Wingman of the Year, a company aiming to redefine dating shows, is coming to Rutland on Saturday for a live dating show.

By Amanda Johnson

Something new is about to hit Rutland — a live dating show set to take place April 27 at Merchants Hall. The event is organized by Wingman of the Year, an organization founded in 2020 that aims to push and redefine the boundaries of live dating shows.

According to co-founder Max Emmons, the idea came when founder Hunter Werner was coined the phrase “wingman of the year” by his friend when helping him with his crush. Werner’s friend reportedly started dating his crush shortly after Werner saved them from a run-in with the police at a party.

“So that’s where the goofy name comes from, back in high school,” said Emmons.

The company believes strongly in their slogan that “anyone can be a wingman,” and has become a leader in celebrating creative, entertaining content. It aims to create an escape from everyday reality and a fun, positive experience for everyone involved.

“It’s a full aspect around wingman culture, which is friendship, relationships, dating, doing the right thing — so, that’s the foundation of the company,” said Emmons.

“Wingman of the Year” dating shows offers men and women the opportunity to put their, as Emmons puts it, “wingperson” skills to the test. While some of the shows are filmed in a studio, others, including the upcoming April event, are filmed in front of live audiences, and offer an interactive experience for the contestants and the onlookers.

“I think what helps bring a lot of attention to this is, at our previous events, is the uniqueness of it. It’s a live dating show that people can buy tickets to, to either be in, or watch. We provide a novelty event people can go to,” said co-founder Alan Fanitzi in an email.

Beyond that, they also want these events to be, simply, fun.

“We really want it to be a positive, light-hearted experience for everyone,” Emmons said.

Testimonials on their website, wingmanoftheyear.com, show the enthusiasm past contestants have for the company’s shows.

“Hunter is a phenomenal host who allows you to feel as comfortable as ever on stage. It’s an incredible opportunity to showcase yourself while connecting with new people in a way that you can’t replicate,” said Billy, who participated in “Wingman of the Year Live.” “Whether you find love or not, it’s a guarantee that you’ll learn more about yourself.”

That sentiment was shared by Meaghan, a bachelorette on “Wingman of the Year.”

“It was more than just a show. It also showed a lot about myself,” she said.

“Wingman of the Year,” although fairly new to Vermont, is based in Albany, New York, where it does well among the crowds and has a very strong social media presence. Although the company began in 2020, it took off virally two years later.

“Our first wave of success was in 2022, [with] some pretty viral clips and videos, TikToks specifically. Instagram and YouTube, too, but mainly TikTok. We had a couple videos hit a million to 5 million plus. In a three-month span, we were having videos with six-digit rates,” said Emmons.

The company wants to continue to expand its brand and get the word out. When talking about bringing the brand to Vermont, Fanitzi and Emmons, who lives in Rutland himself, were enthusiastic.

“I know the owner of Merchants [Hall] pretty well and we made it work. I’m excited to try to expand and have Vermont have this opportunity too, because I think it’s going to be really fun for this area/region to do this,” Emmons wrote in an email.

Beyond the live shows, Wingman of the Year also runs “Cupid’s Challenge,” where contestants go on dates curated by wingmen; “Hot Date,” where singles, couples, or friends answer burning questions while enduring hot wings; “The Blind Dating Podcast,” in which two people are set up on a blind date while helping co-host the episode alongside host Hunter Werner and more.

According to Emmons, “Wingman of the Year Live” is just the beginning, and there may be more events in store for Vermont in the future.

“We’re really trying to expand the footprint of it. Vermont’s a very natural [progression] for the company,” Emmons said.

Amanda Johnson reported this story on assignment from the Rutland Herald. The Community News Service is a program in which students work with professional editors to provide content for local news outlets at no cost.