certain precautions you should take before, during and after your First-Meeting™. Please review the Chemistry dating and safety tips. But, at a minimum, be sure to: Always trust your instincts. If something feels "not right", take action to remove yourself from the situation, or ask for assistance from the staff of the coffee shop or restaurant where you meet Let a friend or family member know where you're going and what time you expect to be home. Arrange your own transportation there and back. Drive yourself, take a cab, or make plans to be dropped off and picked up by a friend (not your match). If you have a cell phone, bring it with you. Think before you drink. Alcohol can impair your judgment, so take it easy, or skip it altogether. Can I suggest my own place to meet? Absolutely. You always have the option of suggesting an alternative location and/or time to the one selected by our system. We suggest, however, that you meet in a public place, like a coffee shop or restaurant. I've been invited on a First-Meeting™ but I don't feel ready yet. What should I do? Take your time - don't go on a First-Meeting™ until you feel ready. We designed this system so that you can move forward carefully and at your own pace. With every First-Meeting™ request you receive, you have the option of accepting the request or letting your match know that you're not ready for a First-Meeting™ right now, but that you'd like to continue getting to know them through email. And remember that you can tell someone you're not interested at any time, for any reason. What's next after the First-Meeting™? After your First-Meeting™ has taken place, both you and your match will be asked to provide feedback in a number of areas, such as: Did you have fun? Was there any chemistry? Was your match on time? Was your match a good listener? You'll also be asked to evaluate how accurate your match's profile and photo were. Was your match everything that you expected? And the final - and most important - question is whether you're interested in continuing to get to know your match. Once we have feedback in place from both you and your match, we'll let you know if this is something that you're both interested in pursuing, or if you should re-focus your energy on other potential matches. Will my match ever see the feedback I leave after our First-Meeting™? Your comments will not be shared directly with your match. However, in a future version of Chemistry we are planning to add a feature which would allow feedback to be shared after several First-Meeting™s. Even then, comments would not be identified individually, but would be presented as part of a general trend or accumulated responses.