More than half of Americans say they feel a lack of companionship at least some of the time, and almost 1 in 5 adults report feeling lonely on a given day, according to a 2026 Verasight survey. It’s a problem that gets compounded for singles whose time spent on dating apps has a tendency to make them feel more isolated. This isolation among Utah singles is something local event planner Molly Bitton has definitely noticed.
Bitton was widowed in 2013 and has remained single for most of the time since. She’s spent time on dating apps, but it was her career as an event planner that helped her experience the magic of bringing a group of people together for a good time. “I absolutely love the inspiration that happens when you get a whole bunch of people together with the same mindset,” she said.
Bitton has planned events for the Utah Arts Festival and Modern Expo, and last year she had a revelation about how to create more social opportunities in the digital age. “Inspiration struck me at the beginning of 2025,” she said. “If I wanted to meet someone in real life, and I can’t find a space for that, then I want to create a space for it, so I put on my first 5K run and we brought almost 100 singles together.”
It was this initial event that prompted her to start Have You Met? Events, where she organizes social meetups for local singles.
Based on the turnout of her first event, she started to lean into other ideas. “We’ve done events like volleyball and karaoke and VIP experiences at Utah Jazz games, so we cater to a lot of different interests,” she said. “Because if you keep showing up at the spaces you’re interested in, that’s when you meet your people. That’s when you connect with your tribe and maybe meet the love of your life. Who knows?”
A get-together for Utah singles to just get together
Have You Met? Events differs from other social groups for singles because it doesn’t hinge on dating. “It’s more on the social side,” Bitton said. “Not like ‘I’m trying to meet my person’ but more ‘I’m here to meet my people.’”
It’s an interesting contrast to the typical social experience for singles. Eventbrite is packed with dating events, and members of the LDS Church often organize young single adult events throughout the state.
Since Have You Met? Events isn’t engineered toward dating, a lot of the social pressure to “meet someone” is alleviated. Bitton also does a lot to make the icebreaking experience of meeting new people more organic. “I gamify it a lot and add challenges,” she said. “If there’s a challenge, you’re more likely to feel comfortable talking to new people.” Helping people overcome that first hurdle of initiating a conversation is one of the main reasons Have You Met? Events has been so successful.
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A lot of people are also still reeling from the isolating fallout of the 2020 pandemic when so much of our social lives moved onto digital platforms. While those outlets did provide the means to communicate, the in-person component that is crucial to human interaction was missing. “Humans are meant to be social,” Bitton said. “Now that people are realizing how impactful the online age has been, people are starting to understand how important it is to get offline and meet in person.”
Based on the success of Bitton’s local events, she is currently planning Have We Met? Live, a three-day event for singles in Las Vegas this spring. “It’s based on all the tools and tricks we’ve used, but it will be bigger and better,” she said. “We’ll have keynotes, breakout sessions, and activities like a three-day-long scavenger hunt.”
Tickets for the event are currently on sale, and Bitton is expecting a turnout of around 3,000 people.
Before the big Vegas event, Have You Met? Events is planning plenty of local events to keep you busy no matter where you are in Utah. There are Jazz games in Salt Lake City, walk and talk socials in Ogden, and ugly sweater gift exchanges in Lehi so there’s likely an upcoming event near you if you’re single and ready to mingle.
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