new york

Waspit has just spent the last week in New York for the Digital Mission with Chinwag and UK Trade and Investment (UKTI).

It was one of the busiest weeks I have had, running up and down town for meetings, participating in the Ad:Tech event with over 260 US companies, functions every night and 12 hour days!

New Yorkers are known for their straight-up, tell-it-like-it-is attitude. One of the points I make during the pre-event briefings for the Digital Mission to New York, is the speed and brevity the mission companies will experience during the networking events in the Big Apple.

Last week saw another successful Digital Mission to New York.

We landed in JFK on Halloween and were greeted by a limo and it’s fantastic driver, Clinton, to take us to Manhattan.  Moment of glitz and glamour over, we headed to The Three Monkeys to meet up with all the companies and the UK Trade and Investment team, and generally cause havoc.  I believe everyone had a good time, and judging by some of the stories the following morning, havoc was successfully caused.

Last week, Waspit Ltd and Realeyes Data Services, both companies that joined us on the Digital Mission to New York, managed to find time to announce new launches at ad:tech  NYC 2010, despite a full weeks schedule and their own meetings!

Waspit Ltd launched their new contactless payment system, "BuzzPay" and Realeyes Data Services launched the second generation of their Adgagement eye-tracking service.

After Chinwag's successful Digital Mission to New York with UK Trade and Investment last week, Glasshouse are heading back to the Big Apple with a trade trip covering eight different industry sectors including digital.

You’ll need to be quick off the mark to apply (deadline 5pm Weds 10th Nov), but 'London to NYC', part of the New York City Mayor's 'World to NYC' programme, promises to promote trade and investment between New York and London and, specifically, assist companies looking to expand into New York City by mid 2011.

“Working in partnership with the New York City Economic Development Corporation, Glasshouse is now inviting applications from companies looking to expand into New York City and who wish to join the official delegation in New York during the week of 6th December 2010.” 

The programme will consist of a 5 days in New York packed full of events specifically designed to create new business opportunities through direct introduction to New York’s business leaders (including high-level leaders from the media, fashion, and financial services communities). Events will include business receptions, workshops, networking, targeted meetings and, of course, social events.

Applications can be made through their website and will close 5pm Wed 10th November. Attendees will be announced on Friday 12th November.

It's almost time. Business cards are being discovered at the back of stationery cupboards, bags are being packed, presentations are being honed, dry-cleaning is being collected (actually, that reminds me...)

This weekend representatives of the 19 companies selected for this year's Digital Mission to New York will be heading across the pond for a packed week taking understand the US market, networking, briefings, meetings and more.

If you find yourself in New York next week - OK, so it's not likely you've dozed off on another flight and ended up there, you probably know already - the Digital Mission group will be out and about at various events. Why not swing by and say hello:

19 of the UK’s top digital companies have been selected in a fiercely competitive process to join the third Digital Mission to New York from 1st-5th November 2010, forging new business and showcasing British digital talent.

Organised by Chinwag and UK Trade & Investment (UKTI), the Digital Mission to New York provides the ideal platform for the companies attending to make business connections, build international profile, understand the US market and discover the practicalities of setting up shop in the US.

The Digital Mission companies are:

• Adversion
• Amaze plc
• BrightLemon Ltd
• Casual Films
• Cube
• Eresponse Media
• HuzuTech
• Lingo24 Ltd
• Livestation
• Nuji
• Plancentric
• Realeyes Data Services Ltd
• Red Glasses
• ShoutEm UK
• Thrive Digital
• ustwo
• Videojuicer
• Waspit Ltd
• We Are Social

A full list of companies with descriptions and contact details is available on the Digital Mission website: http://digital-mission.org/nyc10-companies

In under a week some of the UK's leading digital firms will be making the trip to the Big Apple for the third Digital Mission to New York.

The week takes in a heap of activities designed to bring companies up-to-speed on the US market, make heaps of introductions and take in the full intensity of the ad:tech NYC Expo.

For those taking part in the Digital Mission, and anyone travelling to the US from the UK, the forms for immigration have changed in the last couple of months and it's now obligatory to complete the snappily titled Electronic System for Travel Authorization for (or thankfully, ESTA form).

Thinking about expanding your business to the Big Apple? There's been heaps of interest in this year's Digital Mission to New York (1-5 Nov) so we've extended the deadline until Friday 8th Oct.

This trip, the third to New York is timed to coincide with ad:tech New York, the biggest gathering of digital media and marketing types in the city, with 10,000 visitors expected and 290+ exhibitors confirmed. The Digital Mission companies will have access to the UKTI stand, plus Exhibit Hall passes included in the trip.

Over the last five Digital Mission trips, it's been a privilege to work with some of the UK's leading digital companies. Getting the chance to spend a week away with people who are taking the scary, but exciting, journey of expanding their business into the US is a great way to really understand what makes entrepreneurs tick.

So, it was rather humbling last week, when we announced the third Digital Mission to New York (deadline's Fri, by the way), to see these tweets from Digital Mission alumni @kierondonoghue, @mr_mcd and @stuartbruce...

Together with the London and New York teams at UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) we're delighted to announce the third Digital Mission to New York taking place 1st-5th November 2010. The trip is time to coincide with the Big Apple's largest digital marketing conference, ad:tech New York.

Alongside a hectic programme of events including an official British Consulate reception, there's a masterclass, networking events, company tours plus stand space at ad:tech along with access to the keynote sessions.

There were lots of highlights to this year's Digital Mission to New York, but one that stands out for me was the visit to the NYU:poly Incubator @ 160 Varick Street.

This initiative was announced by New York's Mayor, Michael Bloomberg, in February of this year, so it's still in its early days, although you wouldn't know it from looking around.

As the Digital Mission companies were given a tour by Micah Kotch, Operations Director and general making-things-happen guy there, the first thing that struck me was the scale of the facility: 16,500-square-foot, a whole floor of the Varick Street building, with over 20 companies, and even more associated indirectly with the incubator. There is everything a start-up business could want, including a receptionist, meeting rooms, mail facilities and so on.

The Digital Mission to New York are ensconced in the Big Apple's frenetic networking scene making contacts and wrapping their heads around the US market.

Contacts are being made, meetings followed up and progress made in building overseas partners, trade and investment for some of the best the UK digital sector has to offer.

But things don't go quiet just because they're out of the country...