Digital Mission

Thinking of tackling the US market? Have existing clients and need to open an office in the Big Apple? Need to boost your profile in the States?

Good news, Digital Mission is back, taking a group of fast-growing digital SMEs to Social Media Week New York (SMWNYC).

The trip, designed specifically for UK-based digital firms to understand the opportunities and challenges of developing business and investment in the US includes a dedicated programme of activities and an Insider Pass for SMWNYC.

And in even better news, our friends at UKTI London have secured grants for London-based SMEs.

For all the latest updates on the Digital Mission check out the DM NYC 14 Page here

Some say the streets of New York are paved with gold. That may not be true, but it is the place to start international expansion. The ever popular Digital Mission is back and will be taking start-ups, small agencies and digital companies across the Atlantic to conincide with Social Media Week NYC. (17th-21st Feb)

Applications to join Chinwag on a whistle-stop tour of the Big Apple are now open. To be considered please click through to form right here.

Registrations are open for Multi-Platform App Developer Mission to Silicon Valley 17-21 June 2013.

This is the third mission hosted by UKTI and is designed to help B2B or B2C Companies with Mobile App Strategies.

Applications close on May 17, for more information and to apply click here.

Government backed IC tomorrow, part of the Technology Strategy has launched its latest competition, Digital Innovation Contest 2013, with up to 7 awards of £25,000 up for grabs.

Backed by HarperCollins, Constable & Robinson, MediaCom, Ogilvy Mather UK Group and JCDecaux, FremantleMedia UK, Samsung, and YouTube, it focuses on media, publishing, mobile content and outdoor media.

The Develop in Brighton conference have launched a live pitch competition for game developers to grab £10,000 each to develop a high-impact pitch for their game to help secure a distribution platform and funding.

Launched in partnership with the Wellcome Trust, developers are invited to apply for a spot at the live pitch at the event on Wednesday 10 July 2013. Development funds can be used to develop a game prototype, demo or mood reel.

Our SXSW masterclass, Doing Business in the USA, is happening on March 8, in Austin, Texas.

We still have some speakers to spoil y'all, including Hermione Way and Jason Seats.

Tickets are still here.

Eulogised, mythologised and other -oligised, South by South West Interactive (SXSW) is hard to ignore, even if you're not a fan. Tens of thousands of delegates flock to Austin, Texas for five days of conference, networking and not to be forgotten the parties.

For the several thousand international delegates, the UK being the largest group, it can be a little daunting. The official schedule alone will take several hours to navigate. So, we've pulled together thirteen - it's lucky, right? - handy resources to help those intrepid travellers to Texas navigate SXSW.

UKTI and Guardian Activate have joined forces to provide a fantastic opportunity to visit India for a special invite-only day conference on Mar 21 - Big Tent Activate Summit New Delhi at the Taj Palace Hotel in New Delhi.

Space is very limited for this high profile event which features Google's Chairman, Eric Schmidt, reknowned commentator Jeff Jarvis, new TCIO boss Joanna Shields, Google's MD India Rajan Anandan, advisor to India PM Sam Pitroda, Guardian Editor, Alan Rusbridger amongst a host of others.

Apply to join the trip and secure a place at the event, a travel grant of £550 towards flights/hotel and additional activity planned by UKTI's team in Delhi.

Kate Jackson is Founder of TableCrowd, a social dining network. We think she lives on a Lear Jet, circling the globe like the twitchy billionaire in Contact. 

Monday. Joined Chinwag’s Digital Mission direct from San Francisco. Booked in fundraising and partnership meetings around the hectic DM and Social Media Week schedule. Met my fellow travellers over informal drinks in Manhattan.

Tuesday. Master class from attorneys at Venable LLP on how foreign companies can operate/raise money in the US. Attended first SMW event: roundtable discussion from published social media authors where, bang on trend, there were prizes for the most prolific event tweeters!

Last year BBC Worldwide launched, BBC Labs a mentoring scheme, for digital media startups. Following the success of the current program which comes to a close next month a second program has been announced for 2013.

To kick-start this fantastic opportunity,there is an induction session to be held on March 5th from 6-8pm at Wayra's London Academy. Giving applicants the chance to meet hear from the Labs team.

If you want to participate, you can reserve a place at the induction session on March 5, or you can just go ahead and submit an application. The deadline for submissions is midnight (GMT) on April 4, 2013.

The Guardian’s Activate conference heads to Delhi on 21st March for an invite-only event bringing together leading influencers from technology, entrepreneurship and social innovation.

UKTI have a limited number of passes to Guardian Activate plus a local programme of activities and grants towards travel. There's more info coming soon, but in the meantime...

UKTI are working with Huawei to offer small and medium enterprises SMEs the opportunity to join them on a Mission to China running on the 18-22 March 2013.

A British Government will be your guide round Huawei’s facilities to discuss their procurement processes and supply chain opportunities in Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Beijing & Shanghai.

There are discounts and grants available to participants. Deadline for applications 15 February 2013.

With just over one month till our next Digital Mission to Social Media Week in New York, it seems like a great time to look back on how one of our Mission alumnae took advantage of the countless opportunities to network and connect with like-minded individuals on a Digital Mission trip and what success it was brought them less then just two years later.  

Anna and her colleague Oli, come along on the Digital Mission to SXSW 2011 to help promote their new start-up www.completelynovel.com a book publishing hub which enables writers to access professional design, printing and distribution services and use the power of the web to promote their books. 

As you may know, Social Media Week London will be returning to your streets in September 2013, however if you can’t quite wait that long then why not be a part of Social Media Week NYC in February where Chinwag will be joined by some great companies for a Digital Mission trip to New York.

SMW NYC looks set to be a great week with its global theme of Open & Connected: Principles for a Collaborative World being explored by speakers including Ben Kaufman, founder & CEO of Quirky, Cindy Gallop and the MakeLoveNotPorn.tv team, and Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of Reddit.

Back in December we announced the first set of companies that will be joining us for the Digital Mission to New York in February this year. 

We are very excited to not only let you know the next lucky group of companies coming along on the trip, but also to let you take a sneaky peak at the mission agenda. 

With an investor roundtable, masterclass in doing business in the USA, a traditional British pub quiz as well as all the keynotes, showcases and presentations that are being held as part of Social Media Week NYC the mission companies are not going to be short on events to go to and people to meet. You can take a look at the full agenda for the week here.