GDI New York 2025: Venue Confirmed!

Global Dating Insights can confirm its upcoming GDI New York conference on March 19th will take place at Etc. Venues, 601 Lexington Ave.

Taking plae from 10am-4pm, local time, tickets will be available until the day before the event. Click here to purchase your tickets via Eventbrite or click on our dedicated conference page to learn more.

Additionally, any companies which would like additional branding and awareness can email sam.bromley@iigroup.global for all enquiries relating to sponsorship opportunities.

Global Dating Insights Conference (GDI), will gather the best minds from the social discovery and online dating industry, to talk about the challenges and trends shaping the future.

Speakers at this year’s event include:

• Adam Medros, CEO Spark
• Karima Ben Abdelmalek CEO Happn
• David Vermulan is CEO Inner Circle
• The spokesperson will be announced at ParshipMeet
• Carsten Boeltz, CEO, InSparx
• Ross Williams is a Consultant
• Muhammad Arafat is the CTO of Charisma Check and co-founder.
• Bill Alena is a Consultant
• Erik Hutton, Founder & CFO, Purr
• Aryavrat Goenka, CEO, UrbanMatch
• Sam Lukens, COO, Hatched
• Mitch Alterman, CEO, Hatched
• Hari Gopal is the founder of Hearts Dating
• Ethan Martin is the CEO of Slide App
• Mark Brooks is the President of IDEA & Courtland Brooks
• Mary Richardson is the CEO and co-founder of bindr.
• Brandon Teller, CTO & Co-Founder, bindr
• Michael O’Sullivan, CEO, Hubstars
• Colin Hodge is the founder of Down App
• Nicky Wake is the founder of Chapter 2 Dating
• Gareth Johnson is the CMO of Gaydar
• Christian Mercer-Hall, Founder, Positive +1
• Isobel Angell, Senior Associate, Ofcom
• Mark Sclosser is the Head of Customer Experience at Checkr
• Brie Temple, Chief Commercial Officer, Tawkify
• Christof Wittig is the CEO of Hornet
• Heather Hopkins is the CEO of Hulah

A data-driven industry forecast

Mark Brooks presents an in-depth analysis of projected growth for the online dating sector. Understanding key trends is crucial to industry leaders who want to take advantage of new monetization possibilities in 2025.

Funding Love: the Investment Landscape

The dating and social discovery industry faces a significant funding challenge. Bill Alena moderates a lively panel discussion that explores the methods of raising capital. The founders and executives from leading platforms such as Purr, UrbanMatch and Hearts Dating will share their insights. Understanding investor priorities and positioning in the market is crucial, especially with competition more fierce than ever.

How to balance privacy & security in background checks

How can online platforms protect users without violating their privacy as the importance of safety increases? Muhammad Arafat explores background checks for dating apps and highlights the delicate balance between safeguarding data and protecting users.

The Business of Love: Learning from Giants

What lessons can dating platforms that are just starting out learn from veterans in the industry? Panelists from Spark, Happn and Inner Circle will discuss how the major online dating platforms have grown into multi-billion dollar businesses. This session, moderated by Ross Williams promises to be a valuable lesson in branding, scaling and user engagement.

Content, product-market fit, and strategic distribution

Mary Richardson, co-founder of Bindr and Brandon Teller explore the foundations for sustainable growth of online dating. This session will focus on the skills needed to succeed in a competitive marketplace.

The Evolution of Casual Dating

Casual dating has become a major force in the dating world. Olga Petrunina explains how the modern world is redefining matchmaking, and what this means for online romance.

How niche apps can build deeper connections

The key to creating meaningful connections is personalization. A panel, moderated by Michael O’Sullivan of Hub Stars, brings together leaders in niche dating apps from Down App and Chapter 2 Dating as well as Positive +1 and Gaydar to talk about how niche platforms are tailored to certain audiences.

Combating Online Violence Based on Gender

The technology plays an important role in the safety of online environments. Isobel Anglel, Ofcom’s senior executive, along with experts from Checkr and Tawkify and Hornet and Hulah will lead a high-impact panel that explores the ways dating platforms, through artificial intelligence, content moderation and enforcement of policies, can help prevent gender-based abuse and improve user protection.

The Future of Online Dating

The GDI Conference 2025 is a forum for leaders in the industry to share ideas, explore opportunities, and tackle current challenges. It will provide a platform for industry leaders to exchange ideas, tackle pressing challenges, and explore new opportunities.