Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with events

What gift(s) could I request for Christmas that would make my life more interesting, social, or creative?

Kirn — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 02:41:00 -0800

What gift(s) could I request for Christmas that would make my life more interesting, social, or creative? I've been asked by my mother for suggestions of what she could get me for Christmas. Recently I've realised that I spend too much time reading books, watching movies and playing video games, and not enough time doing creative or interesting things, attending cultural events, or being sociable and meeting new people. This is particularly daft as I live in the interesting city of Brighton, an hour outside the even more interesting city of London.

What gift(s) could I ask for that would help me to have a more interesting, social, creative 2010? There's infinite interesting stuff happening in London (and Brighton), so what would give me an excuse to see/do more of it? There's infinite new creative activities I could get involved in (none of which I really engage with currently) so what would give me an entry into them? What would get me out the house? What would get me outside my comfort zone? What would bring a bit more culture, a bit more social scene into my life?

Absolutely any and all suggestions welcome, I'd love a wide grab-bag of ideas. Thanks!

There's a widget for that

chrisinseoul — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 08:17:06 -0800

There's-a-widget-for-that-filter: I need a write-once, run-anywhere events widget to keep the world updated on what's happening. I run a moderately successful blog in Seoul, South Korea (for reference purposes: chrisinsouthkorea.blogspot.com). One of my more popular posts is an 'events' post that gets published at the beginning of every month. I'll hand-type this thing after hours of researching and formatting - and there's GOT to be an easier way.

Ideally, I want a widget (with HTML code / script people can copy and paste anywhere) that can:

A: accept new event listings from selected users (or pre-registered users)
B: be displayable with filters (location, date, price, etc.) anywhere the code is placed.
C: Write-once, run-anywhere so other bloggers can contribute and post the same widget.
D: Is free / open source.

Google Calendar is the only application I'm familiar with that MIGHT produce something like what I'm thinking about. But Hive Mind, you are smarter than that. Any help would be great. Thanks!

take me to your leader

Potomac Avenue — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 08:25:29 -0800

What are the good independent music/arts/entertainment/hipster websites in your city? Is there a site in your large- to medium-sized city that fits these criteria:
* not affiliated with a print version (Onion, city paper, etc)
* not affiliated with a network in other cities of some kind like Gothamist or Yahoo
* not in NYC or Los Angeles for various complex reasons
* are totally awesome

and that you might turn to for most of the things listed below:

1. music and concert reviews
2. entertainment calender and preview of events
3. movie, tv, food or theater reviews
4. obnoxiously fashionable photographs of shows, dance-parties and events
5. other quirky articles about local goings-on
6. discussion of other current topics on the web or in the world of pop culture

I'm asking because I work for one like this in DC and want to find out if we're all alone or if there are sister sites out there in places like Minneapolis, etc, with which we can communicate. So if you've heard of one but never used it I'd appreciate the tip even if yr not sure of its quality. I have read this thread, but there aren't many choices in there which fit the criteria.

Thank you.

In Search of Events Management Software

redarmycomrade — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:09:55 -0800

What are some good software platforms/services that will help us run our conferences? My company runs a number of small conferences, and we're looking for an events management software platform to handle session content, agendas, registration, and call for proposals. Looking for suggestions along the lines of ExpectNation and Cvent. Hopefully cheaper!

Festival Management 101

divabat — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 05:08:41 -0800

I'd like to start a festival. This time I actually have a plan and possibly some people. Where do I start? After being mildly frustrated at the local alt-arts scene, I made a plan for a fringe/indie/alt arts festival that showcases minority and culturally diverse performers. I've been inspired by the upcoming Shades of Burlesque festival and the Kaleidoscope Cabaret festival (both for burlesque performers of colour; Kaleidoscope has a more queer focus) and basically want to do something similar in Australia. It would be the first of its sort in my area, if not the country. (Kaleidoscope has a pretty good outline of how I want my festival to run)

I made up a quick plan outlining how the festival will run, a wishlist of people and resources, and further questions. I've got a few people interested, and just had a chat this afternoon with someone whose job is to help young people with their creative projects. I've also been collecting advice here and there.

Where do I start? My contact this arvo suggested I write a 1-2 page brief to the organisations whose involvement I'm after outlining the festival idea and what I need. Who should I go after first - venues, presenters, sponsors, all at once? It seems a bit chicken and egg.

I figure the earliest this festival will take place will be mid-late 2010. Right now people are finishing up year-end projects before going on holidays, so any major meetings will only really take place in January. What can I do between now and then that won't take up people's time? I anticipate that some of my presenters and brains will likely be from outside Australia - how do I plan for travel expenses and that sort of thing?

What resources have you found useful in festival planning? Any software, reading material, guides, people that are handy? Any grants or funding bodies that make good contacts? (I'm not a permanent resident yet so 99% of Aussie grants are off-limits to me; however, if I'm auspiced, the auspicing org could apply on my behalf) Any creative methods that have worked well for others?

(The plan is in a public Google document; MefiMail me if you'd like to take a look.)

If in Norway, I'd go to the Ice Hotel

TheOtherSide — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 06:47:39 -0800

My airline miles are expiring: What awesome, unusual events are happening in the continental US November through January? Help! I need to book a flight to somewhere in the continental US, because my miles are expiring. I have enough miles left for one round trip ticket.

I know my usual favorite places (e.g. NYC, Austin, San Diego, San Francisco). But, I want to know if there are any awesome, unusual events that are going to happen in November, December, or January. Or, are there just odd places that I just should check out.

I'm a single guy, 34, and will be traveling alone. I like contemporary art, music, culture, food, backpacking, nature, retreats, technology, science, big experiences. I prefer the fringe over mainstream, and the smart, funny, and bizarre.

Let me know if you have any ideas

Alaska dork needs help! Cool things to do in DC Oct. 27-Nov. 2?

Alaska Jack — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 20:29:09 -0800

Woohoo! Several idle days in Washington DC! I desperately need wise counsel; Please please please tell me about cool things to do! I'll be attending a conference just outside DC (Leesburg, VA, to be precise) from Oct. 27 to Oct. 29.* Then, from Oct. 30 through mid-day Nov. 2, I will have FOUR WHOLE DAYS with absolutely nothing to do in our nation's capital! I would LOVE to get ideas!!!

Here's some things to get started -

(1) I'm way more interested in seeing cool, quirky metropolitan-type stuff than I am in the usual monuments, etc. I love trying new things and expanding my horizons. I love music, I like meeting people, but I'm also perfectly happy doing things by myself.

(2) To that end, I won't be staying in a Holiday Inn etc, but lining up a room or even just a couch through a website I found. I should be able to get a place pretty close to downtown.

(3) I am used to doing a lot of walking -- and really looking forward to it! I doubt if I'll have any other transportation aside from public transit.

(4) I'll be there over Halloween.

(5) Hmm... should I worry about being mugged? Don't have to worry about that in Alaska. Now that I think about it, I guess things to avoid would also be helpful.

So how 'bout it? Festivals? Art shows? Tai Chi at dawn? Awesome little places to eat? (I esp. love street vendors, unusual ethnic foods, etc.) Should I make a sign and go protest and/or support some random government policy? Demand to see my legislators? I've never had a martini before -- who makes a great one? What should I bet on if I see one of those street guys with the cups and ball? Should I carry a can of spray paint in case I feel the uncontrollable urge to "tag" something? Get drunk and start a fight between Republicans and Democrats? Listen to some crazy speaker and subscribe to his intriguing newsletter? Anything to see at sunrise? How about midnight?

Sorry to sound so excited! But what can I say, I am! Help me fill every waking moment with memorable awesomeness!

- AJ

* Even during the conference, I'd love to know about awesome things to do in the evening.

Reminder - everything changes 17 years from today

cashman — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 12:37:24 -0800

What game changing reminders is my future calendar missing ? I recently started adding notable, possibly world changing future dates to my google calendar as reminders. I have Thursday, June 1, 2017 as "Last of the JFK documents should be released" & "World Ends" for Thursday, December 20, 2012. It helps me in not focusing on the past to have possible world-changing events upcoming, even if they are a couple years out. What other popular prophecies, promised confessions, projected cataclysms or things of that nature should I add to my calendar?

How do you keep up with NYC's events?

helios410 — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 17:36:24 -0800

NYC Filter: This past week I realize I must be living under a rock. I had no idea Jay-Z was performing, nor did I know it was the San Gennaro festival until I accidentally ran into it this weekend. What do you do or follow to keep up with upcoming festivals, concerts, and the like?

Best corporate event venues in Boston area?

UMDirector — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 15:55:21 -0800

Best corporate event venues in Boston area? We are looking for a great location for an event in the Boston area. We have about a ten person meeting with small AV requirements and then either later that day or the next day will have a party for a couple hundred people. Ideally we would like to have both events at the same location.

This will not be for six months but we wanted to get a head start....looking at our options. We are willing to go as far South as Rhode Island or as far north as Nashua, NH. Ultimately we just want a really great, cool venue with outstanding service (including catering).

Looking for reasons to suit up in San Francisco

razorfrog — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 23:59:00 -0800

Suit up! 20 year old guy looking for inexpensive formal locations/events in the San Francisco Bay Area. I recently acquired a three-piece suit for various reasons (weddings, interviews, looking awesome, etc), and I'm looking for excuses to wear it in the SF Bay Area and have a good time. Any ideas for special events, locations, reasons in general to suit up?

I'm single, but could likely find an equally-formally-attired lady to drag along with me if need be. Ideas at the moment consist of ever-pricey musicals, the symphony, or the ballet. Of course formal events tend to be expensive, but ideally something that didn't cost an arm and a leg to get into would be great. Oh, and did I mention I'm not 21 for a few months? That complicates things usually.

Thanks!

A weekend alone in Belfast

nam3d — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 15:33:17 -0800

I'll be working in Belfast next week and have some time alone at the weekend (29/08/09-30/08/09). What should I get up to? Any events I should be aware of?

We're not friends, please stop talking to me.

sio42 — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 12:20:30 -0800

"Please excuse me...No really, don't follow me, I don't want to talk to you." How do I politely get out of having to converse with someone I was friends with for a long, long time but am no longer? Person is inconsiderate, dismissive, and generally a bitch who thinks she's funny when she says mean things. All of the above being reasons I'm not friends with her anymore.

A mutual friend (Susan) has invited crazy lady (Lily) to her wedding and shower out of a feeling of obligation, since in better days, we were both in Lily's wedding. Just to be clear, Lily is NOT in the wedding party, there is not a wedding party.

Susan and I haven't talked to Lily for over a year. Susan stopped being an all-the-time friend quite some time ago for much the same reasons I only came to realize a few years ago. Susan has not talked to Lily in the past year due to lifestyle decisions Lily was making that Susan just could not be around.

So Lily will be at the shower and the wedding (we guess, havne't gotten RSVP back yet). Susan is not inviting anyone else that Lily knows, except me. Lily has taken it upon herself to let Susan know that certain people havne't rec'd invitations to the shower and wedding and maybe Susan "didn't have the right address". (yes, yes, please roll your eyes.)

I am more than willing to be nice to her in public, but I do not wish to give the impression I wish to rekindle our friendship. I know that I cannot control other people's actions. However, I know that she will come up to me and say her typical rude, sarcastic things and I just don't want to deal with it.

How many times can I say "Excuse me." and walk away? What if she follows me around? I would not put it past her to start telling everyone who will listen that I "ditched her" for my boyfriend. (I got a job after college which took me a neighboring city, which happend to be where my boyfriend lived.) Which is what she kept saying about Susan when she stopped hanging so much. And what she says about anyone who gets a life not centered around Lily. After years of listening to her bitch about her/our friends to me, I can only imagine what she has been saying about me.

She has said really hurtful things to me in the past and been incredibly inconsiderate. I don't want to be a bitch to her at all, but she's a drinker and she tends to get even more inconsiderate when drinking. She thinks she's being funny.

I just feel sorry for her. I realize her life hasn't turned out like she wanted to. But she was like this long before she got married and had babies.

Oh yeah, and she's pregnant again (which apparently was not planned and which Susan didn't know about when she sent the invite). So she'll probably be drinking at these events. All the time proseletyzing about it's ok to drink after the 1st trimester. Which while true (in moderation of course, a glass of wine here and there is ok), showers and weddings aren't the place to start "educating" everyone about it. She's got this attitude of "I'm going to do whatever I want when I want, to hell with what other poeple think." I'm all for being empowered, but that's just an immature attitude.

And I still feel like I'm apologizing for her, even in this post. I'm tired of it.

Help me please be nice and calm my flustered-ness and politely defuse anything that may happen. We are all in our mid-30s. Susan and I don't talk to anyone from our hometown anymore nor do we talk to anyone that knows Lily. We both grew up, got jobs, and stopped hanging at the bar every night.

Ok. I've rambled on enough now....askme, do your magic!

You found WHAT in your drawer?

MaryDellamorte — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:54:22 -0800

Inspired by this question and this comment, I'm curious to know about other things of this nature. Occurances that, to an outsider, seem completely crazy but are common in daily life in certain places in the world.

Event alerts?

4chrisd — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 07:28:36 -0800

Where can I get an RSS feed of ALL upcoming events, conventions, concerts, etc. for a particular city? I live outside of Dallas, Texas and I'm always finding out about great conventions or events in the city after it is too late to attend. Is there a website that gives me me the heads up on these events? Like if there is a Pizza Convention coming in April 2010 I want to know about it now so that I can make plans to attend. Help!

I seriously need to meet some new people and get out of the house. Can you help me develop some new hobbies that will enrich my life and put me in social situations?

mintchip — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 18:21:42 -0800

I seriously need to meet some new people and get out of the house. Can you help me develop some new hobbies that will enrich my life and put me in social situations? I have a number of interests, but they are mostly either quite expensive (traveling, home design) or won't really help me become more social. Truth is, I'm not really sure what things might be of interest to me, and I'm rather shy and hesitant to try something new.

I'm seeking general or specific suggestions for how to become more involved in life and less of an observer. For example;

--What types of things did YOU get involved in to help you get out of a rut?
--Where did you meet your closest friends?
--Are there event lists or sites that have been particularly helpful to you?
--What is the "standby" activity that you turn to when the weekend arrives and you are bored/lonely/haven't made plans?
--Are there any web sites that list a lot of hobbies?
--How far in advance do you try to make weekend plans?

Etc.

UK Fringe Resources Wanted

divabat — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 18:33:21 -0800

What are some great resources, preferably online, of fringe arts (burlesque, cabaret, circus, improv, street theatre, etc) in the United Kingdom? I only know of Ministry of Burlesque and that's it. I'm looking for listings of events, schools, workshops, venues, performers, anything to do with the more oddball non-conventional performing arts. I'll likely be concentrating on England, but Scotland/Wales/Northern Ireland-related links are good too.

Whats Hapenning? ... in Paris

vacapinta — Thu, 28 May 2009 03:58:18 -0800

What are some good events (art, music, film, dance) websites or weblogs for Paris? Are there equivalents of Le Cool or Flavorpill. Looking for something a bit more focused than Time Out Paris or Parissi. French or English is fine. We live in London and can easily take the eurostar down to Paris for a weekend. Its hard enough keeping track of whats going on in London but now I'd like to keep track of whats going on in Paris.

A smaller, curated guide to events and openings would be great. Interests include culinary events (food festivals, restaurant openings), modern dance, jazz, independent films (as well as french film, hong kong film, other international), literary events etc.

Where do the nerds hang out in NYC?

miskatonic — Sat, 09 May 2009 08:11:44 -0800

I'm looking for some awesome geeky and/or nerdy places to go and things to do in New York City. I've noticed that since my friends and I finished college and scattered to many different cities, a lot of my nerd-life has migrated online. (Online games, that sort of thing.) I want to bring some of it back to meatspace, because I live in a great city and I often feel like I'm not taking full advantage of it.

I'm looking both for things I can do by myself and also (maybe especially) for places I might meet and befriend other nerds in the city. I love all types of gaming, plus the usuals - science, sci-fi, fantasy, math, history, etc. I've found the D&D group on Meetup, though if anyone has a better D&D recommendation I'd love to hear it (I'm not comfortable enough with 4th Edition to DM yet). Also looking for any good places to play Magic, video games, etc. What's your favorite comic shop? Are there other meetup groups I should be aware of?

I am also interested in any geeky landmarks or things to visit which don't really fall into the social hangout category. I love the Museum of Natural History, for example, and I plan to check out the Medieval festival at Cloisters in the fall. More things like that would be great.

I'm primarily looking for Manhattan recommendations, but the occasional outer borough option is fine too as long as it's walking distance from the subway. Also, if there's a place you usually hear about these kinds of things in NYC (a forum or mailing list, maybe), I'd love a link to it.

The where, the what and the how of getting hitched in Vegas, when you have friends coming from overseas.

metalheart — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 20:30:10 -0800

(Several questions in one. Sorry.) We're getting hitched in Vegas, and friends are traveling from overseas. Help us plan out some basic wedding stuff (like location, wedding bands, etc.), as well as how to make our friends' stay enjoyable. Okay, so this one might be a doozy.

The Australian and I are getting hitched in Vegas, then going to live in the Summerlin area. A few of our friends from various places overseas are going to come to the wedding, which means a lot to us. We're trying to make things very accommodating for those traveling far, and we're looking for some information regarding that, as well as just basic wedding ideas.

Okay, to the nitty-gritty...

1. Where's a good, non-chapel place to get married in October? Bonus points for somewhere pretty and outdoors.
We looked through the plethora of previous questions like this, but most of them resulted in chapel answers for obvious Vegas reasons. We aren't religious, though, and we don't want to have the wedding in a chapel. Our group will be small. 15-25, I imagine.

2. I need a wedding dress lulz.
I don't believe in spending an arm and a leg on something that's only going to be used once. Pretty and simple and appropriate for the October weather. I'm happy to look into fairly unknown designers. I wanted this dress, but I narrowly missed out on it. I may yet get her to design something for me, but I am open to suggestions.

3. Where's a good place--online or off--to get wedding bands?

4. Where should we have an after-wedding dinner?
Saw a similar question on MeFi, but the answers were a bit too casual for us, mainly because part of my family is prudish, fundamentalist Christians, so I'm already pushing the envelope with a Vegas wedding here. Doesn't have to be hugely expensive or anything, just no slot machines by the table or barely-contained ta tas coming to take your order.

5. It's a long way off yet, but anyone know of entertaining things to do or events that will be going on in the weeks surrounding the 28th of October, 2009?
We have a few friends flying to us from Norway, as well as Australia. Big and expensive trip, clearly. We want to make sure they have more than just us to see, so ideas of where they could go with us would be great. :) Any big conventions or events would be welcome. Most of us are geeks and artists.

Thanks, guys!

I can haz blog post?

anthropoid — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 16:34:54 -0800

What's the best way to ask bloggers to promote a nonprofit fundraising event? I'm working on the promotion of a nonprofit fundraising event and I'd like to ask local NYC bloggers to post about it. It's different from these two questions in that we really cannot afford to offer anything in return - we'd like folks to let people know about it because they care about the topic.

I have done the background research making sure we are approaching bloggers who write about similar topics and whose audiences might be interested in supporting our cause. I am now looking for your input as to the best way to frame the letter, what we should and shouldn't expect in terms of their response, and any ideas on how to best thank them.

Anyone have experience in promoting nonprofit events on your blogs?

Thank you!

What are the best internet events for start-ups to attend?

remcobron — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 14:54:53 -0800

What events should an internet start-up attend in the US and in Europe in order to get know and gain recognition? My European start-up let's you search video from over 30 video sites, collect them, and publish video channels. We are looking to promote ourselves at different events like Techcrunch50 and LeWeb.

I've searched for websites that index these events but didn't find one that listed them all.

So what are the events we should attend? And is there a website that indexes all thexe events?

Thanks for your help!
Remco

How can I psych myself up for social gatherings?

cymru_j — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 14:00:18 -0800

I often feel nervous before going to social gatherings. Is there anything I can do (short of drinking a shot of something) that will help me calm down and just enjoy myself? I'm not a strange or unlikable person; in fact, most people would describe me as reasonably outgoing, but the thought of being in a room with more than five or six people, chit-chatting, makes me feel a little jittery.

I'm less interested in books about social anxiety than little tricks you might do to psych yourself up. Thanks, guys.

Where to hold a catered event in Rochester, NY?

dehowell — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 19:01:55 -0800

Where's a good place to hold a casual, catered event for about 30 people in Rochester, New York? My fiancee and I are getting married in Rochester, NY this August. We've got the wedding venue picked out, but we need to help my parents find a venue for the rehearsal dinner.

We want to keep things casual and inexpensive (no more than $15 per person), which basically rules out every restaurant we've found so far. We're thinking of just having BBQ delivered and buying a few cases of beer. We just don't know where.

Any ideas?

Activity suggestions required for staycation in London.

maryrosecook — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 05:44:52 -0800

I am on holiday from tomorrow (13th March) to 20th March. I live in London. I have decided to spend my time doing fun things here. My list of fun things begins with seeing the Gerhard Richter exhibition and ends with going to the Science Museum Lates. Does anyone have any suggestions of things/places/gigs/events/parties/fun to go in the middle?