#ThankYouMiami for Fun Dating Options - The VIP Singles Club

Rumor has it Miami is a terrible place for single people. My girl friends say so. My guy friends say so. Heck, even this article says so. For a city with nearly 500,000 residents and 15.7 million visitors, you would think finding a partner would be like shooting fish in a barrel. However, based on the feedback I hear from all of you, if you're looking for love, Miami is not where you want to be.

Over the last two years, I have been conducting a pretty informal observational study of why I think Miami's dating scene leaves a lot of room for improvement. Rather than launch into the War and Peace-length tirade I know I am capable of, I plan to tell you the key to improving your chances at finding love—or at least have a good time looking for it. (That said, if you are interested in hearing my thesis over drinks, prepare your liver and then reach out to me. I've organized my thoughts into a coherent, albeit long argument with supporting evidence, statistics and the works.)

Here's the secret ingredient: leave your house. Sounds simple, right? It's not. You can't just go anywhere if you want to be successful. You have to leave your house for the places, the events where you can find the type of people you want to date. The first step is to figure out what that is. For example, one of my best friends values a partner who is committed to his career, is sociable, and is looking to start a family fairly soon. The next step is to figure out where you can find that type of person. In my friend's case, a good place to start is to join a professional organization or to attend a networking event for young professionals, like the United Way happy hours.

Liquid courage: a single person's best friend.

This is Matty. He becomes very relevant in a second.

There are a ton of events in Miami and it is not always easy to whittle them down, especially if you're not sure what you're looking for. Enter The VIP Singles Club. The members-only dating social club is making it easier for smart, driven and sociable professionals ages 20 to 40 to date in Miami. For only $25 a month, members are invited to exclusive cocktail parties, dinner events, and informal networking socials where they can meet likeminded people across a wide range of industries.

The VIP Singles Club launched in November with an intimate party at Arketekt in Brickell, where the champagne and the conversation flowed like the salmon of capistrano. Beyond proving the value of its modest membership fee with free drinks and bites, the club demonstrated its ability to connect (and re-connect) people. I went to check it out and ran into no less than five people that I know and love from different walks of life, including Matty, my long lost friend of 12 years who I monopolized the entire evening and who is featured in every single photo on this post.

I was out of town tonight during the dinner party at Drunken Dragon, but they will be hosting after-work drinks at The Foxhole on December 1 from 8 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. and I plan to be there for the one-hour open bar and networking. (Like I said, you get your money's worth.) More importantly, single friends, this is your chance to meet quality people. May the dating odds be ever in your favor!

Me aggressively accosting and monopolizing Matty at The VIP Singles Club launch. If you want to be successful at dating, don't do this.

Me monopolizing Matty's friends and preaching endlessly about how Miami can survive sea level rise. If you want to be successful at dating, also don't do this.

Images via Photoshop Miami