Judging from the popularity of the events (attendance has doubled at each new gathreing) this formula for love seems to be working.

The next Lock and Key party takes place Sunday, May 26 from to 3pm at the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club and also launches Darsonvals Meet the Matchmaker series that will be held monthly, when the expert will be on hand to answer questions about dating in Santa Barbara and to connect singles during polo matches.

I recently attended a Lock and Key event at Blue Martini in Brickell.

And yes, the females wear lock necklaces while the men wear keys.

Its better than sitting behind the computer to find your match. The Lock and Key format provides a great ice breaker for people to talk to each other.

Sometimes people dont want to approach someone they are interested in at a club, but at Lock and Key, thats the whole point so there is no awkwardness.

Last year, the holiday was overshadowed by heavy amounts of snowfall, dampening its spirit, said Lori Crook, event coordinator of Baltimore's Lock and Key events.But these stories are generally cobbled together out of statistics and polls compiled and analyzed by journalists who never set foot in the towns theyre writing about.So we consulted with some dating experts and single people who are here in Orlando for a few firsthand observations and options from the front.For every match you make, you will be entered to win a raffle prize which include cash, manicures, candles, comedy passes and complimentary admission to future Lock and Key events.There is no limit on the amount of time you can talk with someone, and you can choose to get a new lock or key after youve made a match.Upon arrival, women attendees get padlocks and men get keys.Each time their hardware matches, its turned in for a new set of hardware and each person gets another raffle ticket for great prizes donated by local businessesor maybe even a date?I know of several people who have asked another attendee out on a date who they met at one of my events, Reich says.Some attendees have married someone they met at a Lock and Key event in other regions, but not Detroit yet.No awkward hellos here so the conversation can just flow (and love can begin! Did I also mention the numerous, successful relationships and weddings that all began from a single Lock and Key event.One happy couple even invited the owner of Lock and Key, Darren, to their wedding in Italy.The latest face-to-face dating service fad to turn up in Orlando: Lock and Key Events (lockandkeyevents.com).Singles pay a cover charge to meet up in a club where each male gets a key and each woman gets a lock to wear around her neck. The ostensible object of the game is to match them up, but its all just a clever icebreaker.As the night unfolded, I began to realize this concept is quite genius!After watching the crowd (who were all so friendly), they were so much more receptive to one another than the usual club gathering.