Singles’ events in Sydney are a mixed bag. They can be a foreign concept to those who are used to being in a relationship or finding a partner. Remember the mixers from high school? No? Exactly. The mixers in the gym are not a good place to go on a Friday night if you have a high-school sweetheart. There are pros and cons of venturing into the surreal world of forced meet-cutes and face-to-face encounters, but singles events in Sydney offer a unique avenue for meeting new people and potentially finding a connection.

The Pros

1. You will get free food and beverages. Who doesn’t like free food? You should avoid dating anyone who does not enjoy free food.

2. Dress to the nines. This is the perfect time to buy a new outfit if you have nothing nice to wear or want an excuse to shop.

3. Free entry to a bar or restaurant that you hope is nice and respectable. You can return with your friends or date if you enjoy the place. At least you tried out a different place. You didn’t spend the entire night on the couch, watching sitcom reruns, eating leftovers from three days ago, tweeting about what you saw on screen, or wondering what was wrong with your own life.

4. This can be a fun group activity with your friends. You may be bored with the same bars or hangouts. Try to make your friends feel embarrassed by making them awkwardly talk to strangers while drinking wine and eating tiny food on sticks.

5. It’s possible to bump into someone else who is making fun of the other people in the room. Together, you and your partner can make a witty comment about the person who is being a fool. You may not see your partner again or he or she could become a new friend.

6. You might just meet the one. If you lived in a romantic drama.

7. You might just meet the man to take home with you tonight for the most mind-blowing sex ever. If you lived in a porno.

8. A band may perform at an event. Even though a singles mixer isn’t the best place to see a band, especially if they only perform covers, there is still a small chance that it could be a good band. You can check them out later, at a concert. It’s likely that the lead singer will be single.

9. There are usually contests at these events, which means you can win prizes like gift cards for stores or restaurants, jewelry, tickets for shows or games or other freebies.

10. Free food and drink is always available. You will receive a lot of freebies at these events.

The Cons

1. You run out of that one great appetizer, and you want to get another serving. But you feel self-conscious because you don’t want to make a fool of yourself in front of dozens of strangers.

2. You could get food poisoning from the stuffed mushroom or the spicy baked thing which looks like a pizza bit.

3. You will always encounter that creepy old man who will try to start a conversation on several occasions. I was a Photographer for two Mix and Mingle Events, and still I had someone who could have been my mother talking me up.

4. Music will eventually be bad. The music will eventually suck, no matter if it’s a preprogrammed list, a live band or DJ. It will either be dance music, Top 40 or trashy, white girl dance songs. When that Icona Pop track plays for the millionth time, you’ll see a crowd of people jumping up and being excited. You’ll want to stab people. Please do not.

5. If you’re lucky, the open bar will soon become the worst thing about these events. Especially when drunken idiots take over.

6. You get rejected.

7. You have no choice but to be rude and reject someone. You don’t have to enjoy breaking people’s hearts unless you like it.

8. “Hello, how are you? You may bump into someone who was at school, your workplace, or a different time in your life. How are you doing? You will ask “What are you doing here?” even though you know what they are up to (single or supposedly ready to mingle). You want to escape. You hope that this person doesn’t try to get you. This person may be very attractive or interesting.

9. You bump into someone who you know has a partner. In this situation, I’d walk up and ask what is going on. I would not just decide what the status is. This needs to be exciting. Try to be a third wheel. If they are talking to someone or flirting, you can walk over to them and say, “Wow, it’s nice to see you.” Then excuse yourself, and walk away.

10. You accidentally spill something on your new outfit. Or, worse yet, one of those drunken idiots spills the umpteenth wine glass.

There is no way to win or lose at singles mixers. After reading this article or attending a few of these mixers, online dating may seem appealing.