One of the highlights of the year is attending the iDate Conference and Awards in Miami.

Every year in January, the dating industry gets together to discuss the latest trends in dating, mobile apps, and more.

This year, the 8th Annual iDate Awards were held at the Miami Botanical Gardens and it was an honor to be voted as a finalist for “Best Dating Coach of the Year.”

When it came time for celebrity Matchmaker Carmelia Ray to announce one of five finalists in this category, I actually felt nervous and closed my eyes, hoping I’d hear my name.

RELATED: Online Dating Expert Julie Spira Named Best Dating Coach at iDate Awards

My wish came true, but not without the votes and support of the dating industry and all of the singles around the world who voted for me as Best Dating Coach of the Year.

Here’s a quick video of my acceptance speech at the iDate Awards.

The 13 iDate Award Winners Included:

• Best Dating Site: Match
• Best Dating Coach: Julie Spira (me!)
• Beat Mobile Dating App: Bumble
• Best Marketing Campaign: eHarmony
• Best Up and Coming Dating Site: Lively
• Best New Technology: Smart Match App
• Best Matchmaker: Andrea Messent
• Best Software and Saas: Dating Pro
• Most Innovative Company: eHarmony
• Best Payment System: CCBill
• Best Niche Dating Site: Christian Filipina
• Best Affiliate Program: Wamba and Mamba
• Best Product Design: Dating Pro

Many thanks to Marc Lesnick from the Internet Dating Conference and Mark Brooks from Courtland Brooks for the great work putting together this event and for recognizing my 20+ years as a pioneer in the online dating industry.

FOLLOW @JulieSpira on Twitter and Instagram for dating advice and sign up for the FREE Cyber-Dating Expert Weekly Flirt newsletter.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SPIRA is Celebrated for her Excellence in Navigating Love

Miami, Florida –January 26, 2017—JULIE SPIRA, who ranks as the most influential person in dating and online dating, was named “Best Dating Coach,” at the iDate 2017 Awards. The iDate Awards represents the best dating and social networking has to offer the public. The awards include 13 categories and is the largest gathering of executives who specialize in online dating, matchmaking, mobile dating, and the growing niche dating industry.

Spira, CEO of Cyber-Dating Expert, was one of five finalists in her category and received a majority of the votes. Other winners of the iDate Awards included Match, eHarmony, and mobile app, Bumble. Spira who specializes in coaching singles who are looking for love online, is an accomplished dating coach and bestseller author who helps people looking for love in the digital age.

“Its great to be recognized for something that I’m truly passionate about,” said 2017 Best Dating Coach winner, Julie Spira. “When you love playing cupid, it’s a joy to help those who desire love to date smarter, with the goal of finding their soul mates.”

Held on location in Miami, at the Miami Beach Botanical Garden, the Internet Dating Conference is the largest trade show and business conference for the online dating, social networking, and matchmaking industries. Several business meetings are held each year covering the technology, management and marketing for the industry. The Miami conference is the largest. Held each January, it focuses on the multi-billion dollar global dating industry.

About Julie Spira

Julie Spira is a dating and relationship expert who has become the go-to person in the media for online dating and mobile dating advice. She’s been featured in over 1000 media stories and has been helping singles find love for over two decades by helping them find their perfect match.

• America’s Top Online Dating Expert and Digital Matchmaker
• Ranks as most influential person in dating and online dating
• Named as one of the Top 10 Columnists to Follow on Twitter
• Winner, Best Dating Coach for 2017

FOLLOW @JulieSpira on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram

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PR Contact: Amy Prenner
310-709-1101

amy@theprennergroup.com

Contact: Julie Spira
310-433-7786
julie@juliespira.com

It’s the first week of the year, and it’s a busy one for sure.

Many of you are back to work and have New Year’s resolutions which include finding love on your list.

I’m so honored to announce that I’ll be a guest on ‘Dates & Mates’ radio with my good friend and TV Dating Expert, Damona Hoffman on Thursday, January 5th.

Our topic will be Online Dating Week, which is going on right now. In fact, Dating Sunday, or if you’re a hashtag fanatic like I am, #DatingSunday will be the peak time for online dating signups on Sunday, January 8th.

Dates & Mates Host Damona Hoffman and Julie Spira

Photo Credit: iDate Awards 2016

Damona’s show is dedicated to all things dating, mating, and relating and the best part is YOU can become a part of the live conversation.  No other love show on the web lets you watch what happens via a LIVE STREAM from their Hollywood studio. Plus you can live tweet your questions, chat with other listeners, and download past episodes.

Listen to me live Thursday 1/5 at 11 am PST on ‘Dates & Mates’. Tune into UBNRadio.com channel 1 to hear Damona and I dish about Online Dating Week.

I promise we’ll have you completely armed with a digital strategy to help you find love in 2017.

Wishing you much love and joy in cyberspace, or wherever you may swipe or roam. xo

Julie

Let’s get social!

Follow Online Dating Expert @JulieSpira on Twitter,  Instagram, and Facebook.

Sign up for our Free Weekly Flirt newsletter for dating advice delivered to your inbox, where you’ll also receive a free copy of our ebook, The 7 Secrets to Finding Love Online.

Julie Spira is America’s Top Online Dating Expert and Digital Matchmaker. She was an early adopter of online dating and was on the Internet before people even knew there was an Internet! Julie’s the author of the bestseller, The Perils of Cyber-Dating: Confessions of a Hopeful Romantic Looking for Love Online and her dating advice has been featured in over 1000 media stories.

We’re getting ready for 2017 and many of you are so done with 2016. It was a bumpy road for relationships, life, love, politics, loss of musical geniuses, and more.

For those who have the tradition of making New Year’s resolutions, here’s some wise dating advice to add to your list.

Before you say, “bah humbug,” if your holiday was filled with Aunt Sally asking about your relationship status, or your friends changing theirs to the point that you slammed your computer shut and deleted all mobile dating apps, now’s the time, before New Year’s for singles who dreaded the holiday and are ready for a new beginning. So along with the new diet and gym membership, joining a dating site and hiring a dating coach has become a BIG priority. In fact, the phone is ringing off the hook and we are getting booked solid the first week of the new year for new Internet dating profiles, so get ready for the ride!

Match Predicts Dating Sunday on January 8th

Our friends at Match have told us that they predict Dating Sunday to be held on Sunday, January 8th, where it’s expected to be the BUSIEST day of the year for new online dating signups at 8:49pm/ET.

During this time, Match reports they plan to see a 42% spike in new singles coming to the site to meet someone.  Dating Sunday falls within Match’s Peak Season, which is going on RIGHT NOW and spans from December 26th to February 14th, where they expect to see these enormous numbers:

• More than 50 million messages sent
• 5 million new photos being uploaded
• 1 million dates taking place

PlentyofFish Predict Dating Sunday to be on January 1st

Our friends over at PlentyOfFish tell us that their busiest day of the year will be a week earlier on Sunday, January 1st. POF expects signups expected to reach an extraordinary 110,546, a 48% increase above the average daily rate in 2016.

Yes indeed, everyone will be looking for love in 2017.

POF’s stats illustrate a changing dating landscape, with more singles than ever trying online dating for the first time. 2016 saw 18,176,325 first-time PlentyOfFish signups, and over half a billion conversations between members (600,325,016, to be exact).

• Signups on PlentyOfFish will peak at 2pm PST on Sunday, January 1, 2017

• Sunday, January 8th, will be the second busiest for PlentyOfFish, with an expected 103,910 signups

• Projected PlentyOfFish signups for January 2017 are expected to exceed 2.5 million

So how do you jump on the digital love bandwagon?

Our Irresistible Profiles Coaching programs come in a variety of levels, from Going Steady, a profile critique to Totally in Love, with a brand new profile and 30 days of unlimited text/email support, to our VIP Digital Matchmaker plan for the most serious of singles, which includes a new profile and 10 private coaching sessions.

So get out of fear mode, stop ghosting, stop swiping without meeting IRL, and come to the digital party with all the tools you need for a happy and loving 2017.

Make it your New Year’s resolution to live your life with authenticity –Online, offline, and where ever you may swipe or roam.

If you need some help in getting started with your online dating profile, contact us and we’ll help you create that IRRESISTIBLE Profile to help you stand out among the millions of online daters.

Julie Spira is a dating coach and author of The Perils of Cyber-Dating: Confessions of a Hopeful Romantic Looking for Love Online. Visit her at CyberDatingExpert.com and sign up for the FREE Weekly Flirt newsletter, where you’ll also be able to download for free the 7 Secrets to Finding Love Online.

Wishing you much love and joy in 2017.

Follow @JulieSpira on Twitter and Instagram for Dating Advice

P.S. We are SO EXCITED to be a finalist for Best Dating Coach in the iDate Awards. Please vote for us to win at idateawards.com so we can come home with a trophy to be proud of. 

Of the many things I was thankful for during Thanksgiving week, one was the announcement of a male client who got engaged, the other was spending time with my family, and lastly, I found out that I’m a FINALIST for best dating coach in the 2017 iDate Awards to be held in Miami in January.

Voting is now open to the general public, so it would mean the world to me if you could cast your vote for Julie Spira – Cyber-Dating Expert for best dating coach.

VOTE HERE FOR BEST DATING COACH

While I was surprised to hear I was nominated, it warms my heart to know the industry realizes how passionate I am about helping singles find love.

In the Beginning

It was over 20 years ago (22 to be exact), that I first embraced online dating during its infancy. It was before Match.com and eHarmony were even launched. After helping myself and mastering the sites and chat rooms, I then started writing profiles for singles, while still keeping my day job as a technology executive. Cosmo named me the “Pioneer of Online Dating” and after my bestselling book, The Perils of Cyber-Dating: Confessions of a Hopeful Romantic Looking for Love Online was released, my business expanded and I started writing dating advice for JDate, Match, eHarmony, Huffington Post, DatingAdvice.com, PlentyofFish, YourTango, and the list goes on.

Today

After two decades of helping singles find love online, I created Mobile Dating BootCamp, which was featured in the Washington Post,  appeared in the New York Times on the growth of Tinder in 2015 and 2016, have been responsible for many marriages and engagements, several online babies, have appeared in over 1000 media articles, and have some exciting TV and film projects in the works.

I credit those I met at the iDate conferences for helping me spread the news and have attended 16 iDate shows! The January 2017 iDate Awards will be my 17th time at iDate and the thought of accepting this award brings tears to my eyes and joy to my digital heart.

VOTE HERE FOR JULIE SPIRA FOR BEST DATING COACH

Thank you to those who have nominated me to be a finalist and to those who are voting now that voting is open to the general public.

Being a dating coach brings together two of my biggest passions; my love of technology and my strong belief in love. I couldn’t be happier.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my articles, watching me on TV, reading my books, and for your vote.

Wishing you much love and joy in cyberspace, or wherever you may swipe or roam.

xo

VOTE at iDateAwards.com from now through January 6th.

It’s an honor to be a featured speaker at the Internet Dating Conference, iDate-2016 to be held in Miami, Florida on January 25 – 27th.

iDate is the online dating and mobile dating industry conference with executives from online dating sites and matchmakers who will meet to discuss the latest industry trends.

Cyber-Dating Expert has been attending the iDate conference for the past eight years and is a proud sponsor of the Internet Dating Conference.

Click here to buy tickets

We all know that online dating is a HOT topic in the news.  My panel, Managing the Headlines: How to Get Press will be held on Wednesday, January 27th at 2pm at the Kovens Conference Center in Miami, USA in room 110.  My presentation will immediately follow the session, Match.com Going Public and Projected Forecasts for the Dating Industries, presented by Mark Brools of Courtland Brooks and Alex Harrington from Snap Interactive.

In my session, we’ll discuss the hottest news stories of the past year. I’ll talk about which headlines to respond to and which ones to avoid to show your business in the best light. From Tinder pro to Valentine’s Day, I’ll be sharing my secrets on how I became a top online dating expert and go-to person in the media, having been featured in over 650 news stories on the subjects of Internet dating and mobile dating.

I’ll also be presenting the award for Best Mobile Dating App at the iDate Awards on January 26th, so grab your tux and gown and head on down to Miami.

Join me at iDate in Miami. You can purchase your tickets here to save $75 on your registration.

Julie Spira Cyber Dating Expert on Managing The Headlines at iDate 2016 Dating Business Super Conference VIDEO.

Follow me on Twitter @JulieSpira, where I’ll be sending out live updates from iDate-2016.

If there were Academy Awards given for the best Internet dating sites, it would be at the annual Internet Dating Conference, held in Miami Beach, Florida on January 23 -30, 2012.

This year, you can vote for your favorite online dating site, favorite mobile dating app and more. The last day to vote is January 4, 2012, so grab your iPad, iPhone, BlackBerry and log onto InternetDatingConference.com to cast your vote.

This year, iDate will include a special post-conference cruise to the Bahamas.

Winners of the iDate Awards will be announced at the 9th Annual iDate Super Conference on January 24, 2012. Cyber-Dating Expert is proud to be a media sponsor of the iDate 2012 Conference. We’ll be reporting on the latest dating trends and will keep you posted on the latest developments.

Matchmaker of the Year Julie Ferman and Julie Spira

It was a pleasure attending the 8th Annual Internet Dating Conference in Miami again, where I had the honor to speak on Web Dating 2.0: Using Social Media to Create Brand Loyalty on January 20, 2011.

Several hundred people attended the session on day 2 of the 3-day conference.

Going Mobile

In my presentation, I shared the exciting news that both Zoosk Mobile and SpeedDate Mobile apps have each had more than 2 million downloads.? OkCupid’s mobile app has over 1 million mobile users. eHarmony says their mobile apps account for approximately 20% of global site visits. Consumers now look at eHarmony profiles more than 16,000 times per hour while using mobile devices.? Their mobile app was launched in August, 2009 in conjunction with their 10th anniversary. Match says mobile users are twice as engaged as those who log onto the site on their desktop, so we are definitely going mobile.

Record Highs

We learned from Online Personals Watch Publisher Mark Brooks that online dating hit a record high in December 2010 with 116 million members worldwide visiting online dating sites. Over 20 million visits were from U.S. members. The folks from Google shared that 35 hours of video content is uploaded on YouTube every minute of the day. Online dating is a 1.3 billion dollar industry now according to Jupiter Research.

iDate Awards

One of the highlights of the conference was the 2nd annual iDate Awards. This year OkCupid won 4 iDate Awards including Best Dating Site, Best Dating Site Design, Most Innovative Company, and Best Up and Coming Dating Site. Congratulations to OkCupid for winning in every category that they were nominated in and matching the number of Golden Globe Awards received as The Social Network film. My friend Julie Ferman won the Best Matchmaker Award for the second year in a row and it was certainly well deserved.

Getting Social

It was terrific spending time with Sherri Langburt from Single Edition, Ravit Abelman from Omnidate,? Julie Ferman from Cupid’s Coach, and eLove’s Paul Falzone while catching up with Sam Yagan from OkCupid and Kate Billenki from Plenty of Fish. All have been featured guests on Ask the Cyber-Dating Expert Radio Show. Dating blogger Simone Grant came to iDate for her first time and we brainstormed about dating, blogging, and social media.

The Final Debate

The conference ended with the Final Panel Debate curated by Marc Lesnick, Conference Organizer and included Mark McMaster from Google, Mark Brooks from Online Personals Watch, Michael McQuown from Thunder Road, Jonathan Crutchley from Manhunt, Mark Harrison from Dating Factory, Joel Simkhal from Grindr, Markus Frind from Plenty of Fish, Sam Yagan from OkCupid, Ty from Elite Global Dating and Dan Winchester from FreeDating.co.uk. At the end of the annual end of conference panel, the majority of the panelists felt that online dating would continue to grow in 2011.

Free Versus Paid

The hot topic this year was Free versus Paid online dating sites. Free sites have been rising in popularity and have made a small dent in the paid online dating services. Compared to the cost of high-end matchmakers, paid online dating sites are still a bargain.

To view my presentation, visit SocialMediaMore.com/idate

iDate Awards

Once again I had the pleasure of attending the Internet Dating Conference which was held in Miami Beach last week.

The highlight this year was the first-annual iDate Awards where both industry leaders and the public had the opportunity to vote on their favorite online dating sites.

At the black-tie event, the industry winners were announced which included:

• Best Dating Site -?Match.com
• Best Up and Coming Site -?Zoosk.com
• Most Innovative Company -?OkCupid
• Best Marketing Campaign -?eHarmony.com
• Best Dating Site Design -?Match.com
• Best Mobile Dating Site -?Zoosk.com
• Best Matchmaker – Julie Ferman,?CupidsCoach.com
• Best New Technology -?Iovation.com
• Best Payment System -?Paypal.com
• Best Affiliate Program -?Friendfinder.com
• Best Dating Software Provider -?WhiteLabelDating.com

The next iDate conference will be held on June 17-18, 2010 in Miami Beach. I’m secretly hoping that CyberDatingExpert.com gets nominated for an honorable mention.

Julie Spira is known worldwide as The Cyber-Dating Expert. She is the author of the bestseller,?The Perils of Cyber-Dating: Confessions of a Hopeful Romantic Looking for Love Online. Visit her atCyberDatingExpert.com

Read full article on Examiner.com

Ask the Cyber-Dating Expert

Join Cyber-Dating Expert Julie Spira on Saturday, January 23, 2010 as she welcomes Michael Lombard, CEO of Lovetropolis to Ask the Cyber-Dating Expert Radio Show.

Lovetropolis.com modernizes online dating by providing instant messaging, virtual flirts, interactive chat, live webcam dating, personality matching, audio/video profiles, horoscopes & lovescopes.

We’ll hear about their expert features including Chef Jay?s recipes,? dating and relationship advice and a savvy online magazine provide fun hints that will augment romance, dating and relationship skills.

Lovetropolis.com has been reviewed as ?The Next Great Dating Service? by Robert Lee from AloveLinksPlus. The site was just nominated as a finalist in five categories for the 2010 iDate ( Internet dating) Awards scheduled for January 28, 2010.

Learn more about this new Internet dating site and about dating, love, and romance in a Web 2.0 World.

Listen to Cyber-dating Expert on Blog Talk Radio