The scene at the downtown Fort Lauderdale bar is typical -- attractive men and women holding cocktails, most in business attire, looking their sharpest.

Hard to believe all these pretty people haven't found enduring love.

They are here to test-drive a relatively new dating concept that is tailor-made for today's generation of busy professionals.

It's called speed dating, or pre-dating.

As a single gal, I was "volunteered" by my editor to join them for the ride. I accepted the assignment in a heartbeat, wondering whether I, too, would find my true love.

Even if I have only six minutes to spot him.

A tall guy walks up to the bar, near where I am sitting, and asks for a drink. "Bourbon, straight up."

Ah, so manly, definitely my kind of guy. Will he be The One?

He catches me trying to read his name tag. We make eye contact and smile.

But before we can strike up a conversation, the event's organizer calls everybody to the center of the room.

Holding a timer, the event coordinator gives a brief explanation of the rules: You have only six minutes, use them wisely. Don't ask for last names, phone numbers or dates during the event.

Scorecards at hand, the 26 men and women are directed to numbered tables.

It's 9 p.m. sharp, the bell rings, signaling the start of the session.

On your mark, get set, let's fall in love.

Time to chat

In speed dating, men and women have six minutes to talk across a table before moving to the next, like romantic musical chairs. After each conversation, the participants write down on a scorecard whether they'd like to get to know that person better. At the end of the evening, the cards are returned to the session leaders. If there is a match, then each is given the other's phone number and e-mail address within 48 hours, so they can arrange a real date.

The event I attended at Murphy's Law was organized by North Lauderdale-based Pre-Dating Events, a company founded late last year.

The events take place every few weeks at bars or restaurants in the three-county area. The sessions are organized for people within a 10-year age range. Other events are organized for specific interest groups, based on things such as ethnicity, religion and sexual orientation.

"For busy professionals, such as myself, the issue is not that we can't find dates or find people that we are interested in. It is just that we don't usually have the time to do so," says the 35-year-old company founder, a local entrepreneur who has launched several Internet businesses. "But once you find someone, you make the time to be with that person because you know the time spent is productive."

He says this approach to dating is gaining popularity around the nation. The trend was inspired by the original Jewish-only Speed Dating, which was started a few years ago by a Los Angeles rabbi worried about the growing rates of interfaith marriages.

"There's a need for the increasingly busy single professional to find more efficient ways to meet new people in a dignified way,".

mini-dates begin

When the bell rings, signaling the start of the session, I sit by mistake at the table where my manly man is waiting. Instead of bending the rules a little, this inflexible fellow tells me this is not where I'm supposed to be.

Jerk.

As I walk mortified toward my assigned place, I mark "NO" next to his number, before even having a chance to enjoy all six minutes of his charm.

Knowing how obnoxious men can be in bars -- half-drunk, trying to impress you with really silly pick-up lines and laundry lists of all their personal possessions -- I am eager to see what these professional men have to say.

Some of them are real treasures waiting to be discovered. Such as the engineer who talks nonstop through what seems like an eternity. Within the first minute of his rap, he manages to mention his boat.

Then there is the self-deprecating young guy who starts our "date" with, "I know I won't get that many matches tonight." And the salesman who just moved from New York and has been married twice already.

"Do you like children?" he asks, twice.

Next.

But I must admit most of the men are interesting enough and fairly attractive.

Oh, yes, the ladies are nice, too.

Among the men, there are several attorneys, a dermatologist, a psychiatrist and a cocky commercial airline pilot. Most say they are trying this dating concept for the first time and that their demanding careers leave little free time to meet interesting women.

Others volunteer how they don't like traditional meeting places, such as bars and nightclubs, because you can't have a meaningful conversation and the focus is mostly on looks.

Wait, guys tired of focusing on looks? That's news.

I think men like speed-dating because they can have 13 dates in one evening without investing in a single dinner, just $22 to participate.

A successful session

Today's singles work longer hours and have less free time to socialize than previous generations did, and are marrying later.

U.S. Census figures for 2000 show that men are waiting until age 27 and women until 25 before they tie the knot. These figures are up from 23 for men and 21 for women in 1970.

"Also, our expectations are higher," says Tracy Cabot, a relationships expert and author. "Since we are marrying later, we are more set in our ways, less flexible, and therefore, harder to please."

But Cabot, who has a doctorate in psychology, doesn't think the pre-dating concept is effective.

"This is so superficial and everyone's on their best behavior," she says. "Anybody can be nice for six minutes. Might be fun for a night, but I wouldn't count on it if you are really serious about finding a mate."

But tell that to Chris, a 31-year-old computer analyst from Miami, who told me later that his shyness keeps him from approaching women.

He says the pre-dating event gave him the opportunity to show his charm and personality.

"I don't have any clever pick-up lines," Chris said. "Every time I approach a woman I end up making a fool out of myself."

To this self-proclaimed easy-going Alabama native, the hardest part of the pre-dating experiment was to break the ice, but once he got the conversation going, there was no stopping him.

Chris matched with three women, including me, who couldn't resist his chivalry and soft Southern drawl.

To me, the best part of the experience is the minimal pressure, and not having to worry about how to delicately turn somebody down. Since asking for a date during the event is not allowed, the choices are made confidentially and the results sent via e-mail.

This session, which lasted almost two hours, was particularly successful; 72 percent of the participants found at least one match.

Did I find my true soul mate that evening? No, though I did match with two of the three men I picked: Chris and a cute animal lover, neither of whom are quite right for me, but maybe I'll introduce them to one of my girlfriends.

The third and my favorite -- the one who managed to resist my charm -- was the psychiatrist. We spent most of our six minutes talking about A Beautiful Mind and the benefits and history of shock therapy on mental illness.

Yeah, I know, not very romantic.

I was bummed, though not surprised, that he didn't find me intriguing enough to want to get to know me better. Maybe he thought our conversation was a little weird, or perhaps he psychoanalyzed me and decided my singleness has nothing to do with being a busy professional.

Seems six minutes is plenty of time to figure out who is Mr. (or Ms.) Wrong.

Or maybe he just didn't give me a chance.

For information on Pre-Dating Events, call 954-741-3670 or go www.pre-dating.com on the Web.

Staff Writer Magaly Morales can be reached at mmorales@sun-sentinel.com or by calling 954-356-4717.