Yesterday started with investor meetings over breakfast. Both for those companies fundraising, and those that were not, there were fruitful discussions about the market. VCs can be hard to track down, so having a place for rapid one-on-one meetings (in the very nice surroundings of the Winston and Strawn offices) was priceless.

It is an interesting week to be in New York that's for sure. You can imagine the TV and press coverage here. But new challenges bring opportunities with them. As businesses re-examine their budgets and spending habits, companies with newer, more effective ways of doing things have scope to make gains.

30,000 Feet up in the air feels like a very odd place to be writing a blog post, but it is curiously appropriate. I'm halfway between London and New York as I type this. Around me are representatives from the Digital Mission companies. Already, just a few hours into the mission, there have been discussions about the challenges and opportunities of business between the UK and the US .

I'm sat here in the delectable new Chinwag offices, with the swirl of final preparations proceeding around me. More and more people are finding each other on the Web 2.0 Expo Crowd Vine site, and the agenda is continuing to grow (see the digitalmission tag on upcoming).

As the Digital Mission to New York gathers pace, the agendas are printed, the bags are packed and some of the UK's top digital businesses head to the airport, there's a new addition to the party.

Big Apple here we come! The Web 2.0 Expo in New York is less than four days away and the Digital Mission calendar is now looking good and poised to host some serious action...

The rise of web 2.0 and the sheer volume of user generated content and outlets [Facebook, Youtube etc.] has been leapt upon by 'savvy' marketers looking to surf the wave of interest and opportunity. For many this has been successful, but, like surfing, it has meant skimming the surface of content missing out on the actual context or meaning of the content.

Right now, you can still book a ticket for Chinwag Live: Search vs Recommendation tomorrow night, Tuesday 2nd September, but we're closing bookings tomorrow morning.