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LAS VEGAS » Officials at a downtown Las Vegas casino hope to hold the world’s largest speed dating event Friday and shatter a record set in Vietnam a few months ago.
The D Las Vegas is hosting their free "D Date-a-Thon" Valentine’s Day evening in partnership with two speed dating organizations, a radio station and a photography firm.
Organizers are planning for 1,000 participants, which would roughly double the 484-person record for the largest such event. That record was set in Ho Chi Minh City on Nov. 30 and was organized by a Singaporean company, according to Guinness World Records.
Officials at the D said they thought the record was relatively low and breakable, especially on Valentine’s Day.
"We’re in Las Vegas. There couldn’t be a better city to do this in and there couldn’t be a better day to have this on," said David Rasborough, director of beverages at the D and one of the event organizers.
Singles will talk with 25 potential mates for three minutes each in hopes of finding their match. Monitors will be on hand to ensure singles are actively participating in the dates, or they could be disqualified from the final tally for record-setting purposes.
Most tables will match up men and women, although other tables will be dedicated to gay and lesbian speed dating.
The casino is plying participants with $1 drinks, music and prizes, including hotel stays at the D.
