Final preparations for Digital Mission

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).

There are now less that 48 hours until flight check in, and we'll be on the way. Each time I go back and forth between the UK and the US, the journey seems that little bit shorter. Its not that planes have got that much faster in the last few decades, it is that doing business over the Atlantic has become easier and easier.

I've helped establish US companies in the UK, and build UK businesses out into the US, and whilst there are differences in the business cultures, bridging the gap has become easier in recent years. Transatlantic innovation is increasingly common place, as technology has helped us transcend geography, and businesses look beyond national boundaries for employees, partners and customers.

The subject of innovation has been a hot topic over the last couple of weeks. Partially stirred up by Judy Estrin's new book (former CTO of Cisco), but also by some introspection into where Web 2.0 goes next.

The Expo will be an opportunity to benchmark progress, as well as build new partnerships, while rivals eye each other up.