Basically the title.
You might think it'd be easier to start a convo in this setting because you don't have to approach anyone – someone is already sitting in front of you and you don't have to build up courage to come up and talk to them. You are unlikely to receive immediate rejection because everyone is open to meeting new people at such an event.
What's more, every table had question cards to discuss, and men were the ones to move around the tables, so plenty of discussion ideas to come up with, right? Nah, why not just ask shit like "how old are you?", "what do you do for a living?" and then stare blankly at your date. When I tried to give a hint there were these question cards that would be nice to discuss, guys would just read them to me like I was being interviewed and share no thoughts of their own. Before they turned to the next card, I'd ask, "Wait, what do you think though?", and they would be like, "Ughh, you wanna hear my opinion? ughhh, i don't know" and move on.
Yeah, no matches for me that day. The speed dating event was a part of a bigger party in a bar, but I didn't see many guys trying to initiate anything more with anyone after the event (everyone was wearing bracelets indicating if they wanted to be approached or not).
On the bright side, I think I saw 1 or 2 couples who seemed like they met there. There was one guy I found attractive but I didn't come up to him because I chickened out and another girl occupied him for the rest of the night. Boo me! But it showed me why I should not be afraid to be initiative too.
I hope some Gen Z men read my post because seriously, either y'all have to try harder than that or just shut up about this "male loneliness epidemic". Work on your social skills, pay a visit to a therapist a couple times or something like that. It'd pay you off for sure