San Diego, December 17, 2008 \u2013 Eventful – the leading source for local events – today released its second annual \u2018Most Eventful Cities\u2019 report, which ranks U.S. cities according to the number and diversity of local events for residents and visitors. Eventful derives the rankings from its database of local events, which contains the world\u2019s largest selection of information on what\u2019s happening in cities throughout the world. The report provides a unique insight into the character of U.S. cities and the interests and activities of their residents, with some interesting and unexpected results.<\/p>\n
For the second year in a row, Eventful analyzed data for all U.S. cities with a population exceeding 100,000, as well as select cities with smaller populations, examining the quantity and nature of the local events in each market. As one would expect, major markets like New York, Los Angeles and Chicago held several of the top spots. At the same time, many smaller cities made surprise appearances in the rankings due to unexpectedly large number of events for their size. Seattle jumped from thirteenth place to fifth overall this year thanks to its vibrant music scene and its wealth of outdoor activities. San Francisco, meanwhile, held steady in third place due to its abundance of diverse cultural offerings, strong options for singles and proximity to thousands of acres of open space.<\/p>\n
Other cities\u2019 top rankings reinforced their already existing reputations. Branson, Missouri, which bills itself as the \u201clive music capital of the world,\u201d took second place in the music category, beating out Los Angeles and Chicago. The entertainment attractions of Las Vegas (pop. 560,000), from nightlife to performing arts, vaulted the city from nineteenth to ninth in the overall rankings.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Pasadena (pop. 145,000), north of Los Angeles, headed up the new \u2018Small but Eventful\u2019 category, besting several college towns with thriving concert venues, including Berkeley (pop. 100,000), Ann Arbor and Gainesville (both pop. 115,000).<\/p>\n
\u201cThe quantity and selection of local events provide a fascinating window into the soul of a city,\u201d said Jordan Glazier, CEO, Eventful. \u201cYou learn a lot about the nature and rhythm of a place by seeing how its residents use their free time, entertain themselves and engage with their community.\u201d<\/p>\n
With approximately eight million events to choose from, Eventful helps active people throughout the world discover, share and create events ranging from concerts to singles events to kids\u2019 activities to community happenings. Eventful users can promote their events on Eventful for free and choose from an assortment of tools to advertise their events on other Web sites and social networks. The 8 million members of Eventful\u2019s user community now have the opportunity to connect both on and offline by sharing their common interests through local events.<\/p>\n
Methodology for 2008 \u2018Most Eventful Cities\u2019 rankings Eventful has the largest aggregation of local events in the world, with approximately eight million upcoming events on the site at any time. The 2008 \u2018Most Eventful Cities\u2019 rankings are based on the total number of events listed on Eventful that took place in each U.S. city between December 1, 2007 and November 18, 2008. For the new \u2018Small but Eventful\u2019 category, Eventful looked at cities with populations smaller than 150,000 that had the highest number of events per capita.<\/p>\n