Want friends? RSVP first: Why more people are signing up to experience something

Social media feeds have lately turned into event calendars mdash scroll for five minutes and there is an ad inviting you to a coffee rave a run club event a speed friending or a conversation with strangers While all of these events are excellent opportunities to go out and network they are usually heavily paywalled When you click on the ads they take you to event sites that ask you to pay Rs 200 to Rs 5000 It does feel a little offputting when one looks at the broader picture and realises that there is a fee you have to pay to merely meet new people or to make new friends In such a case it becomes natural to wonder mdash are we so starved for real connection in the era of social media that we are falling for itSachin Shanbhag and Amanda DrsquosouzaA lot of this has been noticeable after the pandemic ended ldquoAfter too much time spent on online meetings and endless scrolling people realised they prefer reallife interactionsrdquo says Saurav Arya a 40yearold who founded Small World a company that organises events for people to meet and interact Simultaneously social media began to turn everything into an ldquoaestheticrdquo mdash meet ups had to take place in boujee cafes with expensive coffee and curated playlists and people thus began chasing the vibes Daily interactions did not just need to feel good any more they also needed to look goodResearchers Radoslav Baltezarevi and Ivana Baltezarevic in their 2024 paper on the ldquoexperience economyrdquo also mention how consumersrsquo likes and dislikes are shaped by experiences Consumers they say are willing to pay for moments that are memorable even if shortlived In this way the purchase of experiences also becomes more valuable than material purchasesSmall World is a brand that organises paid eventsWhen the demand for these curated vibes grows brands know exactly how to deliver them ldquoWe realised that itrsquos not even about the number of events but solving a deeper problemrdquo Arya explains ldquoPeople have told us that they donrsquot even have someone they can call a friend The 2 am friend has vanishedrdquo He further talks about why people choose to pay for such events ldquoIt ensures that people are genuinely interested and they know that the person in front of them has spent the same amount of money to be there so they are interested toordquo People donrsquot take free events seriously he says adding that Small World tries to keep their events affordableWhile the costs may sometimes seem high they usually go towards the venue logistics promotion and even ensuring that the event has good hosts Some attendees feel that the prices they pay are justified People who have given these paid events a try have also reported that they proved to be of some value to them Roshan Shanbhag 47 who is new to the city and enjoys being social found the Rs 3000event that he recently attended to be a satisfactory experienceSGNP Reads is a community of readers that operates on a free basisldquoWhen you see people at such events itrsquos clear that some may find it hard to meet people naturallyrdquo he says ldquoItrsquos about personality traits some are good at making friends others arenrsquot I noticed two or three people who were listeners more than talkers mdash just sitting quietly nodding along But I think itrsquos a good escape for people who want to make new friendsrdquo Like many people who attend such events Roshan left with a good memory if not foreverconnectionsBecause the meetup was only for a few hours he says it was not enough for anyone to form actual connections ldquoIt felt weird to share numbers or hang out again immediately so while I had a good time it is uncertain if Irsquoll attend more of them or hang out with the same people againrdquo Roshan smilesThere are also free events organised just to foster a community the organic way Inspired by Cubbon Reads in Bangalore that started the notion of reading in parks Amanda DrsquoSouza and Sachin Shanbhag wanted to bring a similar practice to Borivli which led to the Sanjay Gandhi National Park Reads mdash a community of silent readers who would meet every Sunday DrsquoSouza 31 notes ldquoPostpandemic we noticed that there is a lack of third spaces where people can hang out outside of their work and home where they can just exist and connect We have tried to create that safe space through our activityrdquoPradnya Mangutkar and Sourav AryaSGNP Reads was also presented with various chances to monetise itself ldquoOnce people began noticing us brands started asking us for collaborationsrdquo she mentions ldquoIt is important to us that our initiative stays noncommercial and continues for the shared love of readingrdquo She further adds ldquoThere is also a conception that when one is not paying for something they are the product With us there is no compulsion for one to even introduce themselves when they walk inrdquoSGNP Reads has definitely succeeded in bringing likeminded people together who have made it a comfortable space for them to share common interests and live an experience without having to pay for it Sachin adds ldquoYou cannot create genuine connections through transactions people need to want to be there We have noticed that those who attend regularly have begun to interact with each otherrdquoLargely people do find meaning in interactions even if they are not paying a fee for them For 18yearold Pradnya Mangutkar attending events that are free of cost has exposed her to a lot of different people and given her experiences to last a lifetime ldquoI donrsquot see going out as lsquoOh I have to spendrsquo I see it as lsquoI just need to go out and talk to peoplersquo So I usually prefer free eventsrdquo Mangutkar shares She further adds ldquoIrsquove attended a lot of free lectures in museums and other places These events have helped me make meaningful connections The conversations arenrsquot just small talk mdash itrsquos about exchanging information and ideas not just namesrdquoThe rise of ticketed events shows how much can be done to foster communities a friendsrsquo circle or just one person to listen to us and be there for us While the craving for connection increases many people find it easier to pay a price and ease it while others still strive for spontaneity without giving in to what they might feel are forced connections So that next RSVP might be an RSVP to belong to feel a little less lonely