As Accomplished Singles Step Away From Dating Apps, Selective Search Brings Human Matchmaking to the Hamptons Social Season

The nationwide matchmaking firm sponsored Polo Hamptons and the Hampton Classic, meeting a client base that is trading algorithms for introductions made by people who know them.

CHICAGO, Sept. 15, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Accomplished, private singles are quietly leaving dating apps behind, and they are not looking for a better algorithm to replace them. They are going back to being introduced by someone who knows them. This summer, Selective Search, the nationwide human-led matchmaking firm founded in 2000, followed that shift to one of its natural settings, sponsoring two marquee events of the Hamptons social season: Polo Hamptons (July 25, 2026) and the Hampton Classic Horse Show (August 23 to 30, 2026), both in Bridgehampton, New York.

For a certain kind of single — accomplished, private, and deliberate with their time — the app has worn thin. The endless swiping, the curated half-truths, the hours that rarely lead anywhere real. This audience is not looking for more volume. They want discretion, discernment, and introductions that respect both their standards and their schedule. What they are describing is not a better platform. It is a person.

“For the past few years we’ve watched accomplished singles quietly walk away from the apps,” said Brad Blettner, Chief Executive Officer of Selective Search. “What they want instead is what Polo Hamptons and the Hampton Classic offer — the right people, in person, actually talking to each other. What even the best setting can’t do is know what each person is looking for. That’s our part.”

That is the philosophy Selective Search brought to Bridgehampton. As a sponsor of both events, the firm was present where its clients already gather: high-caliber, low-noise settings where substance carries further than performance.

Selective Search reports more than 4,000 couples matched nationwide and an 89 percent success rate. The return to in-person introductions is not nostalgia. For people who guard their time and their privacy, it is the more efficient path to something real, and the firm intends to remain present where those introductions naturally begin.

Key Facts

• Who: Selective Search, a nationwide, human-led matchmaking firm founded in 2000
• What: Served as a sponsor of Polo Hamptons and the Hampton Classic Horse Show
• Where: Bridgehampton, New York
• When: Polo Hamptons, July 25, 2026; Hampton Classic Horse Show, August 23 to 30, 2026
• Why it matters: Accomplished, private singles are increasingly choosing curated, in-person introductions over dating apps
  

About Selective Search

Founded in 2000, Selective Search is a nationwide, human-led matchmaking firm that brings executive-search methodology to personal life. The firm serves accomplished, relationship-minded clients through a confidential, highly personalized process built on human judgment rather than apps or algorithms. Selective Search has introduced more than 4,000 couples across the country, maintains an 89 percent success rate, and holds an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau. Learn more at selectivesearch.com.

Media Contact

Grace Urban
Senior Brand & Content Specialist
grace@selectivesearch.com
312-813-3844
selectivesearch.com