With only 12 months in a year (which for the average employee only grants four weeks of vacation time) how can you utilize your free time to its maximum capacity and enjoy the best things life has to offer? Regardless of age, budget, or individual tastes, we have composed 10 of the ‘must attend’ events.

1. New Orleans Mardi Gras - One of the most sought after International Mardi Gras locations. New Orleans offers locals and tourists alike a week long session of street parties, colorful parades and local festivities, the perfect location to release all your inner inhibitions.

2. Carnival in Salvador, Brazil. Although many believe Rio de Janeiro is the place to soak up a true Brazilian carnival, the pulse of the party actually lies within the heart of Salvador. Tourists and Brazilians alike flock to Salvador for the official week long festivities (an unknown reality is the carnival in Salvador commences New Years Eve and is not over until April). Experience the Bahian beauty, hospitality, love and overall jest for life in an unforgettable carnival experience.

3. Chinese New Year - Beijing. China, otherwise referred to as Lunar New Year, traditionally commences on the first day of the new lunar cycle each year. The New Year celebrations in Beijing usually last around 3 days, however the weeks preceding the celebrations are also well renowned for partying.

4. Oktoberfest - One of the largest international public parties, Oktoberfest can be found celebrated in various countries throughout the world. The beer drinking festival is held over the last week in September and the first week in October. The most famous location for partaking in this fun filled holiday is in Munich, Germany.

5. New Years Eve - Sydney harbor bridge. The fireworks display held over Sydney Harbour Bridge on New Years Eve never fails to satisfy spectators. Be sure to arrive at a viewing spot early as it tends to get fairly crowded towards the late evening.

6. St Patrick’s Day in Dublin - Whether you are American, English, Australian, regardless of nationality the chances that there is a small percentage of ‘an Irishman’ running through your blood is very high. The Emerald isle is renowned internationally for its hospitality, warm heartedness, its love for the arts, oh and March the 17th, St Patrick’s Day, where young and old come together in unity to celebrate the joyousness related to being a proud Irishman. The Guinness Factory even has imprinted on their walls in Dublin that “everyone is Irish on March 17th”. Dublin holds day long celebrations generally starting with a parade through the city. However, the true Irish are known for celebrating St Patrick’s Day for more than a week long period.

7. The Henley Royal Regatta - This highly regarded regatta attracts the finest rowing enthusiasts from around the globe. Originally held in 1839 it has remained a yearly event (exemption during World War 1 and 2) and guarantees to provide a fun filled experience for participants and spectators alike.

8. The Cannes Film Festival - This international film festival held in France is known as the most important event within the world of the motion picture industry. A trip to Cannes during Film festival season allows for a spectacular tourist experience, from sunbathing to celebrity spotting. The large screens situated upon the beach even allow visitors to watch the up and coming movies being held within the festival.

9. Edinburgh International Festival - One of the largest international arts festivals in the world, the Edinburgh international festival has something to offer everyone, from classical compositions to recent rock and roll stars. The festival runs for a duration of three weeks and usually commences during the middle of August.

10. Tour de France - The most famous bike ride within the world, the Tour de France has propelled names such as Miguel Ángel Indurain Larraya (Big Mig in English) and Lance Armstrong into international stardom. The 23 day bike race takes in some of the most famous sights within France such as ‘The Champs-Élysees’ and the breathtaking Alps. The world hosts a large array of parties and events to indulge in on a continual basis.

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If you’ve been keeping up with the latest news about Zvents, you’re aware that hundreds of newspaper publishers, tv, radio stations, mobile, and online media partners have been eagerly embracing the Zvents Media Platform. HUGE national media are powered by Zvents, including: MSN, MTV, YELLOWPAGES.COM, and more are in the queue. Zvents’ strength also lies in scooping up influential local media channels — some recent additions to the network include: The San Francisco Chronicle/SFGate, the Denver Post’s PoliticsWest, the Richmond Times, Columbus Alive, and Online Athens…and several others.

More than 250 media partners have joined the Zvents network. Why? A recent article in Forbes Magazine by Victoria Barret explains, “Zvents aims to understand the nuances of time and place,” using event listings to promote local businesses and engage local customers. Zvents has created a way to promote local businesses online, in ways that match traditional media buying patterns. Barret also cites that “…since Boston.com began using Zvents technology in January 2007 the number of events in its database has gone up fourfold, and traffic to the events content increased eightfold,” which exhibits Zvents’ solid and positive impact on its partners.

That’s why we’re so excited that Zvents has been nominated for the Forrester Groundswell “Embracing” Award. As more and more partners continue to embrace Zvents’ local search technology, we continue to recognize that there is a serious demand for local search.

We welcome and encourage you to *rate and share your personal opinions* about the Zvents Media Platform for the “Embracing” category of the Groundswell Award here.

The winner will be announced on October 29th, so please add your ratings and reviews as soon as you can.

Thanks for your support!

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