Web 2 Ireland

The Enterprise Ireland Stand at #leweb

A good buzz, productive networking and some very interesting visitors to the stand from at home and abroad; start-ups to multinationals.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHYVq4uIqJc

Aiden Callely of MXSweep on the Enterprise Ireland Stand at #leweb

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQaau9_usOM

The EI team in Paris just told us about this YouTube video. Lots of Franco-Irish business going on.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRJA4TCRBkE

Sam and Peter from TeamworkPM at #leweb

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgTqJyPszLI

Paul Barry of Temetra.com at #LeWeb on the Enterprise Ireland stand. Temetra provides utility metering data management solutions to service providers in Ireland and across the world.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBvLNQ98oQo

Pinpoints just after their presentation at the start-up competition at Le Web.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Shx8WYqtfBk

First impressions of main auditorium at Le Web.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrW-YKPWl-k

In a bid to avoid the usual conference fragmentation tomorrow (Tuesday) night in Paris, we’d like to suggest the following places where we have been and enjoyed before.

Drinks from 6pm at: Brasserie Select Haussmann, 28 Boulevard Haussmann, 75009 Paris. PinPoints location here.

Food from 8ish (an Irish 8pm) at: Au Petit Riche, 25, Rue Le Peletier. (about 250m away). PinPoints location here.

Nearest Metros are Station Chaussée d’Antin-La Fayette (Line 9), Boulevard Haussmann and Station Richelieu-Drouot (Lines 8 and 9), Boulevard des Italiens.

The restaurant is obviously subject to numbers, availability and booking which we’ll sort tomorrow. Failing that, the brasserie itself does decent standard fare. Leave a comment below, @conoro on Twitter or text me on 087-9790297 if you think you’ll be coming.

To aid with finding each other, any chance we can all use Foursquare? Follow me here.

I’ve been finding it hard to keep this news under my hat since the idea was first floated a few months back. There will be an Ireland Pavilion at Le Web in Paris this year! This is just an absolutely brilliant idea and huge kudos goes to all of those in Enterprise Ireland who conceived the idea and then got full support for it both internally and from the IDA.

Le Web is the most important conference about the web in Europe every year. You will not see a more impressive collection of heavy hitters in one place anywhere else. It’s the kind of place where you can meet people like Marissa Meyer or Niklas Zennström or Fred Wilson. My trivial claim to fame is that I think I’m the only Irish person to attend every year since 2006 and I’ve watched it getting better and better.

This year some of the speakers on December 8th and 9th include Dennis Crowley, JP Rangaswami, Toni Schneider and Carlos Ghosn.

The importance of Ireland having its own stand at Le Web cannot be underestimated. The first country ever to have a pavilion like this at the show. One place where global businesses, VCs, other European/US start-ups and leading tech bloggers can see the best of Irish web start-ups. One place where you can point people to in the coming weeks and say “we’ll be there, pop on over for a coffee”.

A problem with giant events like Le Web is that co-ordinating meetings can be a nightmare. People are being pulled in every direction and we are all vying for our own little bit of attention. This stand solves that problem in one fell swoop.

I am convinced this genius move will get a ton of coverage from all the attending press. Who wouldn’t be intrigued by this? After all the relentless bad news about Ireland in the global press where we allowed a cabal of innumerate imbeciles to rape our country, this gives journos a totally new, positive growth story to tell. “Ireland may be screwed now but these start-ups are re-building it from the ground up”.

So, interested?

The EI package is as follows:

• A full LE WEB pass, giving you access to all the seminars, networking events and competitions over the two days
• Use of a dedicated 18m² meeting place/demo area which your company can use to meet with key contacts and demo your solution.
• A drinks reception on the Irish pavilion on the evening of 8th December for EI clients and your guests.
• In the run up to LE WEB, EI overseas offices will endeavour to link your company in with influential people from overseas markets that will be coming to LE WEB.
• Your company's profile and contact details in Enterprise Ireland's Internet marketing materials designed specifically for the event

EI is providing this at a totally knock-down price.

There is really only one limitation which is that you must be an EI client to apply to be on the stand. There are only 14 slots so not everyone is going to get through. To apply, simply contact Karen Hallez in the EI Paris office at Karen.Hallez@enterprise-ireland.com and she will send you an application form and details on the cost etc. They really need to get this wrapped up in the next few days so apply now.

Also don’t forget that this is the last weekend where you can enter the Le Web Startup Competition.

I know I’ve been lauding Enterprise Ireland a lot recently, but with good reason. Of all the state and semi-state bodies I’ve dealt with since the country went to hell, EI and all its staff are the ones that more than rose to the challenge and they are impressing me with every single encounter. Right now, the way EI operates shows the best of what the public sector and private sector working together should be about.

Geraldine LE MEUR has just announced the annual Le Web Startup competition. This is one of the most important ways you can get your start-up in front of a European audience of tech media, influencers and investors. Previous Irish entrants include Cloudsplit, LouderVoice, Pixenate and Touristr.

There is expected to be a much stronger than usual Irish contingent heading over this year. Do your start-up a favour and enter before October 15th.

The Start-Up Competition will take place on Dec 8, 2010 and there is no fee to participate. They will select the best 16 applications to demonstrate their products on a dedicated stage throughout the day.

The 3 winners of the competition will then have a chance to present their companies on the LeWeb main stage, during a special session on December 9.

Selected Startups will get 2 passes to the conference for team members who will demo on stage and a DemoPod in a lounge dedicated to the Startup Competitors.