Matchmaking for Malayalee Christians
About
At Fall in MalayaLove (FIM), our mission is to bring together the Malayalee Christian community by providing a platform for individuals with shared cultural backgrounds to discover potential romantic relationships. This objective guides our efforts in organizing in-person speed dating events, matchmaking activities, and other related initiatives and strategies.
We hosted our inaugural matchmaking event on September 9, 2023 in Dallas, TX. Participants flew in from over 47 U.S. cities to attend. The success of our first event garnered several press features throughout Malayalam news media, including the Malaya Manorama.
Our 2nd event was held on June 1, 2024 in Brooklyn, NY.
To stay informed on upcoming events, subscribe to our mailing list above or follow us on Instagram at @fallinmalayalove.
Event Highlights
Icebreaker Games
You’ll be nervous, makes sense. So we’ll lighten the mood and calm those nerves with some super fun icebreaker activities.
1:1 Speed Dating
Timed speed dating rounds where you’ll have the opportunity to spend a few minutes getting to know the other. All speed date pairings will factor in each other’s dating preferences shared in the application forms.
Raffles & Prizes
The classic Malayalee activities for a fun night.
Dinner
Don’t worry about food, we have you covered.
Drinks
We have you covered.
Optional Outings
We’ll organize an optional late Saturday night gathering as well as a Sunday brunch to give participants more time to mingle and keep the vibes going.
The Team
Matt George is the comedian behind the satire comedy account @mallutrump. Julie George (no relation) is the Host of the The Brown Girl Podcast.
Fueled by a shared passion for community engagement, they co-founded Fall in MalayaLove (FIM) after recognizing the strong desire from the Malayalee Christian community for community-centric dating, while acknowledging the challenges of geographical distances, online dating fatigue, and lack of Malayalee Christian representation at the various South Asian dating conventions and events that existed,
Their goal is to curate experiences and opportunities exclusively for our community that help bridge these gaps.
Since launching our inaugural event, the FIM team has expanded to include Zeby Poycattle and Soumya Abraham, who have come on board as the Director of Technology and Operations Coordinator, respectively.
Matt George
Co-founder & CEO
@mallutrump
Julie George
Co-founder & COO
@thejuliegeorge
Zeby Poycattle
Director of Technology
@zebpoy
Soumya Abraham
Operations Coordinator
@soumya.abraham19
FAQs
What exactly is speed dating?
It’s like the dating equivalent of a crash course – a quick, efficient way to meet a lot of new people in a short amount of time. Each participant will have a few minutes to speak with each potential match before moving on to the next one. At the conclusion of the event, all speed daters will be asked to complete a form to indicate which of their speed dates they are interested in continuing to get to know. Once all data has been collected and analyzed, participants with “mutual matches” will receive each other’s contact information in an email 1-3 days post event.
Where and when will the event take place?
The 2nd FIM speed dating event will take place on Saturday, June 1, 2024 in Brooklyn, New York. Venue address and details will be shared with confirmed ticket holders.
How should I plan to travel if I am out of town?
We encourage individuals to fly into any New York City airport either Friday evening or Saturday morning. The speed dating event will begin on Saturday at 5 PM EST. Please note that due to the nature of facilitating logistics of over 1,000 individual speed dates, latecomers will not be admitted. We encourage participants to identify a departure flight time on Sunday evening after 6 PM EST in order to accommodate enough flexibility to attend the Sunday group gathering.
Will this event be open to all church denominations?
Yes! We welcome anyone who identifies as Malayalee Christian, regardless of their denomination.
What will the price of event tickets be?
The standard price of the event ticket will be $349. This ticket will include all costs of dinner, drinks, venue, and all forms of entertainment, including an afterparty. We will offer various promotions for those who submit their application
Is a hotel included in the price of the event ticket?
Hotel is not included in the price of the event ticket. We will reserve a room block at a nearby hotel and share details to invited guests to book their rooms directly with the hotel.
What are all the activities I can expect from attending this event?
The primary speed dating event will span around 5 hours, during which specific areas of the venue will be allocated for speed dating sessions and another area for games, ice-breakers, and various entertainment activities. Participants will receive a schedule outlining their speed dating sessions. Outside of these sessions, attendees can socialize in the entertainment area. Furthermore, an optional Saturday late night gathering will be arranged, along with an optional Sunday afternoon gathering to conclude the weekend. These optional events are a great way to continue to mingle and keep the vibes going.
What age groups are eligible to participate?
We’ll be taking into account everyone’s dating preferences and criteria from the Application Forms to determine a suitable age range for the event.
Is the event an “open invite”?
No, this event is NOT an open invite. All individuals must complete the application form, and invitations to purchase tickets will be extended following a selection process. Please see the next question for more details.
How are attendees selected?
The selection process will be largely demand-driven and influenced by the data we collect. Speed Dating thrives on openness; the more open an applicant identifies themselves as, the higher their chances of receiving an invitation.
While we would love to accommodate all applicants, the reality of dating requires a level of curation to ensure compatibility amongst speed daters. e.g., A great applicant who would have zero or one match based on the criteria they shared would not be a good fit for the event.
This approach is done to ensure the highest success at the event and to improve the experience for all in attendance.
The selection process carefully considers various factors, including age, gender, geography, dating intentions, preferences for children, denomination & denomination preferences, dealbreakers, and other information identified in the application forms.
How will you ensure quality matches for this event?
We will do our best to screen applicants, including a social media and online presence sweep, to prevent any unsavory characters from attending the event. Additionally, our 1:1 male-to-female ratio policy will help ensure a balanced and enjoyable event for all.
What happens if I don't find a match during the speed dating event?
We’ll be organizing an optional nighttime gathering after the main speed dating event on Saturday night, as well as another optional gathering on Sunday afternoon. These optional events are a great way to continue to mingle and keep the vibes going.
What was the outcome of the first FIM event in 2023?
At the first FIM event held in Dallas, TX in September 2023, 65% of participants had at least 1 mutual match (at the end of the event, participants completed forms to indicate which of their speed dates they had interest in, and mutual matches were subsequently provided with each other’s contact details).
When we followed up four months later, our check-in revealed that 1 couple had established a confirmed relationship, with another potential pair still exploring their connection.
Furthermore, 45% of respondents shared that they had formed meaningful friendships from the event.