Why we started Oh Hi
Because meeting someone shouldn't feel like a second job.
Somewhere along the way, dating turned into admin. Swipe, match, small talk in text, a week of back-and-forth, then a first drink with someone who's nothing like their photos. Or nothing at all.
Ask around and plenty of people will tell you they'd rather just meet someone in person. The trouble is the options. A loud bar where you have to cold-approach a stranger. A friend's wedding. The hope that it happens at work, which is its own problem.
Speed dating fixed this decades ago, then got a bit daggy. We think the format is brilliant: short, structured, face to face, with a built-in exit every six minutes. So we're bringing it back, done properly. Good rooms, a real host, an even mix, and an evening you'd actually look forward to.
What an evening is
Twenty-four people, one age bracket, one suburb, one weeknight. Twelve six-minute conversations, a gentle bell, and a card to tick at the end. If two people tick each other, they both get an email at 9am the next morning with a first name and an email address. That's the whole thing, and that's the point. Here's the evening, minute by minute.
What we believe
Built for women first
If the women in the room feel comfortable, the evening works for everyone. Every decision starts there: the venues, the host, the code, what gets shared.
Properly hosted
A real person at the door, introducing you, keeping time and quietly keeping an eye on things. Not a QR code and a playlist.
Small rooms
Twenty-four seats. Enough to meet twelve people, few enough that nobody gets lost at the bar.
Your details are yours
First names on the night. A first name and email for a mutual match, the next morning. Nothing else, ever.
Home by nine-ish
Weeknights, straight after work, done in two hours. Dating shouldn't eat your whole weekend.
No-drama refunds
Plans change. Cancel any time before the evening and the money comes back.
Who's behind it
Oh Hi is a small Sydney team. We choose the venues ourselves, host the evenings ourselves and answer the inbox ourselves. When you write to us, a person reads it and a person writes back.
What's next
Sydney first, across the city, the North Shore, the inner west and the east, with dedicated LGBTQ+ evenings. Melbourne, Brisbane and New Zealand after that. Want to hear when we get to your city? Join the monthly letter.
The Oh Hi team