Esperanto events are great, particularly Esperanto events for young people. There are usually lots of interesting people from foreign countries and the atmosphere is just awesome. During the event there are usually a lot of activities: free concerts, movie showings, excursions, intercultural exchanges, language courses, classes on useful skills like massaging, and don't forget the dancing and partying. Everybody is friendly and open to new experiences. Everybody makes new friends at Esperanto events. Besides, Esperanto events are also a great way to practise your Esperanto, because with many foreign visitors Esperanto will be the only language you can both speak comfortably.

There is an Esperanto event happening somewhere in the world every single day of the year. However, they vary in size. Here are some of the big international events:

• Universala Kongreso ('Universal Congress'), abbreviated as UK - the biggest Esperanto event and also one of the biggest conferences worldwide, attracting between 800 and 6000 participants. It takes place in a different city around the world every year. The 2007 one was in Yokohama and in 2008 it will be in Rotterdam.
• Internacia Junulara Kongreso ('International Youth Congress'), abbreviated as IJK - like the Universala Kongreso, but specifically for young people. The majority of participants are between 18 and 30 years old.
• Internacia Infana Kongreseto ('International little congress for children'), IIK - this is a congress specifically for even younger people, usually children between the ages of 6 and 14. The congress always takes place at or near the Universala Kongreso. For families with Esperanto-speaking children there is also the REF (Renkontiĝo de Esperantistaj Familioj), which typically attracts about 100 people.
• Topical worldwide meetings - international Esperanto associations, such as the international league of Esperanto teachers (ILEI), the world non-national association (SAT) or the organization Education@Internet also organize their own meetings and seminars in diverse countries.

Then there are events that attract mostly participants from one part of the world. Not just the national congresses and seminars organized by national or regional Esperanto associations, but also for example:

• New Year's celebrations: Internacia Seminario (IS), Ago-Semajno (AS), Novjara Renkontiĝo (NR), Internacia Festivalo (IF) are all popular New Year's celebrations for Esperanto speakers, typically lasting from December 27th to January 3. Ago-Semajno takes place in Eastern Europe, the others in Germany. NR and IF are for the somewhat older generation, whereas IS and AS are for young people. They draw participants from an average of 45 countries, but the vast majority are Europeans.
• Cultural festivals: for example KAFE and KEF, or ARKONES and EoLA, which are specifically on art, or FESTO, which focusses on Esperanto music. Language festivals, festivals that offer glimpses of a variety of languages, are also very popular among Esperanto speakers.
• Misc: there are many more Esperanto events that are hard to classify, for example meetings with the avowed purposes being lake-bathing (MELA), primitive living (PR), board gaming (KoKoLoReS), film-making (HELA), gossiping (PSKK, KISO)... - or meetings without program or purpose (SPR).

Whatever event you choose to go to, be sure to enjoy yourself!