Held at AW Kitchen, Plaza Senayan on June 18 and supported by VIN+, the inaugural edition took the theme of “Love, Dating & Modern Relationships”, highlighting the often fluid and unpredictable nature of romance in the 21st century. The free session drew nearly 200 sign-ups for just 28 spots, illustrating the appetite among Weekender’s audience for spaces to discuss these types of topics.

Three contributors from Weekender led the conversation: Michelle Anindya, who wrote two articles on what women want romantically from men and the appeal of professional matchmakers; Dedari Arane Wibowo, who tackled the modern dating etiquette in the era of dating apps; and Adelia Anjani Putri, who covered the fears and anxieties holding back people from the married life.

Unlike a typical talk show, The Weekender Sessions are designed with an open floor for audience members to voice and discuss their opinions with each other, with the writers sharing their findings and experiences while encouraging the audience to engage and ask questions throughout the evening.

Each participant was given a paddle to signify their response to a statement, along with the opportunity to explain the reasons behind their choice. In addition, they also received a mini-zine filled with excerpts from Weekender articles and guided prompts to reflect on.

“Over the past three years, Weekender built a loyal, engaged readership by speaking honestly to the realities of young urban Indonesians. This event series is our way of extending that conversation beyond the screen, of taking the community we have built online and bringing them together offline,” said Jet Damazo-Santos, Weekender’s lead editor.

In the coming months, The Weekender Sessions will cover other topics that resonate with its readers such as career and finance.

“We were struck most by how willing people were to be honest with the writers and with each other. That’s the kind of safe space we wanted to create, and it tells us there’s a real appetite for more of this.”

To read more interesting articles, visit Weekender website at weekender.thejakartapost.com.

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