How to Make Real Plans

We’ve all been emerging from a period of dormancy for a while now. Conversations with strangers are slowly returning to their level of awkwardness pre-pandemic. Restaurants are open; concerts and events are happening. It’s very likely that you’ve got plans again which is both a beautiful and somewhat terrifying thing.

Here at Pitch, we want to encourage you to find your people and make real plans. While apps can help you find people with shared interests, the real magic happens when an online match turns into an offline connection. Knowing that this is still a bit daunting for some of us, we’ve laid out a couple of guidelines to make those plans actually happen.

1. Schedule outside of the weekend

Who doesn’t like a little fun on a school night? Scheduling a date or meet-up on a weeknight feels fresh and spontaneous. It also respects the fact that for many people, weekends are sacred. There’s a built-in excuse to limit drinking and avoid a late night out with work the next day, and it’s easier to score reservations at hot-spot restaurants midweek.

2. Consider location

If you live in Harlem, and your date lives deep in Bushwick, the chances of them meeting you for a walk in Central Park are slim. That said, it’s still very easy to meet up and find things to do in NYC.

Consider the apartment and workplace locations of the people you are meeting up with. Maybe it makes more sense to hangout after work to limit travel, or to grab lunch together if your offices are close. If you are willing to make a trek, let your date or friend know (but don’t complain about your 45 min, multi train transfer journey once you arrive 😉).

3. Grab the tickets or make the reservation

Experiences are a great way to enjoy your shared-interests together — these outings provide entertainment through common joys. Once you’ve discovered an awesome event on Pitch, and found someone cool to go with, take the lead on snagging the tickets or making a reservation. Just be clear if you are covering the tickets outright, prefer to be paid back, or expect the other person to cover something else like dinner or drink.

Follow up with a text and payment request a day or so before your plans, and be sure to express your excitement! A quick message like, “Hey–just sent you the Venmo for the concert ticket for tomorrow night. I’m hype to meet you and to see the show!” is a nice reminder that helps solidify your plans.

4. Make it a group hang

This may seem obvious, but one-on-one hangouts require that both people show up in order to happen. If you take the approach of ‘the more the merrier,’ it’s way more likely that you will actually meet up in real life.

A group dynamic also dissolves the pressure of hitting it off with one other person. If you don’t really vibe with the person that you originally matched with, but the coworker they brought along is totally on your level, that’s a win.

5. Make follow up plans

Building new connections and leveling up your social life takes effort and repetition, and those connections are meant to ripen offline. If you’ve liked hanging out with someone, let them know that you enjoyed your shared adventure and that you’d like to get together again soon. If you’ve had a natural, free flowing conversation, you’ve probably uncovered some shared interests, and can pick a future activity that is mutually exciting. Browsing events on Pitch is a great way to see what’s out there and follow through., and you’ll stand out among flakier friends.

If you want to Make Real Plans with us, download Pitch Social and follow along @makerealplans on social media!