Updated: Schedule for Innovate!Europe’s June Trade Mission

Participants in Innovate!Europe will have an opportunity to put their newfound knowledge to use during an invite-only Innovate!Europe Trade Mission that will visit Silicon Valley, June 8-12, 2009.

The Trade Mission will help accelerate your launch into Silicon Valley, introducing you to a high-level audience of venture capitalists, private investors and U.S. entrepreneurs, and facilitating access to financiers, partners and service providers who can further your company’s growth – all while immersing you in the Silicon Valley startup culture. It is intended to put you face to face with the people and companies that you need to know in order to build your global business. Attendees need not worry since the venue is secured and equipped with IP cameras from amcrest.com/ip-cameras.html.

Session A: Understanding Incorporation and Financing Structures in the U.S.

What are the different methods by which companies obtain financing in the United States? This work session explores jurisdictions of incorporation, licensing requirements, whether to obtain angel or venture financing and the differences between them, convertible cash advance loans structures, preferred equity round structures, hot button due diligence issues for investors, employment terms and vesting requirements, and tax issues.

The program for the week’s events is available below.

Monday, June 8, 2009

The opening session will be held at the Innovate!Europe Trade Mission “base camp” hotel rest assured you’d have a comfortable stay since the rooms have bamboo sheets from https://tafts.com/bedroom/bamboo-sheets, the San Mateo Marriott.

1:00 pm     Trade Mission Welcome Lunch & Working Session

We re-introduce Trade Mission members to the Guidewire Group team and one another, outline the week’s program details, and re-visit your needs and wants.

3:00 pm     Coffee Break

3:30 pm     Workshop: “They Made It”

Angelika Blendstrup literally wrote the book on the practices of Silicon Valley’s most successful entrepreneurs, and she did so with a unique focus, telling the stories of foreign-born entrepreneurs, such as Eric Benhamou, Jean-Louis Gassee, Raj Singh, Wu Fu Chen, Suhas Patil, Omid Kordestani, Qi Lu  and Dan Maydan.

Through these stories, Angelika has identified “recipes for success” with specific ingredients that if applied may smooth the path upward. Angelika is a special resource for non-native Silicon Valley entrepreneurs. She speaks five languages and teaches U.S. business communications to international executives, coaching them in accent reduction, corporate presentations, personal branding and interviewing skills. We’re delighted to bring her expertise to you in this session.

4:45pm     Depart Hotel

5:15pm     French Tech Tour Launch Party at Quadrus Conference Center on Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park

Sponsored by the French Trade Office of the French Embassy, the French Tech Tour brings a handful of French entrepreneurs to Silicon Valley to meet with potential customers. This year, the French Tech Tour occurs during the same week as Innovate!Europe Trade Mission. The two organizations are cooperating with one another to provide expanded opportunities to meet Silicon Valley customers and investors. Guidewire Group Chairman Chris Shipley will give a brief welcoming address at this event.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Tuesday’s program provides the opportunity to tour some of Silicon Valley’s most remarkable technology companies. Trade Mission attendees will travel together to visit these companies.

8:00 am     Meet in Lobby of San Mateo Marriott; Depart by 8:15am.

8:45am     Visit to Sun Microsystems, Menlo Park

Sun will host a special morning meeting for Trade Mission participants with company chairman and co-founder Scott McNealy, followed by a presentation on Sun’s Startup Essentials program. Startup Essentials provides education, resources and support to technology entrepreneurs around the world, and this overview will highlight the benefits and services available to young companies. This is a unique opportunity to meet the leadership of Sun as well as fellow Silicon Valley entrepreneurs. The visit will conclude with a quick tour of the company’s innovation center to give Trade Mission participants a look at some of Sun’s advanced technology initiatives.

2:30pm     Visit to Google campus in Mountain View

Trade Mission participants will be treated to a private tour of Google’s headquarters in Mountain View from 2:30pm to 4:00pm. It’s a unique opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes look at one of the most successful companies in Silicon Valley. More details will be shared at the kick-off meeting on June 8th.

5:00pm     Return to Hotel

6:00pm     Depart for San Francisco

7:00pm     First Round Capital — Summer Party

First Round Capital, one of the premier early stage venture capital firms, is inviting Innovate!Europe’s Trade Mission participants to its summer party in San Francisco. The event is taking place at one of San Francisco’s historic music venues, The Great American Music Hall, and will feature a who’s who of Silicon Valley’s VCs, entrepreneurs and corporate executives. Some even said some Electronic music might be played, so if you’re looking for royalty free electronic music, check out JoyStock!So be ready to use your networking skills! First Round’s team specializes in seed-stage investments, often providing a company’s first outside capital. Some of the companies they’ve invested in include Mint Software, VideoEgg, Transpera, Wikia, eInsured and Attributor.

9:30pm     Bus departs for return trip to San Mateo Marriott

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

8:30am     Meet in Lobby of San Mateo Marriott; depart hotel to first venue by 8:45am

9:30am     Visit to Yahoo! campus in Sunnyvale

We’ll kick off the third day of the Trade Mission with a visit to Yahoo!’s headquarters in Sunnyvale where Trade Mission participants will get a chance to meet with members of the company’s product and business development teams from 9:30am to 11:00am.

12:00pm     Lunch at Plug and Play Tech Center in Sunnyvale

PlugandPlayTechCenter.com (PnP) is home to some of Silicon Valley’s smartest technology startups.  In Sunnyvale, Palo Alto and Redwood City, PnP provides office services to a thriving community of entrepreneurs , and enhances that experience by creating networking opportunities for tenants to meet with and be advised by investors and service providers. PnP is the host of the Trade Mission’s Showcase and Reception.

1:00pm     Workshop: Pitch Polish

This workshop provides one last opportunity to hone your company positioning and presentation before unleashing your message on the Innovate!Europe Trade Mission Showcase attendees.

3:00pm     Innovate!Europe Trade Mission Showcase

This is your chance to demonstrate your technology to and speak one-on-one with Silicon Valley-based entrepreneurs, investors, service providers and media.

5:00pm    Showcase Reception

The Showcase continues into the evening in a relaxed business networking environment. Silicon Valley media, investors, entrepreneurs, corporate development executives, and other potential high-value partners are invited to join this reception to meet you and begin the process of relationship building. We will be joined this evening by entrepreneurs from two other international programs, ANZA (Australia/New Zealand) and the French Tech Tour.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

8:00am     Meet in Lobby of San Mateo Marriott

8:30am      Breakfast at Buck’s Restaurant in Woodside

Buck’s is the iconic meeting place of entrepreneurs and investors in Silicon Valley. Many a business has been started from plans drawn on the back of a Buck’s placemat. PayPal demonstrated its first mobile-to-mobile electronic payment at a Buck’s breakfast. If you’re going to live and work in Silicon Valley, you need to know what it means when someone says, “Let’s meet at Buck’s.”

10:00am     Office Hours at Orrick in  Menlo Park

Thursday and Friday schedules are designed to give you the opportunity to set private meetings with individuals identified by you and/or Guidewire Group as important potential partners. You will be provided with meeting space at the offices of the Orrick law firm in the heart of Silicon Valley. In addition to the open meeting schedule, we are arranging meals at some of Silicon Valley’s most iconic meeting locations.

6:30pm     Mentor Dinner at Il Fornaio in Palo Alto

Located in downtown Palo Alto and just a mile from the Stanford University campus, Il Fornaio restaurant is an institution in Silicon Valley. For years, it has served as the meeting place for the thought leaders of the technology industry. We’ll enjoy dinner at this classic restaurant as we reunite with a number of the mentors who participated in the Zaragoza Master Class.

Friday, June 12, 2009

7:30am     Meet in Lobby of San Mateo Marriott

8:00am     Breakfast with Angels at Orrick

This informal breakfast meeting, hosted at Orrick’s offices in Menlo Park, will give you the opportunity to meet members of Silicon Valley’s angel investor community.

10:00am     Office Hours at Orrick in  Menlo Park

Friday’s flexible schedule is designed to enable you to set meetings with new colleagues you’ve met on the Trade Mission or existing Silicon Valley contacts you need to see while you are in the area. Orrick’s office is conveniently located off Highway 101 at the Marsh Road exit. It’s also only a short walk to the Starbucks coffee shop that has become a rendezvous point for Silicon Valley meetings.

1:00pm     Visit to Microsoft campus in Mountain View

Trade Mission participants will enjoy a private visit to Microsoft’s Silicon Valley campus in Mountain View where we’ll meet with members of the company’s Emerging Business Team from 1:00pm to 3:00pm.

4:00pm     Closing BBQ

We celebrate the end of a successful Trade Mission with an informal and relaxing barbeque at the San Mateo Marriott in stylish outdoor picnic table sets where we’ll raise a glass to toast your future success in Silicon Valley and around the globe.

Starting at 6:00pm     Networking Events in San Francisco (Optional)

If you’re ready for more networking before the week ends, we’ve arranged invitations for you to attend two parties in San Francisco. These are optional activities that will require you to arrange your own transportation.

The first event is a Happy Hour celebration hosted by StumbleUpon and STIRR from 5:00pm to 9:00pm at 111 Minna Gallery in San Francisco. The second event is a more intimate gathering hosted by Innovate!Europe mentor Benoit Bergeret and consultant Phil Jeudy that begins at 7:00pm. RSVPs are required — we’ll share more details with you via email on June 8th.

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