iDate 2016 Miami – Time to talk the talk.

Day 2 arrives, and I’m part of the hour long panel discussing dating fraud.  I’d managed a good night’s sleep this time, and was feeling much more refreshed and ready for the day ahead.  It was also cooler than the day before which was a blessing for me.  Here’s the banner showing who else was on the panel.  A pretty impressive group I’m sure you’ll agree:

Before the session, we get together to work out what order we’ll speak in and what we’ll each discuss.  I explained the different methods scammers use to abuse a person’s bank account as part of their scam.  The audience seemed genuinely shocked at how it was done, and how easy it is.  The talk went well, was very informative and lots of questions were asked by the audience after it.  First question was directed at yours truly, which really pleased me when you look at the caliber of the speakers there.  The hour we were allocated flew by.  Next up was Steve Baker’s talk, and I definitely hung around for that one.  That brought us to lunch, which was once again pretty damn tasty.

The bulk of the afternoon was spent chatting to people, making new contacts and discussing ways we can work together.  As you can imagine, the main area was pretty loud, but just around the corner was a quiet spot with a bench that was perfect to chat to people on.  Now came the final panel.  Packed room, a panel of many of the biggest names in the dating industry ready to answer any questions and free beer/snacks.  What more can a person ask for?  This was my 4th iDate, and every one has ended this same way.  They went to town on the snacks this time round too, with freshly made pretzels.  Once this was over, it was time to head back to the hotel.  Well, it would have been if not for one thing.  The bus broke down on the way.  At this point I really have to give all the credit in the world to the driver who kept his cool and pulled over without us even realizing anything was wrong.  The bus pulled up right behind another bus that had broken down, and most people assumed he’d stopped to help.  It turned out that one of the hoses on the air brakes had come off.  What could have been a disaster was handled in a calm and professional way with people ordering Uber rides to take them to their destinations.  I heard afterwards that the bus company had reimbursed everyone’s costs for it, so no one was out of pocket.  By the time we got back to the hotel, the rain had come in.  I actually spent some time outside, just standing in it, enjoying the coolness it brought.  That got me a few odd looks I can tell you!  So, finally back at the hotel, I packed my suitcase up ready for the next part of the adventure – a cruise from Miami to Key West and Cozumel – and got an early night.