Holy guacamole, is it really time again to start thinking about the next South by Southwest Interactive conference in Austin, Texas? You bet! I can already hear the twang of the fiddle at the Broken Spoke…

And if the panel submitted by yours truly (and Wonderland’s Alice Taylor and Kitten Fluff’s Doctoe) isn’t enough to encourage you to book yourself in for the biggest new media geekfest in the conference calendar, then check this out, just arrived from London-based social media consultants Chinwag:

Digital Mission to South by South West interactive (SXSWi) is back for it’s second year after a hugely successful trip to Austin in 2009. There are 35 slots available on the 2010 mission (12-16th March, 2010) and applications are now open.

Digital Mission to SXSWi 2010 is a fantastic opportunity to take advantage of the publicity and profile from a group of British companies attending SXSWi. Plus, there’s a plethora of features to help develop relationships/partnerships with US companies, look into opening an office stateside and make valuable contacts for the future – not to mention brushing up on your industry knowledge.

South by South West interactive takes place in Austin, Texas from 12-16th March 2009.

Entries are welcome from a broad range of digital companies ranging from marketing agencies, through to ecommerce operators, mobile service providers, start-ups and any qualifying company that operates in the digital space.

In a nutshell this mission is open to digital (web and mobile) companies that:

  • Are innovative
  • UK headquartered
  • Are classified as an EU SME (small to medium enterprise, >250 employees)
  • Have two years trading history, or failing that, compelling early-stage fast-track potential
  • Can provide references from key sponsors/industry players
  • Are ready to do business in the US OR potentially attractive to US investor
  • Able to cover travel and accommodation costs
  • Able to cover contribution towards event expenses (approx. £550 plus VAT) plus travel costs

If you’d like to see what a Chinwag/UKTI digital mission entails, check out their most recent and hugely successful trip to New York for the Web2.0 Expo, their trip to LA and San Francisco for the Web2.0 conference, and last year’s SXSWi activities – truly awesome.

If that appeals, check out the application information and get applying now. The application deadline is Friday, 27th November 2009.

More info is on the Digital Mission blog.