Monday 29 April 2013

European Night of Museums, Paris & Rome

Where? Paris & Rome

When? May 18th, 2013

The European Night of Museums, which is held every year on the Saturday closest to the International Museum Day. In 2013, both events will coincide since the European night of Museums will take place on Saturday 18 May, at the same time as the International Museum Day.

The European Night of Museums was created in 2005 by the French Ministry of Culture and Communication. On this occasion, the closing time of the museums is postponed to approximately one in the morning, which allows the public to visit the participating museums by night, for free.

By welcoming the public during the night, museums invite them to visit the collections in a different, unusual and more sensory way. Many animations are offered during this event which is attended by numerous young people and families. The public participates in great numbers to this festive event: last year, two million visitors took part in the European Night of Museums in France.

For more information: www.nuitdesmusees.culture.fr or www.lanottedeimusei.it


International Museum Day


Where? Worldwide


When? May 18th, 2013

The International Council of Museums (ICOM) established International Museum Day in 1977 to increase public awareness of the role of museums in the development of society. Momentum has been rising unabated ever since. In 2012, International Museum Day garnered record-breaking participation with almost 32,000 museums hosting events in more than 129 countries.

From America to Oceania, through Europe, Asia and Africa, International Museum Day is a special moment for the museum community. On this day, participating museums interpret an issue that concerns all cultural organizations. International Museum Day is also a fantastic opportunity for museum professionals to meet their public. At the heart of society, museums are institutions dedicated to its development. 

For more information: http://imd.icom.museum

World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest, Memphis, Tennessee, USA

 
Where? Memphis, Tennessee, USA

When? May 16th - 18th, 2013

Memphis in May's World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest is May 16-18, 2013 at Tom Lee Park in Memphis. Hundreds of teams compete for over $110,000 in prizes and supreme bragging rights. Teams adorn their areas with elaborate decoration, trophies attesting to their boasting rights, and as one can imagine, clever and creative team names.
While grilling is the main theme, the contest wouldn't be complete without the Ms. Piggie Idol competition where the finest swine tests their vocal skills, and grown men dress in tutus and snouts and women kick their heels (hooves) up. There is also a t-shirt competition and even a best booth contest.

For more information: www.memphisinmay.org/bbq

Cinco De Mayo, Mexico & USA

Where? Mexico & USA

When? 5th of May, 2013

Cinco de Mayo is celebrated nationwide in the United States on May 5, and in Mexico, primarily in the state of Puebla, where the holiday is called “The Battle of Puebla” (La Batalla de Puebla). This special date is observed in this country as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride.

Mexican-Americans and Latinos alike take great pride in their roots and have acknowledged, generation after generation, that the United States’ prosperity depends in part on the incorporation of immigrants into its society, culture and economy while at the same time adopting its values and way of life.

Cinco de Mayo is an opportunity for Americans to come together in celebration and to acknowledge the many contributions made by Mexicans, Mexican-Americans and Latinos o the United States.

For more information: http://cincodemayo.org/

International Workers' Day, Worldwide

Where? In more than 80 countries

When? 1st of May, 2013

International Workers' Day (also known as May Day) is a celebration of the international labour movement.

May 1st is a national holiday in more than 80 countries and celebrated unofficially in many other countries.International Workers' Day is the commemoration of the 1886 Haymarket affair in Chicago. The police were trying to disperse a public assembly during a general strike for the eight-hour workday, when an unidentified person threw a bomb at them. The police reacted by firing on the workers, killing dozens of demonstrators and several of their own officers.

In many countries, the working classes sought to make May Day an official holiday, and their efforts largely succeeded. May Day has been an important official holiday in countries such as the People's Republic of China, North Korea, Cuba and the former Soviet Union. May Day celebrations typically feature elaborate popular and military parades in these countries.

For more information: https://mayfirst.org/

824th Hamburg Port Anniversary, Germany

 
Where? Hamburg, Germany

When? May 9th - 12th, 2013

The Hamburg Port Anniversary celebrations on the River Elbe from 9 to 12 May will bring the majesty of tall ships, and the luxury of cruise vessels. This greatest port festival in the world will be celebrated for a whole four days this year, because it coincides with the public holiday for Ascension.
All four days will be held before the unique backdrop of the Port of Hamburg and its famous Landing Stage (LandungsbrĂ¼cken).

For more information: www.hamburg.de/hafengeburtstag-english/

UEFA Champions League final, Wembley Stadium, London, England

Where? Wembley Stadium, London, England

When? 25th of May, 2013

The UEFA Champions League, known simply as the Champions League, and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual continental club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It is one of the most prestigious tournaments in the world and the most prestigious club competition in European football. The final of the 2011 tournament was the most-watched UEFA Champions League final to date, as well as the most watched annual sporting event worldwide that year, drawing 178.7 million television viewers.

For more information: www.uefa.com/

Frankfurt Skyscraper Festival, Frankfurt, Germany


Where? Frankfurt, Germany

When? 25th - 26th of May, 2013

Frankfurt not only has the most skyscrapers of any European city, they're also packed together like architectural sardines. And every year the city’s Skyscraper Festival opens up these boisterous buildings to visitors.

Visitors can see base-jumpers parachuting from rooftops and demonstrations by Frankfurt Police Department's SWAT team, the state’s Airborne Police Squadron and the fire department’s high-level rescue team.

There will also be a world record attempt, Reinhard Kleindl, a pro athlete from Switzerland, will attempt the highest urban highline walk at Tower 185.

For more information: www.wolkenkratzer-festival.de/

The Eurovision Song Contest, Malmö, Sweden

Where? Malmö, Sweden

When? 14th - 18th of May, 2013

The Eurovision Song Contest, that great European institution in which the world's top musicians battle for patriotism through the power of song, is held in Sweden this year.

Ranking up there with the Miss World competition in terms of cultural significance, the Eurovision Song Contest was the brainchild of Frenchman Marcel Baison, who hoped that by fighting with music instead of guns the nations of post-war Europe would become united in peace. A nice idea in theory, although viewers of past contests will have noticed the element of bias still present in country-by-country votes (Greece always giving Cyprus 12 points and Turkey "nul points", for instance).

Further Information: http://www.eurovision.tv/page/home

French Open, Roland Garros, Paris, France

Where? Paris, France

When? 21st of May - 9th of June

The French Open, named after the famous French aviator Roland Garros, is a major tennis tournament held over two weeks between late May and early June in Paris, France, at the Stade Roland Garros. It is the premier clay court tennis tournament in the world and the second of the four annual Grand Slam tournaments – the other three are the Australian Open, US Open and Wimbledon. Roland Garros is the only Grand Slam held on clay and ends the spring clay court season.

It is one of the largest events in tennis and by far the largest clay-court tournament. Because of the slow playing surface and the five-set men's singles matches without a tiebreak in the final set, the event is widely considered to be the most physically demanding tennis tournament in the world.
For more information: www.rolandgarros.com

Top Ten World Travel Awards in 2012

As we approach the end of 2012, we thought it would  be the ideal moment to treat you with our top ten picks of the best 19th World Travel Awards in 2012.

All in all there are over 170 categories, which of course is too much for the average person to digest, however the number of categories are exaggerated to captivate the interest and possibility of winning in as many travel companies across world as possible.

In our humble opinion here below are the most important picks:
  1. World's Leading Airline: Etihad Airways
  2. World's Leading Low-Cost Airline: EasyJet
  3. World's Leading Airport: Singapore Changi Airport
  4. World's Leading All Inclusive Company: Sandals Resorts International
  5. World's Leading Hotel Spa: Mardan Spa, Mardan Palace, Antalya, Turkey
  6. World's Leading All Suite Hotel: Burj Al Arab, Dubai, UAE
  7. World's Leading Large Ship Cruise Lines; Norwegian Cruise Line
  8. World's Leading Beach Destination: Turks & Caicos Islands
  9. World's Leading Car Hire: Europcar
  10. World's Leading Rail Service: Eurostar
From the above list and when looking at all categories there is a clear dominance to service and luxury in the Middle East and Asia.

In the Americas there were very few winners, which demonstrates that luxury travel is in short supply in the US and Latin America.

In Europe we can mainly look forward to Low Cost flights which have become the norm, renting a car and taking the Eurostar!

For a full listing of winners go to: http://www.worldtravelawards.com/winners2012-1

Thursday 18 April 2013

Technical Support Consultant - Dubai

Job Title
Technical Support Consultant

Job Description
  • Liaise with our customers to analyse, determine and resolve their support issues
  • Prepare and configure the environment for installation
  • Carry out the installation of Financial applications
  • Analyse, resolve/escalate problems encountered during the implementation of systems
  • Unit test the installed system to ensure basic system integrity
  • Analyse and Resolve/escalate issues during UAT & Operations testing
  • Create and carry out go live procedures
  • Deliver comprehensive training to all users, support staff and management on the systems use and its capabilities
  • Advise the client on housekeeping tasks that allow the client to maintain and improve system performance
  • Produce reports and documents as required by Project Manager
  • Document problem resolution that will be available for future reference by other Consultants, e.g. useful notes
  • Contributed towards developing consultancy tools and processes that could ease future implementation
  • Assist management to eliminate risks and increase the likelihood of project success through the provision of information, advice, guidance and updates throughout the project life-cycle 
  • Often you will be working alone on assignments where a great degree of Innovative, creative, flexible thinking is essential
  • Ability to think & amp, act quickly with an analytical approach to diagnosing and solving problems
Job Qualifications
  • Experience working in the Financial Services sector
  • Experience implementing or Supporting complex IT systems
  • Strong Knowledge of SQL Server and Windows client configuration – application and ODBC troubleshooting
  • Experience of working within a customer facing support role (minimum 2 years)
  • Experience of direct training and presenting to clients of all levels including senior management
  • Deploying and supporting Business Applications in a; Client-Server, relational database, LAN/WAN environment
  • Must speak Arabic
How to Apply
All interested applicants should send their CV's to the following Email address: recruitment@progresshq.com

Tuesday 9 April 2013

Top Worldwide Events in April


April is the fourth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars, and one of four months with a length of 30 days.

April is commonly associated with the season of spring in the Northern hemisphere and autumn in the Southern hemisphere, where it is the seasonal equivalent to October in the Northern hemisphere and vice versa.

The derivation of the Latin name Aprilis is uncertain. The traditional etymology is from the verb aperire, "to open," in allusion to its being the season when trees and flowers begin to "open," which is supported by comparison with the modern Greek use of anoixis for spring.

We like April simply because its arrival gets us even closer to summer! 

Top Worldwide Events in April

Sunday 7 April 2013

La Diada de Sant Jordi, Barcelona, Spain

Where? Barcelona, Spain

When? 23rd of April

La Diada de Sant Jordi or Saint George’s Day in English, is a celebration in Barcelona that celebrates romance. Commonly associated with Valentine’s Day, lovers and friends exchange roses and books to show affection. This means that hundreds of stalls are set up in the city to sell these two high demand items. Besides spending time with loved ones people venture out to see book readings from authors, musical performances, and dances.

Queen's Day, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Where? Amsterdam, Netherlands

When? 30th of April (or 29th of April if the 30th falls on a Sunday)

Queen's Day is a national holiday in the Kingdom of the Netherlands and it is Queen Beatrix's official celebration day. Many of the traditional activities are held outside, and observing the holiday in April makes suitable weather more likely.

This is known for its nationwide free market, at which many Dutch sell their secondhand items. It is also an opportunity for "orange madness", for the national colour, when the normally strait-laced Dutch let down their hair, often dyed orange for the occasion.

Further Information: www.koninginnedagamsterdam.nl

Saturday 6 April 2013

Danger Ahead: Beware of Investing in the Eurozone!



The story of recent unfolding events linked to the Cyprus economic crisis and eventual so called “Bail-In” deal, will now likely play out across Europe and beyond as EU citizens and foreign investors holding deposits within the EU start to contemplate this question “Could it happen to me?”.

In an unprecedented step the Troika (name given to the collection of EU & International money lenders) forced the recently elected Cypriot Government to accept what basically amounts to daylight robbery of depositors accounts within the 2 main Banks of Cyprus (Marfin Popular Laiki Bank and Bank of Cyprus). Everyone with more than 100,000 euro deposited within these 2 Banks will surely lose out in a significant way.


Question is, what will the people of other economically struggling member nations think now? Greece, Spain, Ireland and Portugal already received Bail-Outs and more are possible down the line. Behind EU closed doors it is thought that the Cypriot so called “Bail-In” is a kind of pilot template to use for the next country in trouble, which is likely to be Italy.


It is however a recipe for an economic disaster and subsequently no-one will invest in Cyprus again for many decades and with rising taxes many companies will relocate or simply close.
If the people of the EU are not over taxed enough already, it now seems that the enduring unelected EU bureaucracy is desperately attempting to save the euro, by confiscating the life savings of ordinary people to pay for it.

There are however some Political voices telling the true story of how it really is. The leader “Nigel Farage” of the party in the UK called “UKIP” with a dramatically rising popularity has an interesting take on the matter. Check out the Video on top.

Friday 5 April 2013

Financial Markets Executive - Nicosia


Job Title
Financial Markets Executive

Job Description
  • Provide first line product support email
  • Maintain polite, professional attitude to all clients
  • Log all calls received on Siebel accurately, efficiently and completely
  • Provide timely updates to clients on existing queries
  • Manage and take ownership of the resolution process for all customer related issues
  • Ensure the provision of consistently reliable and professional service to clients by utilizing
  • Develop expertise in the tools and Financial products that will lead to shorter resolution times
  • Escalate issues across business technical divisions expediting solutions to complex client queries and provide end to end ownership of client issues
  • Undertake proactive calling to ensure customer satisfaction levels
  • Proactively monitor team and make adjustments to meet optimum performance levels and advocate consistently maintained procedures
  • Achieve individual & team desk targets
Job Requirements
  • Fluency in both Arabic and English is a requirement
  • Strong Customer Service skills
  • Strong communication skills
  • Experience of supporting clients in a technical customer support or customer service role
  • Excellent knowledge of Internet technologies
  • Logical approach to problem solving
  • Strong time management skills
  • Ability to work under pressure with minimum supervision
  • Motivated self-learner who keeps abreast of technical developments
  • Excellent team player
  • Candidates with CCNA qualification would be an advantage
  • Good knowledge of financial markets desirable
  • Self motivation and a high level of initiative
How to Apply
All interested applicants should send their CV's to the following Email address : recruitment@progresshq.com

Thursday 4 April 2013

Melrose Sevens, Melrose, Scotland


Where? Melrose, Scotland

When?  13th of April

Rugby Sevens was founded in Melrose in 1883. The game of rugby 7s is now played on an international stage from Hong Kong to Scotland and is testimony to its founder in the Scottish Borders town, Ned Haig.
2013 will be the 123rd playing of the Melrose Sevens and it is proposed to continue an extended tournament with guest teams coming from far and near. The town of Melrose takes on a carnival atmosphere with the day being considered a main social date in the sporting calendar. To complement the main Melrose 7s tournament other attractions are being planned for the international event.

The ten most prestigious of the Borders tournaments make up a league competition known as the Kings of the Sevens. Teams competing gain points depending on how far they progress in each tournament, the winner gains ten points, runner up seven points, semi-finalists five points and teams who are emliminated at the quarter final stage gain three points.


Further information: www.melroserugby.bordernet.co.uk

La Feria de Abril, Seville, Spain

Where? Seville, Spain

When?  16th - 21th of April

Seville's best party with traditional dress, parades, dancing and wild parties in a gorgeous environment.
Each day the fiesta begins with the parade of carriages and riders, at midday, carrying Seville's leading citizens which make their way to the bullring, the La Real Maestranza, where the bullfighters and breeders meet. 

For the duration of the fair, the fairgrounds, a vast area is on the far bank of the Guadalquivir River, are totally covered in rows of casetas (individual decorated marquee tents which are temporarily built on the fairground). Some of these casetas belong to the prominent families of Seville, some to groups of friends, clubs, trade associations or political parties. From around nine at night until six or seven the following morning, at first in the streets and later only within each caseta, you will find crowds partying and dancing "Sevillanas", drinking Jerez sherry, or manzanilla wine, and eating tapas.

Further information: http://feriadesevilla.andalunet.com/

Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, California, USA

Where? California, United States

When? April 12th - April 21st

The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival (commonly known as Coachella, Coachellafest, or Coachella Festival) is an annual three-day music and arts festival, founded by Paul Tollett, organized by Goldenvoice. The event features many music genres, including rock, indie, hip hop, and electronic music, as well as sculpture.
The festival showcases popular and established musical artists, as well as emerging artists and reunited groups.

Further information: www.coachella.com


Tribeca Film Festival, Lower Manhattan, New York, USA

Where? Lower Manhattan, New York, USA

When? 17th - 18th of April

The Tribeca Film Festival is a film festival that was founded in 2002 by Jane Rosenthal, Robert De Niro and Craig Hatkoff, reportedly in response to the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the consequent loss of vitality in the TriBeCa neighborhood in Lower Manhattan; although there are reports that its founding was in the works prior to the events of 9/11.

The mission of the festival is "to enable the international film community and the general public to experience the power of film by redefining the film festival experience." The Tribeca Film Festival was founded to celebrate New York City as a major filmmaking center and to contribute to the long-term recovery of lower Manhattan.

Further information: www.tribecafilm.com/festival

World Ski & Snowboard Festival, Whistler, British Columbia, Canada

Where? Whistler, British Columbia, Canada

When? 12th - 21st April, 2013

Come to Whistler for the largest music and snow sport celebration of North America, with plenty of snow to go around. The TELUS World Ski & Snowboard Festival is the biggest gathering of winter sports, music, arts and culture that draws thousands of fans to this local mountain festival. Watch out for a youthful outdoor concert series with an assorted mix of snow sports, fashion shows, film screening, photography face-offs, and dance competitions. Every year, winter sports activities like skiing, snowboarding, mountain biking and surfing take place, and the sunshine makes skiing amazing. The TELUS World Ski & Snowboard Festival is one non-stop celebration, a party you don’t want to miss!

Further Information: www.wssf.com

Wednesday 3 April 2013

Time Warp, Mannheim, Germany

Where? Mannheim, Germany

When? 6th of April

The idea behind Time Warp is pretty straight-forward: take about 50 house and techno DJs, throw them in a multi-floor venue with space for 20,000 ravers, and let the whole thing roll for a solid 15 hours. This simple formula has served them well since the mid-'90s, when Time Warp held its first editions in cities around Germany. As usual, the 2013 lineup has a number of artists that have been back nearly every year since—Sven Väth, Richie Hawtin, Laurent Garnier, Carl Cox, Ricardo Villalobos—which reflects what might be the festival's biggest success: for something of such enormous scale, it still feels like a family affair.

Further Information: www.time-warp.de

Jazz and Heritage Festival, New Orleans, USA

Where? New Orleans, USA

When? 26th of April - 5th of May

New Orleans hosts 10 days of music, food and culture. Hundreds of singers and bands will perform blues, jazz and gospel music across the city including Billy Joel, Maroon 5 and Fleetwood Mac. Food favourites such as Cajun jambalaya, alligator pie, Louisiana crawfish and boudin will be on offer.

Further Information: www.nojazzfest.com

Thai New Year, Songkran, Bangkok, Thailand

Where? Songkran, Bangkok, Thailand

When? 13th - 17th of April

Songkran is the most important feast for Thai people. Often called 'water' festival, Songkran is the ancient New Year's Day happening mid April. Now the official New Year's Day happens the 1st January.
In Bangkok, the Buddha image "Buddhasihing" is brought out from the National Museum for people to sprinkle lustral water at Sanam Luang, opposite the Grand Palace. During Thai New Year parade Buddha statues are settled on cars. People sprinkle holy water on the statue to purify it.

Further information: www.songkran2013.com

 

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