Twitterer heads to the States to do his bit for the region

Mar 12 2009 by Andrew Mernin, The Journal

TECHNOLOGY firms in the region could this week get their big break in the lucrative North American market thanks to a Twitterer who is travelling thousands of miles to do his bit for the North East.

Tomorrow sees the start of the five-day South by South West Interactive festival – one of the biggest events on the planet for technology businesses which gives firms exposure to more than 29,000 key industry players in the US.

The event offers numerous networking opportunities with creative businesses large and small and is seen in the industry as the ideal opportunity for entrepreneurs looking for funding or small-tech firms hoping to strike gold in the US.

However, as Austin in Texas gears up to become the centre of the world for emerging industries over the next few days, the North East looks set to be poorly represented at the event – despite the region’s growing international reputation in technology industries.

UK Trade and Industry (UKTI) will take a trade mission of British digital companies to the event in the hope that it will expose them to overseas investors or potential partners to help them expand into foreign markets.

Out of 100 applications UKTI received, it has selected 34 firms to take to Texas – only one of which is from the North East.

But while Newcastle-based software group dpi vision may be the only official North East visitor on the trade mission, one consultant from the region will head stateside on his own mission to single-handedly help our burgeoning industry.