A New Trend in Dating: Pitching Friends for Love
In a world where dating apps have become the norm, a fresh and unconventional trend is gaining traction among young Australians. This new approach involves friends stepping up to help their single mates find love by presenting them in a unique way at social events. The idea is simple yet effective—instead of relying on swiping and superficial profiles, individuals are being pitched by their closest friends in a PowerPoint-style presentation.
This trend has emerged as a response to the growing frustration with traditional dating platforms. Many young people feel overwhelmed by the endless scrolling, lackluster conversations, and disappointing meet-ups that often come with online dating. According to a Forbes study from 2024, 75% of Gen Z singles who used popular dating apps like Tinder, Hinge, or Bumble reported feeling burnt out and struggling to form genuine connections.
Matchmaking company Pitch Perfect Match has been at the forefront of this movement, hosting events where friends can showcase their single friends. Co-founder Selani Adikari describes the concept as a game-changer, highlighting that friends know someone best and can highlight their qualities in a way that might not be comfortable for the individual themselves.
“Friends are better matchmakers for two reasons—they know you best and they’re not afraid to boast about you in ways that you might not feel comfortable with,” she explained. “A person’s friendships are a direct reflection of themselves, so when your friends go up to pitch you, someone watching can get a vibe for who you are through your friends, and that’s very difficult on dating apps.”
The format of these events is straightforward yet refreshing. Instead of self-promoting, singles are introduced by their friends in a three-to-four-minute PowerPoint-style presentation. Adikari emphasized that the friend advantage brings honest charm and authenticity, challenging the superficial swiping culture and making people feel more hopeful about love.
Forrester’s in Surry Hills recently launched the idea on Valentine’s Day and declared it a success. The next event is scheduled for September 18. Events and reservations manager Sarah Cheney shared her thoughts on the trend, noting that the concept was inspired by similar ‘Pitch Your Friend’ nights popping up across the US.
Cheney agreed that friends make better matchmakers than dating apps and algorithms. “A friend knows you; an app doesn’t,” she said. “Apps rely on hard data filters like age and height, while a friend sees the full picture—your personality, your values, your quirks.”
She also pointed out that dating apps often lead to disappointment because people tend to portray themselves as they aspire to be rather than who they truly are. “This is why so many first dates are such flops—the person you fell in love with on the app isn’t the same as the one you met for a coffee, dinner, or at the park.”
Cheney noted that events bringing strangers together in real life are becoming rarer, especially among younger generations who have grown up with social media as their primary source of connection. “They crave more than likes and DMs,” she said. “I think this trend is also challenging the way we tend to judge a book by its cover when using dating apps.”
She added that the experience of watching a friend pitch their bestie is different from swiping left on someone. “You have to watch and listen to the whole thing. By the end of the pitch, I think most people find that their initial judgment of that person was wrong and it opens them up to be more curious and less reactionary.”
While it’s still early days, Forrester’s has even offered to be a free wedding venue for any couple that meets and gets married after attending their inaugural event. Scientist-turned-love-guru Samantha Jayne praised the concept for revealing authentic multidimensional qualities missing from the swiping culture.
“When your friends promote you, it’s real. It shows the connections you have in your life and you are a great person important enough in someone’s life that they have gone to the effort of creating a pitch for you,” she said. “The energy of a friend who believes in you is contagious. It invites the audience and potential dates to feel something—connection, curiosity, empathy.”
Jayne also highlighted a drastic decline in singles using dating apps. She noted that while the technology itself is useful, the biggest issue lies in how people use it. “However, there are effective ways to make the apps work if you know how to use them.”
