# Singles event

Relationships (Outline) :
Types
Genetic or adoptive
Kinship
Family
Parent
father
mother
Grandparent
Sibling
Cousin
By marriage
Spouse
Husband
Wife
Open marriage
Polygamy
Polyandry
Polygyny
Group marriage
Mixed-orientation
Partner(s)
Significant other
Boyfriend
Girlfriend
Cohabitation
Same-sex
Life partner
Queerplatonic
Friendship (romantic / cross-sex / zone)
Intimate and sexual
Casual
Monogamy
Non-monogamy
Mutual monogamy
Polyamory
Polyfidelity
Cicisbeo
Concubinage
Courtesan
Mistress :
Activities
Bonding
Courtship
Dating
Engagement
Bachelor's Day
Mating
Meet market
Romance
Singles event
Wedding :
Endings
Breakup
Legal/marital separation
Annulment
Divorce
Widowhood :
Emotions and feelings
Affinity
Attachment
Intimacy
Jealousy
Limerence
Love
Platonic
Unconditional
Passion
Sexuality :
Practices
Bride price
dower
dowry
service
Hypergamy
Infidelity
Sexual activity
Transgression
Repression :
Abuse
Child
Dating
Domestic
Elderly
Narcissistic parent
Power and control
Stalking :
vte :
A singles' event is an activity or program made available specifically to the romantically unattached, often with the underlying or explicit purpose of fostering dating or relationships among attendees.
A singles event with a cocktail party-type atmosphere is also sometimes referred to as a mixer.

## Logistics

Singles' events are frequently run by organizations focused on building stability in their areas, such as religious organizations and community groups.
Some local businesses, sports teams, and cultural establishments also hold singles events.
The themes of singles events can cover a broad spectrum. These can include, for example, ski trips, Academy Award viewing parties, dinners, holiday parties, art gallery visits, and Valentine's Day mixers.
Some of the most strongly attended such events are the Christmas Eve parties targeted at young Jewish singles in major cities in North America, particularly the Matzo Ball and its large city competitors.
Singles' events have been an area of particular growth in singles-related commerce.

## Praise

Singles events have been praised as "ideal settings for meeting people" because attendees are ostensibly present to meet someone and are open to the idea of becoming romantically attached.

## Criticisms
### General

The attendees of singles events have been criticized as "needy folks without a lot to offer". Dating via religious-sponsored singles events has been criticized for fostering invasion of daters' privacy and undue expectations. Sex ratios of singles events have been criticized, with many either having too many women or too many men depending on location or targeted race, age, and income groups. As a result, many events often have a policy to even out sex ratios before the event starts.

### Meet/meat market

Singles events, including those organized by religious organizations, have been criticized for frequently being meet/meat markets—places where attendees are rapidly sizing up members of the opposite sex with objectifying criteria, such as attractiveness, wealth, and fashion sense, before taking the time to get to know attendees on a deeper level.
By the 1970s, singles events had developed a reputation as a "ritual of lies and mistrust", replete with men in search of casual sex, cold and unfriendly women, and frequent misunderstandings.
The nature of meet markets has changed dramatically since the 1980s, becoming more inviting, and the term itself has largely become value neutral or positive.

### Naming and 'Young Professionals' events

The stigma that developed in the 1970s around singles events led some organizations to switch to the euphemism "young professionals events". (However other organizations specifically for young professionals insist that they are not "singles groups".)