Opinion: Boston digital mission helped strengthen Liverpool's US links
Source: Steve Smith - Digital Idustry Director at Liverpool Vision
Last week I was privileged to join a very well organised Chamber of Commerce Trade Mission to Boston and robustly supported by the Boston Consul General Phil Budden.
The trip had both Civic and commercial drivers and it is fair to say it over achieved on both counts. Whilst a visit to a Boston Red Sox game saw tremendous hospitality provided by the Fenway Sports Group, the owner John Henry showed a true Bostonian welcome and met with nearly all participants on the mission. I say nearly all because I missed him having to excuse myself before the game started to attend the slightly less salubrious Web Innovators event taking place at a hotel nearby. However my disappointment was short-lived upon arrival at the Royal Sonesta Hotel where I mingled amongst over 1000 digital and creative companies in a very lively environment.
There were eight quick fire presentations with very mature propositions and angel investors and venture capitalists openly met with the large throngs of entrepreneurs who were gathered there. I noted that Boston, which had been devastated by the dot com bubble bursting in 2000, has more than recovered and that seven of the eight presenting companies were hiring, detailing job descriptions and salaries at the event and offering big incentives to people who referred future employees.
This event followed on from Mobile Monday, the previous evening where, sponsored by Nokia, five mobile games entrepreneurs presented and again all companies there including Nokia were hiring. I guess the point I am trying to make is that the USA is having a very patchy recession and Boston doesn’t seem to be involved.
The mission also met with several businesses who expressed genuine interest in developing out into the UK and who were knowledgeable enough to know that the over heated streets of London is probably not the best location for digital oriented businesses. The final highlight was an impressive reception by the Governor of Massachusetts, Deval Patrick, who gave a “hug” to one of the tour participating CEOs for announcing that he was going to open a one man operation in Boston.
Overall the synergy between Liverpool and Boston is strong, Digital, Life Sciences and University strengths and centred round an active Port and topped off with passionate sporting cultures seems a good fit for what was already a very anglo phobic town. I worked there during the 90’s and it was even then much more Uk oriented than any other US city. I look forward to increasingly tighter business relationships with the East Coast and last week I believe was step towards that goal.
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