As we stated in a previous post, we have been working hard on building our Live Guide Section. You will be happy to know that we wrote plenty of interesting articles about lovely and incredible locations around the world.

Today we will expose more on our Istanbul section. The first article from this series is about Istanbul’s areas. Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey and the fifth most populated in the world with its 12.8 million inhabitants. Located on the border between Asia and Europe, Istanbul is delimited by the Bosphorus Strait and the Golden Horn. It is the only city in the world located on two continents: Istanbul’s European side is called Thrace and the Asian is called Anatolia. The city of Istanbul is organized into 27 districts which form what is called The Greater Istanbul, while another 12 districts complete what is called the Istanbul province. The city is mainly formed by three main areas: The historic peninsula, the districts of Üsküdar and Kadıköy and the districts of Beyoğlu and Beşiktaş.  Read more about Istanbul areas here.

We also want to share with you our opinion on Istanbul’s gastronomy. You can read more about the delicious food and ingredients Turkish people use here.

If you are visiting Istanbul any time soon, you could check our beautiful apartments, and attend the Istanbul Gastronomy Festival, and share photos and thoughts with us.

What else about Istanbul would you like to know? Give us ideas about what you would like to read on the Live Guide Section, and we will make sure to write about it!

The SSA Team wishes you a lovely day!

The most important business event in Amsterdam, the IBC (International Broadcast Conference) is approaching fast and the city is already getting ready for this exciting time. The conference will be held from 10^th to 14^th of September 2009 and the exhibition from 11^th to 15^th September 2009, both at the RAI Centre.

The IBC is the main European appointment for international companies of all sizes that specialize in the communication industry as well as for all those visitors who wish to take advantage of the great concentration of knowledge, training sessions and the networking opportunities created by this event.

Apartments are in great demand as an alternative corporate accommodation solution to hotels. More and more business travelers look for the comfort of spacious fully equipped charming apartments as opposed to the impersonal feel of a hotel room. Some of these short-stay apartments in Amsterdam are ideal for business travelers who wish to live an intense exhibition experience during the day while enjoying some rest and relaxation in the evening or even have a chance to do some sightseeing in Amsterdam.

Some companies though have a more pragmatic approach to the conference and prefer accommodating their staff members in one location. They usually choose to stay in serviced apartment buildings like the Delastage Apartments, which feature a more contemporary design and can allocate multiple units.

The Barcelona GSM Mobile World Congress begins today in Barcelonam, which means 50,000 professionals have descended on Barcelona.  Speaking this year are big names from Yahoo, Sony Ericsson, Nokia, Samsung and more.  Speakers range from Steve Ballmer, of Microsoft fame, to Kevin Spacey.  Key subjects this year will be the Smart Phones and Touch Phones, as most manufacturers race to catch up with the iPhone.

More information on the GSM congress here.

It’s that time of the year again when Barcelona hosts the great mobile exhibition that is the Barcelona Mobile World Congress.  The convention covers the dates 11-14 February.

This highly popular convention covers all aspects of the latest in mobile technologies and this year film legend Robert Redford is in attendance offering his support for the latest medium for creative film-making.  Robert will headline for on-day (13th) at the Mobile Backstage.

“We are thrilled and honoured to announce this rare keynote appearance by a screen legend,” said Bill Gajda, Chief Marketing Officer of the GSMA. “As a champion of independent artists and their work, and as an advocate of innovation and risk taking in the film world, we can expect some forthright, refreshing and somewhat unexpected insights for the mobile world, especially in terms of opportunities for cinematic quality film on the small screen.”

Robert, who will also appear on the 12th at the Mobile Awards said:

“The energy and opportunity that this event presents, not just for business but for artists and their work, makes it particularly exciting for me,” said Redford. “The GSMA continues to take seriously both the business of delivering content and the art of creating content, as they lead the exciting mobile sector into the future,” he added.

The event grows every year and Barcelona is generally fully booked at that time.  Prices are also known to more than double (or even triple) during this period, especially hotel rooms, and apartments have become a viable, an economic, alternative.

To find apartments in Barcelona, Click Here.

Bali is hosting the 2007 Climate Change Conference this year, which takes place from the 3rd to the 14th of December. Bali is a great location for hosting such an event, as mentioned by UNFCCC Executive Secretary Yvo de Boer:

“Bali, the “island of the Gods” is a prime example of the beauty of our natural environment. At the same time, Indonesia has first-hand experience of the extreme weather events caused by climate change. Bali is therefore a poignant setting for the forthcoming crucial international negotiations on the way forward to save our planet from the devastating effects of global warming.”

Climate Change is an issue that faces everyone and we must all work together to enable change, starting with increasing awareness. As interest and awareness increases so too will opportunities to work together to reduce Climate Change and help humanity live in harmony with nature.

For Accommodation in Bali follow the link.

For more information on the Bali Climate Change Conference:
Mr. John Hay, Chief of Communications at the UNFCCC’s secretariat: Tel.: + 49 (0)228 815 14 04; Mobile: + 49 (0) 172 258 69 44; E-mail: jhay@unfccc.int
For questions regarding accreditation to the Bali Conference and interview requests with UNFCCC’s Executive Secretary, Mr. de Boer, please contact:
Ms. Carrie Assheuer, Public Information and Media Assistant: Tel.: + 49 (0)228 815 10 05; Mobile: +49 (0) 172 179 88 36; E-mail: cassheuer@unfccc.int