--- title: "DII Community Desk | Dating Industry Insights" url: https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/author/community description: "The DII Community Desk covers people, leadership moves, events and community developments across the dating industry." lang: en-GB --- Trending Club Introductions' Mid-Market Gamble: Filling America's Matchmaking Gap: https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/club-introductions-affordable-matchmaking-us | Match Group's Upward Pivot: A Bet on Intent Over Identity: https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/christian-dating-app-upward-marriage-focus | Dating Apps' Safety Crisis: A Regulatory Reckoning Looms: https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/99-percent-women-abuse-dating-platforms | Facebook Dating's Quiet Dominance: A Free Model Disrupts Paid Platforms: https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/facebook-dating-gains-ground-dating-apps | Australia's Digital Duty of Care: A Death Knell for Self-Regulation in Dating Apps: https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/australia-new-duty-care-dating-apps # DII Community Desk DII Community Desk The DII Community Desk covers people, leadership moves, events and community developments across the dating industry. ## Articles Community & Directory ### Club Introductions' Mid-Market Gamble: Filling America's Matchmaking Gap Club Introductions charges £1,000 ($1,250) for six months of matchmaking, positioning between free dating apps and $50,0… Wednesday 23rd September (18 hours ago) · 1 min read Read → https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/club-introductions-affordable-matchmaking-us Community & Directory ### Courtland Brooks Buys GDI: Editorial Independence or Influence Play? Mark Brooks has acquired Global Dating Insights through his consultancy Courtland Brooks, consolidating advisory and med… Wednesday 16th September · 1 min read Read → https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/global-dating-insights-acquisition-courtland-brooks Community & Directory ### Mattr's 'Pitch My Queer Bestie' Event: Social Proof as Product Strategy Mattr hosted a sold-out 'Pitch My Queer Bestie' event in Edinburgh on 31 July in partnership with Diageo and Edinburgh P… Wednesday 12th August · 1 min read Read → https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/mattr-queer-dating-event-edinburgh Community & Directory ### High Intent Media: Infrastructure Savior or Editorial Conflict? High Intent Media launches as a holding company offering white-label dating platform infrastructure, payment rails, mode… Wednesday 22nd July · 1 min read Read → https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/dating-industry-veteran-bill-alena-launches Community & Directory ### Lucille McCart's Leap: What Her Move to Overtone Signals for Bumble Lucille McCart, former Global Director of Corporate Communications at Bumble, has joined AI matchmaking startup Overtone… Thursday 16th July · 1 min read Read → https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/lucille-mccard-joins-overtone-startup Community & Directory ### Michael O'Sullivan's Playbook: Can White-Label Apps Survive the AI Era? HubPeople's white-label platform powers approximately 4,000 dating apps that have collectively generated over $100 milli… Friday 3rd July · 1 min read Read → https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/hubpeople-founder-guide-growing-dating-apps Community & Directory ### Jigsaw's Offline Pivot: A Bold Bet Against AI-Driven Dating Jigsaw Dating now runs over 200 in-person events monthly across more than 30 US cities, claiming to be America's largest… Wednesday 17th June · 1 min read Read → https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/jigsaw-dating-major-pivot-irl-hybrid Community & Directory ### White Label Dating's Relaunch: Anonymity Isn't a Strategy, It's a Red Flag White Label Dating collapsed into administration in 2024 with approximately £3 million in liabilities HubPeople founder … Tuesday 16th June · 1 min read Read → https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/white-label-dating-surprising-relaunch-collapse Community & Directory ### Grindr's 'Bussy' Tour: A Bold Bet on Offline Engagement Amid App Fatigue Grindr's 'Bussy' vehicle will tour five European cities during Pride season 2026: London, Cannes, Amsterdam, Brighton, a… Friday 29th May · 1 min read Read → https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/grindr-begins-2026-rides-again-tour Community & Directory ### Hinge's $200K French Gamble: Community Aid or Brand Play? Hinge has donated $2.3M globally through its One More Hour programme since launching in the US in 2024 62% of French Gen… Wednesday 20th May · 1 min read Read → https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/hinge-expands-one-more-hour-france Community & Directory ### Hinge's New Campaign: Marketing Burnout or Market Reality? Match Group's Hinge launches 'Can't Believe We Met on Hinge' campaign featuring real couples discussing emotional exhaus… Friday 15th May · 1 min read Read → https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/hinge-acknowledges-difficulties-of-dating Community & Directory ### Chapter 2 and WidowsFire: Niche Dating Done Right or a Limited Play? Chapter 2 Dating has grown to 25,000 users across its dual-platform model for bereaved singles Approximately 3.5 million… Friday 8th May · 1 min read Read → https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/chapter-2-dating-hits-25000-users Community & Directory ### Grindr's Chemsex Initiative: Community Health or Brand Play? 19% of LGBTQ+ people have lost someone to drug-related death, according to Grindr-commissioned research 28% report havin… Friday 17th April · 1 min read Read → https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/grindr-for-equality-health-series-launch Community & Directory ### Grindr's White House Soiree: Advocacy or Access Theatre? Grindr will host its first official White House Correspondents' Dinner side event on 25th April 2026 Grindr for Equality… Tuesday 14th April · 1 min read Read → https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/grindr-hosts-white-house-correspondents-event Community & Directory ### Lorraine Adams' AI-Powered Platform: Independent Guide or Affiliate Play? Lorraine Adams, who introduced speed dating to the UK in the 1990s, has relaunched her dating services directory as an A… Tuesday 31st March · 1 min read Read → https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/your-singles-hub-ai-dating-platform Community & Directory ### Viral YouTube Series Turns Dating App: A Gimmick or Genuine Fix? YouTube creators behind 'Pop the Balloon or Find Love' launched a dating app in February targeting Black singles The app… Monday 23rd March · 1 min read Read → https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/viral-pop-the-balloon-dating-app Community & Directory ### Fortitude Foundation: Ross Williams' Bet on Normalizing Failure in Dating Tech Venntro Media Group collapsed in August 2024 despite generating approximately £40 million in annual revenue after 21 yea… Friday 13th March · 1 min read Read → https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/ross-williams-launches-fortitude-foundation Community & Directory ### India's Running Clubs: The Real Threat to Dating Apps 60% of Indian running club participants cite 'meeting people' as primary motivation over fitness goals Membership in Del… Wednesday 4th March · 1 min read Read → https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/fitness-apps-hotbed-for-online-dating Community & Directory ### TikTok's Vegas LIVE Push Is Its Clearest Attempt Yet to Crack Western Monetisation TikTok Live Fest scheduled for 12 February 2026 at Planet Hollywood, Las Vegas, headlined by Demi Lovato and hosted by E… Monday 2nd February · 1 min read Read → https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/tiktok-live-fest-las-vegas-showcase Community & Directory ### Surf Dating's HYROX Play: A Fitness Fix for Swipe Fatigue? Surf Dating has secured official partnership status with HYROX, the mass-participation fitness racing format, to host in… Wednesday 14th January · 1 min read Read → https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/surf-dating-announced-as-hyrox-partner Community & Directory ### Aisle's Anti-Swipe Campaign: A Niche Bet in India's Dating Market Aisle Network claims 97% of Indian women on its platform prioritise commitment over casual dating, compared to 80% of me… Friday 9th January · 1 min read Read → https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/aisle-network-meaningful-dating-expansion Community & Directory ### Widowed Dating Is a Growing Market. How Apps Treat It Will Define Whether They Deserve It. 4.2 per cent of Londoners are widowed, representing approximately 340,000 individuals in the capital alone Terminal diag… Thursday 27th November · 1 min read Read → https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/chapter-2-dating-hosts-widowed-events Community & Directory ### Blazr's Cannabis Bet: Can Sergeev Solve Vertical Dating's Liquidity Trap? Blazr, a cannabis-focused dating platform, has appointed Alex Sergeev as co-founder and head of growth Sergeev brings 15… Wednesday 26th November · 1 min read Read → https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/420-dating-app-blazr-growth-executive Community & Directory ### Feeld's Print Gamble: Cultural Credibility Over User Growth Feeld has published its second issue of AFM magazine in under a year, featuring photographer Nan Goldin and novelist Cat… Tuesday 11th November · 1 min read Read → https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/feeld-releases-second-issue-afm Community & Directory ### Nicky Wake's Incubator: Democratizing or Diluting Dating Diversity? Nicky Wake has acquired a white-label dating platform and converted it into an incubator for niche dating app founders T… Thursday 30th October · 1 min read Read → https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/dating-entrepreneur-nicky-wake-incubator Community & Directory ### GDI's 2027 Conference Dates: A Strategic Hold or Premature Gamble? Global Dating Insights has announced conference dates through 2027, providing a 24-month booking window for New York and… Friday 17th October · 1 min read Read → https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/gdi-2026-2027-conferences-updated-dates Community & Directory ### Global Dating Conference: Compliance Takes Center Stage, Growth Playbooks Retired Global Dating Conference takes place in London 26-27 March, following merger of Global Dating Insights and Social Discov… Friday 5th September · 1 min read Read → https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/gdi-european-conference-full-agenda Community & Directory ### Mark Brooks Joins GDI: A Consultant's Dual Role Raises Eyebrows Mark Brooks, CEO of dating consultancy Courtland Brooks, has been appointed Partnerships Manager at Global Dating Insigh… Wednesday 20th August · 1 min read Read → https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/mark-brooks-joins-global-dating-insights Community & Directory ### Women in Dating Report: A Litmus Test for Industry Gender Equity Global Dating Insights has extended nominations for its Women in Dating Special Report 2025 until 22 August, giving dati… Monday 18th August · 1 min read Read → https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/gdi-women-dating-special-report-2025 Community & Directory ### Women in Dating 2025: Will GDI's Report Reflect Real Influence or PR Spin? Global Dating Insights' 2025 Women in Dating Special Report nominations run through 18 August, profiling female executiv… Tuesday 5th August · 1 min read Read → https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/gdi-women-in-dating-special-report Community & Directory ### PowerPoint Matchmaking: A Warning Signal for Dating Apps 75% of Gen Z users reported feeling burnt out by dating apps in a 2024 Forbes survey, citing repetitive interactions and… Monday 21st July · 1 min read Read → https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/dating-pitch-events-gain-popularity-australia Community & Directory ### Cherry Blossoms at 51: The Dating Brand That Outlasted the Internet Cherry Blossoms Dating has operated continuously since 1974, making it 51 years old—older than Match Group and the term … Thursday 3rd July · 1 min read Read → https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/cherry-blossoms-dating-celebrates-51-years Community & Directory ### Feeld's Kesha Partnership: Cultural Movement or Marketing Masquerade? Feeld has reported 30% user growth from mainstream 'vanilla' users whilst maintaining its positioning as a kink-friendly… Tuesday 1st July · 1 min read Read → https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/feeld-partners-kesha-sex-positive-freedomme Community & Directory ### BLK's Pride Campaign: A Risky Bet on Allyship and Honesty 61% of straight Black men on BLK claim they've never avoided friendships with queer Black men, yet over half wouldn't in… Thursday 19th June · 1 min read Read → https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/blk-campaign-bonds-straight-queer-users Community & Directory ### The Feels: Monetising App Fatigue with Somatic Dating The Feels charges $49 per monthly singles event in Los Angeles, using somatic dating techniques borrowed from trauma the… Monday 16th June · 1 min read Read → https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/the-feels-touchy-feely-singles-mixers Community & Directory ### Yuzu's Offline Bet: Community Moat or Just AAPI Month Marketing? Yuzu is running multi-city in-person events across the US targeting Asian and Pacific Islander singles as core to its va… Tuesday 27th May · 1 min read Read → https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/yuzu-app-builds-offline-community-aapi Community & Directory ### Thursday's MENA Expansion: A Bold Bet on Offline Dating's Global Viability Thursday has sold nearly 800 tickets for its inaugural Dubai event in mid-January, marking its first Middle East expansi… Tuesday 20th May · 1 min read Read → https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/thursday-expands-mena-dubai-launch Community & Directory ### Lox Club's London Launch: Can Exclusivity Outpace Tradition? The Lox Club launches in London on 30 January targeting Jewish and "Jew-ish" singles after four years of US operations L… Tuesday 6th May · 1 min read Read → https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/elite-jewish-american-dating-app Community & Directory ### GDI's £750 Early Bird Discount: A Strategic Play for Decision-Makers Early bird tickets for GDI's NYC conference priced at £249 until 31 January 2025, rising 300% to £999 thereafter Event s… Thursday 1st May · 1 min read Read → https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/love-connections-dating-conference-nyc-2026 Community & Directory ### The Lox Club's London Launch: A Test of Cultural Exportability The Lox Club launches in London next week, marking its first international expansion since launching in the US four year… Wednesday 9th April · 1 min read Read → https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/exclusive-jewish-dating-app-expands-london Community & Directory ### POPCORN's Rebrand: Can a Sex-Dating App Truly Pivot to Women's Safety? POPCORN, a dating platform rebranding from its pseudonymous sex-dating origins, has launched a bilingual survey on women… Friday 4th April · 1 min read Read → https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/popcorn-women-first-online-dating-survey Community & Directory ### GDI's London Pricing Gap: A Vendor Subsidy or Strategic Play? Global Dating Insights London conference scheduled for 17 September at Glaziers Hall with early bird pricing until 30 Ma… Thursday 3rd April · 1 min read Read → https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/official-video-global-dating-insights-ny Community & Directory ### Feeld's Kesha Partnership: Marketing Masquerading as Activism? Feeld partnered with Kesha for SXSW panel on authenticity and non-traditional relationships, positioning the singer as b… Monday 24th March · 1 min read Read → https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/feeld-partners-kesha-dating-authenticity Community & Directory ### Grindr's Festival Takeover: A Survival Strategy Beyond Digital Grindr reported 14.0 million monthly active users in Q4 2024, representing 8% year-on-year growth Average revenue per pa… Monday 17th March · 1 min read Read → https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/grindr-europe-events-tour-gaybourhood Community & Directory ### AI Dominates GDI's 2025 Power Book. But Is Influence Just Visibility? More than half of the 16 leaders named in Global Dating Insights' 2025 Power Book are building or overseeing AI-driven p… Sunday 16th February · 1 min read Read → https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/download-gdi-2025-power-book Community & Directory ### Chispa's Off-Broadway Gamble: Cultural Marketing or Survival Tactic? Chispa staged a one-night off-Broadway Romeo and Juliet production reimagined through a Latino lens in Washington Height… Friday 14th February · 1 min read Read → https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/chispa-launches-amor-with-no-bs Community & Directory ### Oscar Mayer's Sizzl: A Case Study in Branded Dating Apps That Fizzled Oscar Mayer's bacon-themed dating app Sizzl launched in 2015 with no disclosed user metrics or performance data Tinder r… Tuesday 21st January · 1 min read Read → https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/whatever-happened-to-sizzl-app Community & Directory ### Dating and Social Discovery Merge Events: A Market Convergence Signal Global Dating Insights and Social Discovery Insights are merging into three combined regional events for 2025 in North A… Wednesday 4th December · 1 min read Read → https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/gdi-sdi-conferences-unite-2025 Community & Directory ### Dating Industry's Parliament Gathering: Networking or Necessity? Global Dating Insights' annual Christmas networking event at Houses of Parliament takes place 5 December, with final tic… Tuesday 3rd December · 1 min read Read → https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/gdi-christmas-party-begins-soon Community & Directory ### Mumbai's Dating Conference: A Moat-Building Exercise Without Silicon Valley India's dating app market has grown to an estimated $100M annually with 25-30% year-on-year growth rates Local platforms… Thursday 14th November · 1 min read Read → https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/gdi-mumbai-2024-full-agenda Community & Directory ### GDI's Mumbai Move: Betting on India's Matchmaking Model Over Western Norms India's online matchmaking market reached $323M in 2023 and is projected to hit $1.2B by 2028 Arranged marriages still a… Tuesday 5th November · 1 min read Read → https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/gdi-mumbai-2024-speaker-lineup-tickets Community & Directory ### Grindr's 'Daddy Lessons': Community Service or Brand Play? Grindr launched 'Daddy Lessons', a fortnightly educational video series on queer history, in October with plans initiall… Monday 28th October · 1 min read Read → https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/grindr-daddy-lessons-queer-history-series Community & Directory ### Feeld's Print Magazine: A Lifestyle Pivot or Costly Brand Theatre? Feeld is launching 'A Fucking Magazine', a biannual print publication featuring essays, poetry, and photography explorin… Thursday 17th October · 1 min read Read → https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/feeld-launches-print-magazine-modern-sexuality Community & Directory ### Feeld's Identity Crisis: Growth or Community Integrity? Feeld raised $5.2M in Series A funding in 2019 and expanded to 30 employees by 2023 Dating app funding in the 'alternati… Thursday 26th September · 1 min read Read → https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/feeld-reputation-sparks-vanilla-user-growth Community & Directory ### Women in Dating Relaunch: A Sign of Progress or Persistent Imbalance? Karima Ben Abdelmalek became CEO of happn in January 2025 and will headline a women's networking event by September Matc… Monday 9th September · 1 min read Read → https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/join-female-industry-leaders-event Community & Directory ### Social Discovery Group's Certification: Culture or Cover? Social Discovery Group operates over 60 dating platforms serving approximately 500 million users globally The company se… Monday 9th September · 1 min read Read → https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/social-discovery-group-earns-great-certification Community & Directory ### Tinder's Ice Cream Socials: A Retention Gamble or Strategic Shift? Tinder's Single Summer Series has run consistently for 12 months since May 2023, across New York, Los Angeles, Miami, an… Wednesday 21st August · 1 min read Read → https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/tinder-summer-singles-series-social-events Community & Directory ### International Matchmaking: The Mail-Order Bride Industry's Rebrand International matchmaking sector estimated to reach $3.2bn globally, spanning matchmaking, visa services, and romance to… Wednesday 7th August · 1 min read Read → https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/finding-love-matchmakers-surge-decade Community & Directory ### Chispa's College Tour: Match Group's Bet on Experiential Marketing Tinder's direct revenue dropped 8% year-on-year in Q4 2024 according to Match Group's February earnings call Chispa clai… Wednesday 17th July · 1 min read Read → https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/chispa-latino-dating-app-partnership-tour Community & Directory ### GDI's London Line-Up: Betting on Niche Over Mainstream Global Dating Insights London conference set for 25 September at The Dilly Hotel with four challenger brands confirmed a… Monday 15th July · 1 min read Read → https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/global-dating-insights-london-conference-speakers Community & Directory ### happn's Brand Pivot: Sports and 'Societal Conversations' Over Product Claire Rénier promoted to Head of Communication at happn after four years managing press relations New role focuses on p… Thursday 20th June · 1 min read Read → https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/claire-renier-appointed-head-communication Community & Directory ### So Syncd's Pivot: A Retreat from Personality-Based Dating? So Syncd, a Myers-Briggs-based dating app launched in 2020, shut down in May after facilitating 5,700 relationships over… Monday 17th June · 1 min read Read → https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/sisters-launch-so-syncd-personality-tests Community & Directory ### Tinder's Runna Partnership: Borrowed Credibility or Genuine Strategy? Tinder is hosting free 5K running events across London in June and July in partnership with running app Runna Match Grou… Tuesday 4th June · 1 min read Read → https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/tinder-runna-launches-solemates-run ## Structured data ```json [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Person", "name": "DII Community Desk", "url": "https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/author/community", "description": "The DII Community Desk covers people, leadership moves, events and community developments across the dating industry." }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "DII Community Desk" } ] } ] ```