Highlife Adventures

I was a past member, enrolled for the one year minimum. They have sneaky sales tactics, when I arrived for my interview they switched the girl that was going to interview me with a much more older and attractive woman. She totally brainwashed me and was telling me how I was exactly what they were looking for and that they NEED me. I dished out the money and signed the contract…
Problem one: They failed to tell me that 95% of the events are on the northside of Chicago. I was living on the southside of the city — and worse yet working 1 hour south of the city so I could never make it to most of the events. To be honest I attended one small event and one large event, and I was extremely disappointed of the other members, their attitudes and how it was all being played out before even anyone got to know who I am as a person.
Issue: It was sold to me as a singles club. The people I met were using the events to go on dates with people they met at highlife, and people I were meeting were already in relationships. Then the «clicks» of people — it’s like high school again all over. I was pulled into one of the «groups» and told about secret keg-​parties they would have outside of highlife adventures.
Great for: Northsiders, people with thousands of dollars to waste who aren’t looking for a serious relationship or anything close to it, wanting to relive their high school and college party days, who also happen to have no life so they pay insane amounts of money to hang out with rich people like themselves to make themselves feel like they have purpose in life.
Bad for: People with responsibilities, single parents, people with blue collar incomes/​lifestyles, those who have grown out of the high school/​college days and became adults, south siders.

I wish I could give this no stars.
First, I am also a previous member. Joining when I moved here and thought this would be a good way to meet friends.
It’s no wonder they changed their name to «Social One». It’s a big joke! Horrible events with the same creepy guy (Spencer, how they hired him to host events is beyond me)! The people in general are no offense social outcasts. I never would hang out with these people normally. Most were also from the burbs. I attended a total of 5 events over the course of 2 years. Yes the events are relatively cheap, but that’s on top of the membership fees you’re already paying. So I paid like $ 500 per event, I could have a 6 course dinner at Japonais for that!
When I called to cancel to make sure they didn’t automatically re-​enroll me something I’m sure these scammers would do. She asked why I was canceling and I said look at my account, does it look like I’ve been to any events. This is a GIANT WASTE OF MONEY!!!
Just don’t do it. Log on to Meetup where it’s free to join. I’ve met more friends through that and have more in common with than I ever did with people of Highlife or Social One.
STAY AWAY and SAVE $$!!

As a former member of HLA for 2 years, I feel I’m one of the more qualified people to write a review than the majority of those that walked in, had sticker shock and/​or one «horrid» experience.
Let me begin by saying I’ve been out of the organization a little more than a year, I signed up for a 2 year plan. Karen interviewed me and yes, it was high-​pressure sales. Guess what? They are a for-​profit business, for-​profit businesses do those things, deal with it.
My first few events were pretty good, I attended probably 70 – 75 events over the course of my membership and the vast majority of them were fine. Were there creeps and cliques? Oh absolutely. Were there bad events here and there? Oh absolutely. Did I myself make an ass out of myself at an event or two? You betcha. See the pattern here? It’s called life. Creeps, cliques and assholes happen, deal with it.
Is the organization perfect? No. But I take issue with those that have written some of the harsher reviews such as Bob A. who felt the need to include a recording of «Jen» the HLA office. The only Jen I knew that working in the HLA office was a dear and the fact that Bob does not include his end of the conversation as well as not offering any proof that that is Jen from the HLA offices and not his sister or other female acquaintance of his makes me wonder if his review is just out of spite for being denied a phone number or something. Mary G. as well, who wrote a pretty scathing review of a meeting, yet never responded to being called out by HLA management about the fact no one with her name had even been interviewed. Bottom line is, take the more hostile reviews with a grain of salt and use your own judgement if THEY are the people that are anti-​social or unstable as the people they claim to be describing.
The Pro’s:
Lots of events, literally one every day and sometimes 2 or 3 to choose from.
Stay with the organization long enough and you will mesh with more than a few people. I used to bring people to my backyard in the summer after pub crawls/​happy hours/​bar nights.
Variety of events. Very rarely was the same thing on the menu twice in the space of 3 or 4 months, (bar events excluded of course).
Laura. Best event leader and sweetheart hands down. In fact her becoming less involved directly in events was one of the deciding factors of me leaving.
The Cons:
Spencer.
Price, the monthly fee coupled with events fees didn’t bother me, it was the «initiation» fee. I know I know, I wrote earlier that this is a for profit business but $ 1600 for a 2 year membership kinda floored me. Luckily for them, I was just back from living in NYC, had all my friends I grew up with married and living on the south side and a chunk of money burning a hole in my pocket.
The Cliques. Cliques form wherever you go, but a few of them in this organization were pretty extreme. I remember one with a leader that would do nothing but scan the crowd, (looking for his next recruit?, we nicknamed him, Captain Morgan, see a bottle of the aforementioned named product to see how he scanned the crowd.), while a group of girls would just sit there, talk amongst themselves and shun anyone that would attempt to socialize with them.
Spencer. If you wonder why I mentioned this name twice, search these reviews for his input, take special note of how he says the offices of HLA reminded him of «a pediatricians office» and then proceeds to include his phone number for people to call him with questions. I am a man and I am saying this, he creeps me out. Remember, this is coming from the male of the species.
With the exception to the price, I feels these cons should do little to deter you since you’ll encounter those issues just about anywhere in life be it work or play, but the price really is a big issue IMHO, especially in this economy.
There’s more cost effective organizations out there such as the Chicago Sport and Social Club that charge per event (but at a higher rate than HLA events) and the Chicago Young Republicans, (which has a $ 35-​$ 75 annual membership fee, but only hold 2 – 3 events a month) but if you are looking for variety and frequency of events, HLA is the way to go.
3 instead of 4 stars simply because of the price.
An update: The negative reviews of this organization simply based on reviewers meeting, «socially awkward» people are unfair and should be dismissed entirely. No one can control the actions of others and if you aren’t mature enough to accept that society has oddballs out there, then maybe you should stay at home and play World of Warcraft. Yes it is true I addressed a few weirdos in my review, but I also said it should not be any sort of a deterrent due to the fact that it’s just life. Even though this is a social club, deal with the fact you aren’t going to mesh with everyone and in fact, not everyone is going to mesh with you.

I was contacted by them to put on an event. We signed a contract, and two days before the event they decided to cancel the event. I set aside an evening to give this event. They unilaterally decided to cancel the event, and told me they would not pay me. There was no clause allowing them to back out. They obvuously cannot be trusted. I would never do an event with them in the future– they can’t be trusted.

I heard the advertisements for this, and thought wow this would be fun to join. So I filled something out online, got a call a few minutes later. I had a great conversation with the sales lady, set up an interview, but she wouldn’t tell me how much for it, red flag. So I did goggling on Highlife and was shocked and really dismayed by the reviews and the interview process and the events and the pricetag.
I know that people will complain about everything, but the detail of the reviews seemed quite detailed and legit, and decided against going any further with it. Anyhow, I left a message canceling the interview, and for weeks, Highlife would call up to 3 times a day, sometimes messages were left sometimes not. But overall, I thought it was kind of creepy and strange that they were calling so much, finally I answered the phone and told them no more.
Anyhow, I see the owner of Highlife responding on Unilocal and trying to do damage control on these boards and not really interested in a response but thought I would convey opinion.

As a 20-​something year old social butterfly who was new to Chicago, I was anxious to expand my circle of friends and participate in a variety of activities. I heard an ad on the radio, and went in for my interview a few days later. Since they interview you, I assumed they didn’t let everybody in, but only the people who seemed like they could have fun in any situation. After all, the ads are all focused on having fun. I actually assumed everybody would be just like me — fun, social, nice, and wanting to meet new friends. I was extremely wrong.
I’ve met some people who are like me — new to the city and wanting to make new friends. I’ve met about 5ish people through HLA that I’m friends with outside of the club now, so for that part I have to give them 2 stars instead of 1.
However, so many of the people in the group are miserable to be around. I brought a friend to an event one time, and one of the other members made us both so uncomfortable with his extremely rude words that we ended up leaving early. Although our money for that event was refunded after I said something to the event manager (Laura is actually a great event manager and very customer service oriented — she helped me out every time I had an issue), I can’t believe that the event leader sat back and did nothing and that they even let somebody like that into the group in the first place.
So many of the people in the group made me feel unwelcome, including some of the leaders. It was a really weird feeling for me, because I usually enter a room and make friends instantly. Some of these people were so awkward that even as a public relations gal, some of the conversations were like pulling teeth.
The last event I attended (last month) made me decide to leave the group for good. One of the older male members became so inappropriate with me that I decided I was done giving any money to a group that allows people like that in. I sent in my cancellation email the next week. That process was easy, so I guess that’s a plus.
The premise of this group is so great and I wish it had been more than it turned out to be. I think it’s awesome that there’s a whole company based on bringing people together, but the idea and the reality are completely different from each other.

Total scam… first of all when you go there they put so much pressure on you to join. In fact when I said I wanted to take a day to think the representative Karen got rude and angry with me. I have only myself to blame for not walking out right then. I joined for 5 months and it was 4 months too many. I went for a few events and the people were weird unfriendly especially the men. I am not sure what they were expecting but awkward was the operative word. They seem to do zero screening of the people or their social skills. I started avoiding events and canceling ones I signed up for and then realized that this was clearly not for me. They seem to have a lot of events but a lot get canceled or are on weekdays when most people can’t go.
They are so expensive — they take a membership fee then charge you the moon for each event. The free ones are not even worth your time. I didn’t want to pick a fight so I stayed the 5 months but the rip of continued. Now the same lady Karen called me to see if I wanted to renew and she tries to convince me but I say No. She says she would inform the office about it and I had nothing else to do. Now a month later I see $ 125 debited from my account. When I call their billings department, some fake friendly woman answers. When I question this she gets belligerent and rude and says that it was in my contract/​agreement to send an email otherwise I would get charged $ 125 which is a monthly rate. That is bullshit and when I call her out, she says I can go to the bank to dispute it but they won’t return the amount. This is the worst customer service I have ever seen and I am going to make sure none of my friends ever make the mistake of going there. I will have to file a consumer complaint to get this resolved. Imagine the hassle. THIS IS SUCH A SCAM — PLEASE STAY AWAY.

I should preface this review by saying that I never joined… I didn’t make it pass the initial «interview.» So this poor rating has nothing to do with the group itself or the the parties/​events they host. Those could be totaly awesome and maybe I missed the party of my life and will always regret it.
On the other hand, after talking with friends (and reading reviews here), I realize I’m not the only one who had an abysmal experience just *talking* to these guys, so I feel slightly justified in getting the word out.
I was looking for an excuse to get out a little more – I definitely need some prodding – and the activities that Highlife offered sounded really cool: a good mix of things to do, a little something for everyone.
They require an interview (what they really mean is credit check) and say that it makes their club a little more exclusive, where, in their words, I’ll meet the «right» kind of people. The guy who interviewed me spied my bare left ring finger and immediately started talking about all the women who meet husbands at Highlife. That was a wee bit insulting and annoying, but I could roll with it.
What I couldn’t roll with was the insane price. The dues were prohibitively expensive and the activities and parties (though they do offer free events, too) were pricier than I had expected. They also didn’t typically arrange transportation for things out in the ‘burbs, and as a non-​car-​owner, that was no good for me.
I told the guy that I’d need time to ponder, and immediately his demeanor changed. I could hardly believe this was the same person who’d offered me coffee and donuts 40 minutes earlier. He became insulting and combative, telling me that if I couldn’t afford Highlife then there was something wrong with me. I told him I just needed time to consider, to which he said, «Yeah right, I’m SURE you’ll call back.» I countered with «excuse me?» and he said, «Whatever» and left the room, slamming the door on me. I was left to find my way out on my own.
True, it was too expensive for my budget, but in that instant, I knew that even if I found myself in a position to join up, I never would. Forget it: I can go to bars and events on my own.

I’m downright embarrassed to say that I used to be a member of this organization. The only reason I’m posting a review is because none of you know me, so you can’t laugh at me in person :)
I firmly believe that these people prey on those who are new to Chicago. I received a postcard in the mail a couple months after I moved here for a new job. Thinking it sounded neat, I went to their website to check it out. I decided to call «for more information.» While the lady on the phone was very amiable, I should’ve taken it as a red flag that «it’s our policy to not discuss membership prices over the phone.» Well, I ignored that and went in for an interview anyway.
Big. Mistake.
Like everyone else on here has said, they definitely have a «hard sell» tactic. Recently graduating from college, I don’t know how I justified paying $ 1,200 a year in membership fees, on top of monthly $ 35 dues. Maybe it’s because I was told by the salesperson that I would be «lonely and miserable» in a new city where I didn’t know anyone. Again, being new, I was afraid this would come true. So I joined.
I’m still wondering why I thought it was a good idea to pay $ 20 to get into a bar that I could’ve gone into for free. Coupled with a few other events I went to, each time checking my watch, wondering when it would be over, I called to cancel my membership after the first year. The person on the other line was angry and belittling, which just made me even more sure that this was a mistake all along.
If you’re new to the city, there are SO MANY OTHER WAYS TO MAKE FRIENDS: Meetup, YPC, sports teams, etc — don’t waste your time or money on Highlife.

Note that a lot of these reviews are by people who have not actually been members, and simply had sticker shock at the first meeting…
I’ve been a member for a couple of months now. My basic thing with this place is it may not be for everyone. I do feel it’s good if you’re new to town, have very few friends or just want to do things on the calendar that your friends are meh about.
If you’ve scheduled a meeting and you’re just trying to see what you can find out before the pitch, there are three parts to the pricing. First, there’s a joining fee. Think 3 – 4 digits for joining, which gets you a 1 or 2 year membership. Then, there’s monthly dues — $ 35ish. Finally, each of the events have some cost — but there are a fair number of free events.
For the events, something like Driving a race car will cost you $ 400. Sky diving is about $ 100, Lessons (cooking, fly fishing, etc): $ 65. Happy hours, bar events, etc: $ 0 — $ 10. Horseback riding, picnics: $ 30 ish.
Basically, it’s been fun to try some of the new things, but I can’t say that I’ve just had a ton of fun. As for the singles aspect, after 5 or 7 events I haven’t met someone i’d be interested in going out with. But, it’s early still.

I have to agree with all of the poor reviews of this organization. I had an interview last week and had no idea how costly it would be to join. About $ 2000 for the first year. They use high pressure, aggressive sales tactics during the interview, and if you don’t join during the interview they don’t have any use for you. Even a used car salesman will let you leave to mull over your decision to spend a wad of money.
So once you get in the club, is it really a bunch of diverse and dynamic people worthy of friendship or is it just a group of too nice folks who can’t say no during the interview?
If you’re new to the city and looking to make friends, any place but HLA has got to be better.

Don’t waste your time. When I first moved to the city, I heard about Highlife through the Internet and thought it sounded interesting.
I went to the «interview» and was basically given a long winded sales pitch. However, once I heard the prices (I was a grad student at the time), I realized this was a waste of time. I told the salesperson about my concerns about the price but was treated like crap afterwards.
Luckily for me, I didn’t cave in. I actually found an organization that plans similar events with no membership fee. Checkout
if you’re considering doing Highlife. Meetin essentially does the same thing for free. All you pay for are your own fees, food, etc. And to top if off, I actually met a lot of folks through Meetin.

When I moved to Chicago in ’99, there was no Unilocal (sad face here), I knew noone and so my social life was virtually nonexistent. I went and joined HLA thinking this would be a great way to meet people.
If I remember correctly in the 6 months I was a member I went to about 7 events. The events were, uncomfortable to say the least. They absolutely will not let you NOT be a part of some conversation, and if they see you not talking, even for a few seconds, some overtly-​perky chaperone drags you over to some other poor sap and forces you to stand there uncomfortably while they maniacally grin and introduce you through clenched teeth. Look, I applaud their effort, but dont they realize that when meeting people for the first time it’s bound to be weird? There are going to be uncomfortable silences and thoughts of escape when you realize you are talking with a raging bore.
Also, a problem was that there were cliques that formed that were insanely hard to break into. And of course, the chaperones cared nothing about that, as long as people were talking was all that mattered.
They were a bit more skilled at evading the questions of final cost back then too it seems, since I was only given the barest minimum of information. After my first month’s credit card statement came and I saw what I was being charged did I completely understand how expensive it is overall.
Also back then you could opt to join for 6 months, thank god. A year would have bankrupted me.
Maybe they had a good game going on back in the days before Facebook, Unilocal and other social networking sites, but it is so easy now to meet people for very little money (or even free) that to spend this much money with these people is just a big joke.

Is there a way to give 0 stars on this thing???
After finding myself suddenly single again, I thought I might give HLA a try. The salespeople really woo you with a great pitch, and somehow make you feel like it’s worth the boatload of cash they want you to spend. Everyone was SO VERY friendly and complimentary (my salesgirl said I was stunningly gorgeous), and I signed up that day.
Later in the day (a Saturday), I realized I had made a mistake. It’s far too much money, and when I looked at all of the events, I knew I wouldn’t be able to attend enough to make it worth my while. According to the contract I had signed, I had until midnight on the third business day to cancel, so I called immediately, the same day I’d signed up. The receptionist told me that no one in the office would be able to speak to me, no matter how much I persisted. So I left messages for the operations manager, the billing department and the salesperson who signed me up. In addition, I sent an email. The next day, I sent a certified letter per the contract informing them of my desire to cancel and have a refund.
I played phonetag with the salesperson until finally speaking to her two days later. She was immediately belligerent, rude and argumentative with me. She asked my reasons for being a «quitter» and when I tried to explain about the cost, she went on a rampage with me, saying that I clearly must be shy and anti-​social, and someone who is unable to make good decisions in my life. When I asked not to be insulted by her, she said, «I’m not being insulting. I’m just stating a fact. Some people just can’t do positive things with their lives and are too scared.»
Needless to say, my experience was not a good one. To anyone thinking of joining, they are just after your money and they’re only nice to you if they can get it and keep it.
I was assured from another manager that I would receive a refund, but I won’t believe it until I see it. I’ve already had to contact my credit card company to issue a dispute.
If you’re single and looking for a group of people to hang out with and try new things, just call me – don’t fall for their trap.

I have to agree with the other low ratings, this was one of the WORST financial decisions I ever made! I signed up a few years back and the best thing that ever came out of it was the free plastic mug, which I actually still use.
I heard about Highlife on Eric and Kathy (who I love); I know they’re paid to read the ads, but they made it sound so fun I had to check it out. I went in for the interview and they give you their used car salesman pitch, «if you don’t do it now you lose this low price, if you sign up for 2 years you can transfer your membership and it’s only a few hundred dollars more…» You get the drift. They gave me the line that they interview potential members to make sure that there aren’t any «bad» people in the club. Apparently they define bad as lacking a pulse (and as Kristi W said a credit card)! Then they talked about how they have leaders for all of the events, if you count a leader as someone physically present with a list of attendees then they didn’t lie, but in my opinion a leader should do more than stand around, they should lead! Sadly, like a bad one night stand they knew all of the right things to say to have their way with me.
My first event was a bar crawl, which actually was ok. There were a few socially awkward people there, but with a lot of booze you really don’t notice that much. My second was pretty good too, a Chicago bike tour given by Bobby’s Bike Hike; Bobby’s was great — our Bobby’s guide is what made it so fun. I think I went to 3 more events (by the way in addition to the hefty membership fee you also have to pay for all of the events!) which were all disasters. I went on the Venetian Night boat cruise once, I met 1 or 2 nice people but got gridlocked by a guy who to call socially awkward would be a compliment. Shockingly he’d been a member for something like 5 years! My other events weren’t much better either and I looked forward to the day I could cancel my membership. Also annoying were the few events I thought might be fun that got canceled at the very last minute. Even though my membership was transferable I couldn’t give it to a friend, talk about punishment! I was so disgusted with them and myself for my own stupidity that I high fived my parent’s cat after he peed all over one of the monthly activity books they sent me (too bad I couldn’t bring him to their office for a repeat performance).
Bottom line — stay away; join a sports league, card league, book club, anything else.

I am almost embarrassed to admit I used to be a member, but I joined when I had just gotten to Chicago in ’99 and didn’t know anybody, and didn’t know any better apparently. I was a member until 2006 I think… but I hadn’t been active for a couple of years before that. I had only kept my membership b/​c for $ 10 a month I got the little booklet which gave me lots of ideas to do on my own or with friends. When I first joined, the people were okay, but as some have said over the years the membership drastically declined in quality. As another reviewer said, most were «socially awkward»…and I would probably use some less kind adjectives so I will leave it at that and just say they weren’t the kinds of people I had the desire to hang out with. I believe my last event was a brunch, and it was awful. From a moment or two after I sat down, I was itching to leave b/​c I just didn’t jibe with the other members. Other downsides: the joining price is insane (and yes the pitch was hardcore). The events became way overpriced and over marked up – as another reviewer said, you can do the same events on your own or with friends for cheaper. I understand they need to pay salaries, etc, but the surcharges got to be ridiculous. The only bright side was the chance to get to do some things I normally wouldn’t have done, such as hanggliding.
Now that I know better, I know there are plenty of ways to meet people and do events in Chicago for free or cheap (

our very own Unilocal,Chicago Sport & Social, and a gazillion other organizations based on interests). If you really need to pay to make friends, then give HA a shot. Otherwise, just look and ask around and take advantage of other avenues in Chicago to meet cooler people without getting ripped off.

I joined HighLife in 2003. I did think it was expensive and the cost of some of the events were rediculous, but I was also new to the area and I wanted to meet new people (I DID NOT want a dating service). Highlife was recommended by a co-​worker whose friend was a member and had a lot of fun.
The interview was incredibly high pressure… worse than sitting through a time-​share presentation. I was VERY VERY specific in my interview about not being interested in dating, just wanted to meet people, do some stuff in the city, etc. I was assured this was NOT a dating service, merely a place for young professionals to interact, network, and have fun. The salesman (a guy and I can’t remember his name) also said that while they don’t frown on dating (in fact several people have met and been married) they are meant strictly to be a social/​networking club. Total crap! Go to one event and tell me that’s not a dating service. And it’s a bad one at that as the calibre of women far outrank the calibre of men. A couple of months into it I called to see if I could cancel the contract because they misrepresented who/​what they were and that’s when the battle began.
Then, as luck would have it, my job was transferred to California. The contract provides that if you move more than 35 miles (I think) away from the original distance you were from a highlife office then you can can cancel your contract. WRONG. I fought with them for 2 years, told them they were a fraud, that they intentionally misrepresent the service to induce people to join then they don’t abide by the contract terms. I ended up having to pay them because that’s the last thing I wanted on my credit report.
Anyway, my sister sent me a text message this morning that she heard a commercial for them and that they advertise as a dating service. I was livid! They lied to me, then refused to honor the contract. Look, if it’s a dating service, cool, I met my fiancé on eHarmony so who cares. I’m angry that I specifically told them that’s not what I was looking for (at the time) and they lied to me just to get me to sign the contract.
Someone should sue them for fraud, misrepresentation, and unfair business practices.

I am reading some of these reviews here on Unilocal and none of them really do the organization any justice. The reviewers either hate it because they haven’t gotten past becomming a member or they love it, but they fail to expose some of the things that need improvement in Highlife Adventures. This review should answer most questions for people who are interested in joining this organization. This review is written in a FAQ format and the information below is based upon the time in which I write this review. For the most part I am objective, but I will, where ever I see fit, to inject my opinion about a situation or topic. So without further ado…
Q: How much does it cost?
A: Any where between $ 1200-​$ 1800 on average depending on your plan and your negotiation skills. There’s a one year plan and there’s a two year plan. My recommendation: if you can afford the membership, go to your first «interview» and not sign up. Tell them you want to join, but not for the price they quoted you. Tell them to get back to you and that you are eager to hear back from them. Afraid they won’t call you back? Just read the other reviews. These guys make Mikey from Swingers seem coy.
No one is pointing a gun to your head so politely leave. Then begin the negotiation process. Do not pay any more than 75% the actual price. Wait weeks if you have to, Highlife will cave at $ 1600 for the two year plan, and sometimes lower. This is your money, don’t accept the first offer on the table.
Q: How can I get a cheaper membership?
A: Go to craigslist and do a search for «highlife». Someone is most likely trying to sell the rest of their membership. This can happen if the seller has purchased the two year plan and opts to transfer their membership. I’ve seen these go for as little as $ 400 for 18 months. There’s a small transfer cost associated with it.
Q: Are the sales staff aggressive?
A: Yes. Be prepared.
Q: What is the interview like?
A: It’s not really an interview. No criminal, background or credit check was applied. No polygraph or reference check. It’s just a way for Highlife Adventures to get you to there so the sales staff can feast on your credit card.
Q: What are the costs of these events?
A: They vary. Some are free (like the ice breakers). The bar events are cheap ($ 5-​$ 10). Sporting event and shows can be anywhere from $ 30-​$ 100. Trips can be up to $ 1000+. The prices are for the most part fair, however, there are some instances in which Highlife Adventures will mark up the prices for whatever reason. This is a problem that a lot of members, including myself, complain about. Over the years the mark up per event has gone up and up. They are also marking up more events.
Q: Are the price per event cheaper because of group rates?
A: Rarely. This is one huge problem in highlife. There is a crazy markup in prices per event. Some events costs more for Highlife Adventures members to go to than a person walking in off the street.
Q: How many events are there per month?
A: On average 60+.
Q: What type of events are there?
A: The calendar is almost predictable every month. The standard events are:
— bar events: socials, pub crawls, dance nights
— food: dinners, brunches, pizza parties, etc
— sporting events: cubs, bulls, sox, fire, minor league bb, etc
— trips: Europe, ski, dude ranch
— tours
Q: What is the gender ratio?
A: Mostly women. About two thirds of the members are women. If you’re a guy you must be thinking wow. Not so… they may as well be all dudes.
Q: Are there really 3000+ members?
A: So they say. However you tend to see the same faces at every event. So I would say that there are about 300 active members.
Q: Are there socially awkward people in Highlife Adventures?
A: Yes. Be prepared. Be very prepared.
Q: So why the low rating?
A: Highlife is a great idea in principle. The membership price could be lower like a reviewer wrote to entice non socially awkward people with more options to join. The events themselves are predictable, banal almost. Some standard events are great but that’s only 1 – 2 per month. The markup per event as earlier written is a huge problem.
Q: What can Highlife Adventures do better?
A: Firstly, they can have better events. Especially in the summer. Every weekend, I expect at least one outdoors event. It seems a lot of events are geared towards bars and alcohol. That’s fine, but I don’t need an event planning service to plan an event I can plan myself. Plus the same group of alcoholics go to the same event.
Secondly, build more events based upon team work and bonding. Examples are whirlyball, canoeing, scavenger hunts, etc. Get more creative with these events, that’s add value in itself. Have these in place of a bar event.
Thirdly, lower the cost of membership. The costs and markups seem to benefit the owners at the expense of the members.

I’ve been a member of Highlife Adventures for three months now, and must say it’s been a great experience overall.
I was a bit nervous when went in for the initial appointment. but the sales staff was able to answer all my questions with ease. They had movies playing in the waiting room, and snacks also, a nice touch.
The ratio of women and men is balanced, and it is easy to get acquainted at the various events (over 60 per month). I’ve already made friends in the club — a feat which is difficult in a big city like Chicago.
Members can sign up for events on-​line, at a special members-​only web site, which is nice. The Halloween party was a blast, at one of the clubs on Division Street. There were drink specials, appetizers, and a costume contest. the event was a big hit.
Wow! That Lake Tahoe skit trip was awesome!
New Year’s at Victor hotel was also a great time. we had a private room at the back of venue, with a dedicated bartender.

I got a card in the mail promoting Highlife Adventures, and this looked promising. I went to their website to request information about membership, and I was called the next day by Jen in the Chicago Office. I asked if this was supported by membership dues or by margin from the event fees, and she said it was not their policy to discuss prices over the telephone. This was a warning flag. Anyway, I scheduled an interview in 3 days, and went to the Internet to read about them.
I found that annual membership was $ 1200 per year, plus the event fees were close to 100% premium over market price. Some people claimed that if the hard sell was declined, staff would become insulting/​verbally abusive.
I called and left a message to cancel my appointment. When I found a message from Jen the day before the appointment, I called back to remind them that I cancelled. Jen asked why, and I just said that I decided against visiting a company that would not discuss price over the telephone. She started to argue with me, so I hung up. I was trying to be considerate by calling to cancel a day early, rather than simply not show up at the appointment.
I guess I should not have been surprised to get this insulting message on my answering machine.
You may listen to it on YouTube at

I find it hard to believe Jen that she has 3000 members. She claimed in the message that people spend $ 25/​week ($ 1300 a year!), but that would be $ 3.9 million per year. With that comfortable income, she could afford to be more understanding.
Bob