1) Eventbrite

The self-proclaimed leader in online event management, Eventbrite is by far the hottest source for listing and finding upcoming events in your area. Listing on Eventbrite is free and they only take 2.5% + $.99 for each ticket sold. Social promotion of your event is easy with their static social widget bar including Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, etc… One of the coolest features in Eventbrite is the ability to connect with people attending the same event as you. The RSVP list is available to those who sign up for the event and makes it possible to preview everyone attending.

2) LinkedIn Events

In my opinion, Linkedin is the professional version of Facebook and benefits its users in more ways than one. Let’s just spotlight one of its best features: Linkedin Events. Giving users the ability to share and promote events in their industry, Linkedin breaks down each event category into an occupation or field. For those interested in breaking into any kind of business, LinkedIn Events is definitely a great place to start.

3) Upcoming

For those of you interested in a general event site with a wide variety of happenings in your area, Upcoming might be what you’ve been looking for. For all you mobile fans out there, you can find the Upcoming app for iPhones in the app store. Upcoming also does a good job in letting you know the popular events in your area, by adding the feed to your home profile.\

4) Going

The latest social networking event site with all the bells and whistles is definitely Going.com. At first, it’s a bit confusing with all the likes, fans, and other features, but you’ll get used to it with time. Similar to Upcoming, Going also offers an iPhone app which I think is pretty accurate to the site. The noise can be a bit much at times and the sheer volume of events in big cities at any given time can make it difficult to search. But, it’s still a great resource for finding all types of events.

5) Eventful

Another site catering to a wide variety of events is Eventful.com. From movies to college basketball games, Eventful is more of a Ticketmaster than an Eventbrite. You’ll notice larger companies and event promotion companies utilize Eventful more than individuals and small organizations. One of my favorite social media elements on Eventful is their “Demand It” feature. They allow users to demand their favorite artist or event in their city and publicize the most popular happening on the front page.

6) Meetup

The simple and savvy answer to larger social event sites out there is Meetup.com. “Do something. Learn something.
Share something. Change something” is the motto for this growing site looking to capitalize on niche group activities. The Meetup community continues to grow and is always looking to add new members. There’s literally something for everyone here and guarantees you’ll never be bored again. For those of you eager to promote your first event, Meetup.com is a great place to experiment and measure potential interest.