If you’ve been single in Wichita any time over the past couple decades, you know it can be rough.
In 2022, Wichita was ranked the second-worst place to date behind Kansas City by Sperling’s BestPlaces. The study said that “the city is home to the least number of coffee shops per capita, leaving few good places for people to meet.”
For Kadrae Smith, finding ways to meet people organically felt impossible, especially if you live in a bubble.
“I mean, it's just really easy to get in your car, go to work and go home, or go to that same bar you always went to every single week because it's all in the same area,” Smith said. “And it's just really easy to fall into that trap of not really expanding your social circle.”
Smith hopes to change that by starting the Wichita chapter of Pitch-A-Friend, a series of events where close friends “pitch” another friend as a dating prospect through a PowerPoint presentation. Think of it as TED Talks and speed dating having a baby.
“If you have a best friend who is willing to put in the hours to create a PowerPoint presentation and then practice, rehearse it, and then present it in front of audience of people, that's an immediate green flag,” Smith said.
Here’s how it operates: If you’ve got a single friend that you want to give a little push, you can fill out a form on the Pitch-A-Friend website to give a presentation. After you’ve signed up, create a fun, 3- to 5-minute slideshow to introduce your single friend to the crowd.
It’s kind of like writing a reference letter for your best friend — except it’s for love. And for Smith, it brings back something missing from modern dating practices.
“Back in the day, it used to be referrals, …that's how you met people,” he said. “It’s like, oh, a friend of a friend, or a friend of a cousin, a friend of a co-worker is how you connected with each other. But with being more online and less out there in the community as society is, it's just harder to find that.”
Smith asks that presenters keep in mind that the event is meant to uplift your friends, not roast them.
“I know it's funny to pull them on stage and talk out their most embarrassing moments, but put their best foot forward and help them find love,” he said.
Audiences can also participate. People who attend are encouraged to wear green stickers if they’re single; red if they’re in a relationship but are here to make friends, or pink to show they’re seeking a LGBTQ+ relationship.
Smith has run one event so far, and he said the response was positive.
“Over 100 people showed up and it's just the energy of people wanting to find love, but also just have fun with it,” he said. “Then we're all wanting to meet each other.
“We all want to get off the apps, and we all want to just do it in a different way that we haven't done it in a very long time.”
The next event is June 3 at Vorshay’s Cocktail Lounge and will be in partnership with Riverfest. Smith said the event is an opportunity to engage with the community at-large.
“Part of … Pitch-A-Friend is that we are also trying to reactivate going out into the community and the community events,” he said.
“Like … having people going to local bars and … supporting local as well. That's part of the reason why we do it.”
