The Forum - Day 1

The New Zealand connections are alive and kicking.

On the same day that Computerworld NZ published a new article on Pingar, I attended Day 1 of the UK Technology, Innovation & Growth Forum in London. The event has attracted approximately 450 delegates.

The Forum is designed to both host a series of seminars through the day as well as showcasing 40 of the UK's most dynamic growth technology companies.

The event started with a keynote presentation by Allyson Reed, Director of Strategy and Communications, of the UK Government's Technology Strategy Board. It set the scene for the conference. This Forum is all about innovation across the full spectrum of technology - not just ICT. This became clearer through the day.

It was good to meet NZTE reps from NZ House. Perhaps more surprising were the number of Kiwis attending the Forum representing major UK companies. Throughout the day, I met a number of delegates and expect that the building blocks for some future networks might already have been put in place. The UK T&I Global Entrepreneur Team provided great 'on the spot' advice and introduced me to a number of their own contacts at the forum. More about that tomorrow.

Late in the afternoon, the Pingar team met up with a potential investor partner. No guess as to his nationality. Born in Auckland. Based in London.

It is at 12.30pm today (Day 2) when Pingar formally presents to the conference. Tim Burgess, our new CEO, has been given the task of delivering our elevator pitch. This is the highlight of the Forum for us. As well as presenting to fellow entrepreneurs, analysts and potential investors, it allows us to position Pingar for our UK market entry. The next 12 hours will be crucial for this.