Asian Dinner Club

For singletons chained to their careers or hanging out in a social circle of ‘smug married’s’, dating events and websites are no longer a taboo subject. In fact 4.7million Brits admit to having used an online dating service this year and 1 in 5 met their spouse in this way.

But with so many tales of the gorgeous friend ‘who met his or her perfect match online’ told over a Friday night glass of wine or post-football pint, where is it all going wrong for the 15 million Brits who remain unattached?

We are often told dating is a numbers game but a new breed of niche sites and services is emerging; whereby the membership is restricted and targeted to a particular demographic or lifestyle, to ensure more suitable candidates and cut through the ‘dating spam’.

A forerunner of this trend is Asian Dinner Club which offers monthly events - based on the familiar principles of business networking and supper clubs - and caters for a pool of single, Asian investment bankers, lawyers and business executives.

Having established a core membership of 500, Asian Dinner Club is now launching its ‘dating concierge’ service - a premier level membership for the super-successful and super-choosy.

Founded by serial entrepreneur and self-confessed match-maker Salima Manji in 2008, Asian Dinner Club’s events and personal profiles are accessed online but what sets the service apart is the personalised and friendly advice, which is just a phone call away.

A glamorous and successful mum of two who embodies the Sex and the City generation, Manji had tried every dating fad going only to be disappointed time after time. So rather than moan to her girlfriends about it she quit her career in Investment Banking and founded Asian Dinner Club.

DRINKS & DINNER

Asian Dinner Club’s monthly drinks receptions bring together up to 50 members in luxurious settings such as The Sanderson and Sketch. The gatherings are a means for single, Asian men and women to network away from the work environment and check out potential partners without the pressure of formats like speed dating.

For a more tailored approach, Asian Dinner Club hosts monthly dinner parties at the likes of Asia de Cuba and Cafe de Paris; where the seating plan (8 men and 8 women) is carefully facilitated and the guests moved ‘musical chairs’ style at every course to keep the conversation flowing.

Considering that 62% of daters list ‘similar dining habits’ as their top compatibility trait, it’s clear to see why the format has been so successful.

All applicants to Asian Dinner Club are vetted to cut out the ‘recreational daters’ who are looking for quick and easy flings. ‘Our members don’t have space in their schedules for time wasters’ says Manji. ‘We have a flexible programme of events held at premium venues to ensure we attract a like-minded, professional crowd and a regular influx of new faces’.

PREMIUM & PERSONALISED

Based on feedback from its membership, Asian Dinner Club is now rolling out a Premier level ‘dating concierge’ for which members pay a 6 monthly fee and receive one-to-one introductions to a hand-picked selection of potential matches. Asian Dinner Club’s dating PA’s take care of every detail, from the restaurant reservation to follow up flowers.

The package also includes a host of exclusive benefits like VIP access to events and luxury shopping, spa and sporting experiences.

Manji explains: ‘It may sound a touch un-romantic, but our members are high-fliers with demanding careers. They deserve happiness, just the same as the rest of us, but they require a little more personal attention in order to attain it.’

visit http://www.asiandinnerclub.com for more info

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