Pick MI Date

Sean O'Brien and Erin Rose

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Valentine's Day may soon strike fear into the hearts of Detroit’s singles, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Just ask Erin Rose and Sean O’Brien, the visionary business partners behind the new online dating venture Pick MI Date.

“To me Valentine’s Day should be about love, loving the people around you,” said Rose, of Ferndale. “There is too much emphasis on people being in a relationship.”

She and O’Brien plan to take some of the pressure off and inject a little more fun back into the hearts-and-flowers holiday.

“You never know what will lead you to someone else,” said Rose. “This is about meeting new people.”

The first site of its kind to feature an online dating game centered on Michigan singles, Pick MI Date blends sophisticated sensibilities with social media-savvy matchmaking, all while shining a spotlight on local businesses and encouraging singles to explore their own surroundings.

Inspired by a few national stories that pegged Detroit as one of the worst places for singles in 2009, Rose and O’Brien began researching online dating sites and putting the pieces together that would form Pick MI Date. “It just started snowballing,” said O’Brien, of Pleasant Ridge.

Beginning in February, singles 21 and over can register as a contestant on PickMIDate.com. The first 50 men and 50 women to register will sign up for free, after that a nominal fee will go into effect. Once entered, a panel of judges will review a set of private and public questions and notify the selected contestants.

Once the full site launches in March, a group of contestants will appear on the homepage. Voters have one week to rally and pair off the couples using the Web as well as Facebook and Twitter applications. The top vote-getting couple receives an all-expense paid date held – when else? – the following date night Saturday. Everything from dinner to transportation will be covered. That’s right, Pick MI Date picks up your tab.

With the economic challenges facing men and women, Rose said a lack of disposable income could be a barrier to dating. “There’s a lot of pressure on men to pay or provide,” she said. So Pick MI Date eliminated the financial concerns by coordinating an all-expenses-paid date. “It definitely takes the pressure off,” said O’Brien.

With this venture, O’Brien and Rose intend promote Michigan’s downtown entertainment districts and boost local businesses while encouraging singles to, well, mingle. “We want to send people out to different downtowns each week,” said Rose.

Coming from two distinct perspectives – Rose is entrenched in the dating world while O’Brien is a married father of two girls – they have all their bases covered. Beyond the game itself, PickMIDate.com will include features like Ask the Askpert, he said-she said style dating advice and contests meant to keep contestants, voters and curious newcomers coming back to the site day after day.

On Pick MI Date, everyone wins, the founders said. Voters of any age need only register with a name and e-mail address to cast their ballots. They are eligible to win prizes too. “We wanted to make sure people were happy – no matter what,” said O’Brien.

Dating and events will kick off in metro Detroit but the site founders plan to expand it statewide. For more information or to sponsor a date or event, visit www.PickMIDate.com or send e-mail to 411@PickMiDate.com.