#GREATShowcase

skignz were invited to take part in the #GreatShowcase in Los Angeles at the Consulate Generals personal residence.

The GREAT Showcase was formulated by one of the US directors in the DiT a few years ago, to showcase everything that is great about Great Britain and doing business with the UK, to an invited VIP audience.

The GREAT campaign is spread across the whole world and is the UK’s brand for encouraging the rest of the world to engage and trade with the UK, this year's showcase included skignz and other brands such as Aston Martin, Jo Malone London, Mill Channel and many more.

skignz role in the #GREATshowcase came during the DiT Directors speech (immediately after the opening address by the new British Consular General for Los Angeles) as the director introduced the evenings events and spoke about current affairs.

Dan preceded this by wishing to highlight who in the room were part of his team so if anyone would like to speak to them, they would know who they are … usually this would be done by a request for the said team members to raise their hands wherever they were in the room, however we Brits like to do things a little differently, cue skignz!

The skignz Founder & CEO Si Brown, was present at the event and on cue, he passed the Director Dan Rutstein, his iPhone X, which was immediate mirrored to the large screen behind them both, on which appeared the view Dan had using the iPhone … this presented a range of ‘skignz’ above each member of the DiT team in the room, leading to gasps and awe from the guests. 

Although a very small gesture and moment in the context of the whole evening, it certainly created a stir and quite a number of comments and interest during the rest of the evening and beyond we are delighted to say.

Please take a look below at some of the photos taken during the #GREATshowcase event.

If you want to find out more about skignz, then please visit our new recently launched website (www.skignz.com) as well as the usual social media channels

You can see the #GREATshowcase twitter feed for fun videos and photos here

AR/VR DiT Trade mission to US West Coast

skignz was invited alongside a host of other British companies for a AR/VR Trade mission to visit Los Angeles and San Francisco over 10 days.

The mission was run by the UK DiT in conjunction with their local offices in LA & San Francisco, who had lined up a plethora of presentations and meetings with some of the world's biggest brands in this space, and one or two lesser known ones.

Apple, Universal Studios, Lucas Film, IMAX, reFramed etc. were just a few of the organisations we visited on the trip. The experiences and knowledge gained was amazing, this was one of the best missions any of the skignz team had undertaken. Instead of being bored to death with presentations from Inward Investment organisations encouraging you to invest in their locality, this trip focussed on brands and organisations who were willing to open their doors to British Companies and engage in quite frank and honest conversations.

Some of the companies admitted despite being global players in their own verticals and marketplaces they felt they had learnt not only about what other tech and resource is out there, but were surprised at the talent from the UK that they hadn’t tapped into.

Our CEO, Si Brow said , "To visit the Lucas Film, see the original StarWars Artwork, experience what they are currently working on was a memorable experience that will live with him forever. 

Especially being able to fight Darth Maul in AR with a lightsaber and seeing a real hologram of Princess Lea. His favourite film coming to life was the icing on the cake. 

The first experience in the fourth instalment of StarWars, was way back in the latter part of the 1970’s. So to see the developments and progressions of the film tech was mind-blowing".

skignz were super keen not only to visit, but also understand more of what the world's most famous and leading branding, Apple, are looking for in Augmented Reality.

Apple have made no secret over the last 12-18 months about where they see the importance of AR and how they are focussing quite heavily on it (obviously without telling us what exactly they are doing beyond ARKit). 

We hope that a potential follow up meeting in early 2018 will provide us with more guidance, direction and opportunity for the skignz technology and platform with Apple. Watch this space ...

In addition to the companies we visited the delegates on the mission proved, as ALL missions do, that sometimes it's not where you are visiting or what work /relationships you aim to establish whilst there, it's actually the people you're with (sort of a Big Brother intensive shared experience) that actually brings more immediate opportunities and scope for partnerships. 

This was certainly the case on this trip and the skignz team are looking forward to more focused meetings with quite a few of the other delegates. Again watch this space ...

As the skignz team have considerable experience from these Trade Missions to various locations across the world, we asked Si what did he think were the 3 most important things you need to consider when ‘Investing in a DiT Trade Mission’, because that's exactly what you are doing, you are investing time, energy, resources, and above all, funds to be involved.

Si’s three key points to consider are:
1. Research the location, does it fit with a business metric? Can you realistically produce 5-10 times more in revenue than the trip costs? If it's not about revenue and it's about understanding a marketplace, then be careful to make sure it's the marketplace you can not only deliver and do business in, but to understand also the impacts on the rest of the business if it's successful.

2. Pick the right people in your team to attend. Sending one person is more than enough. The reason I say that is, it forces you to engage with the other people attending and gets you out of your comfort zone, too easy with 2 to 3 of you attending for it to become a jolly. Focus is key!

3. Request what the likely agenda will be, who you will be seeing, when and why? If it's inward investment bodies, accountants, lawyers and other professional firms, don’t waste your time! 

If you want to do business in that country/location then you need to meet prospective customers, then if there is a market for your product or service, they will not only clarify that for you in more detail, but also all the other things will come after if you secure a new client or three.

In summary Si commented: “These trade missions are only as good as what you put into them, long intensive days, strict timetables of activity that if you don’t adhere to them, you will fail to get the benefit you seek.

Furthermore, you have made all the effort to get there, don’t be a wallflower, talk to the people around you who are also in the same boat and ask questions … especially of those people who are presenting or showing you demonstrations/examples. 
They are giving up their time to ‘host you’, get as much out of it as you can.

Also, be brutally honest with yourself and your colleagues when you return, debrief them:

What was good?
What was bad?
What inspired you?
What did you find out?

Everything you think will help you and the team in your business who weren’t present. 

They may ask questions of what you did, answer them honestly, they may see things that you don’t”.

Finally you need to enjoy it … yes you are there to work but in our experience ‘highest energy wins’.

We will keep you updated through our blog and reference this DiT inspired and creative event with our follow up and further actions as a result of ‘being there’ on the West Coast.

If you would like to know more about the UK DiT or the GREAT campaign then please visit.

If you want to find out more about skignz, then please visit our new recently launched website (www.skignz.com) as well as the usual social media channels 

If you would like to download our FREE App then please Press here http://get.skignz.com

Additional Images:

  

 

Thankyou to Rio

Many of you will have seen across our social media channels this summer, skignz have been extremely active across Rio for the Olympic games.

Based at the beautiful Parque Lage at the foot of the mountain that Christ the Redeemer stands. 

The Parque Lage is a 1920's former house of an industrialist, set in the Jardim Botanico and this is where UK Government PLC had their HQ for the World Cup in 2014 and again for the Olympics.

Between the Prime Minister's office, The Mayor of London and Team GB who hosted a wide and varied schedule for events across sport, business and culture was choreographed for the entire Olympic games.

The dynamic of each of these very different sectors was certainly interesting and engaging and provided skignz with an ideal audience to showcase our technology, as well as being involved day to in the various events.

skignz provided the guests with a range of channels of content all with very different focus. A lot of the House contributors and sponsors came from some of the UK's best examples of manufacturing, technology, sport and the other key sectors. The whole environment was one of celebrations as TEAM GB began their most successful medal haul ever.

As part of the celebrations, our medal-winning athletes were treated to a 'special welcome' by the guests and hosts each evening, with a full presentation to the audience and a quick Q&A by the awesome Andy. 

British House Rio (its official title) was a great meeting place for the athletes nearest & dearest, who mixed with ministers, ambassadors, visiting dignitaries and all the varied event guests who were invited to come along. 

Even the many members of the awesome British Airways Crew who were transporting Team GB back were enjoying meeting the athletes and their families alongside the enigmatic Sir Martin Sorrell, CEO of WPP of spoke at one of the conferences.

Wall to wall with famous athletes, legends such as Sir Steve Redgrave and Sir Matthew Pinsent, through to current medal winners Sir Bradley Wiggins, Laura Trott and her now husband Jason Kenny. Also a fresh new wave of British stars, some winning their first medals enjoyed celebrating the on-going success of TEAM GB.

All in all we could write a whole book on skignz exploits and experience in Rio, but we still don't feel we could do it justice. It was an incredible opportunity to showcase what is GREAT about Britain, centred on an incredible location and global event. The memories will live long, but the most important thing is that skignz was again exposed to so many wide and wonderful audiences that we couldn't have dreamed possible even 12 months ago.

We think as much as the athletes and their families and all those attending the Olympics take away their own memories, it's the opportunity just to be among the people in the British House and the opportunity to tell them what we are trying to achieve with skignz that was as much a privilege for us as it was to those athletes competing.

Si Brown said: "I would like to thank each and everyone of the people we met in Rio and for taking the time to hear about skignz and see it in action. 

Many of you have had a profound effect on what skignz can become with your suggestions, ideas, thoughts and advice.  Although we didn't compete in the Olympics, we feel we represented our country with the same pride and passion and a big thanks to the teams from No.10, UKTI, British Embassy & Consulates, Innovision, TEAM GB and any others I've failed to recall. Thank you, it’s been emotional!"

At this time is difficult to assess the impact Rio has had on skignz and it may take weeks/months before we do, although we have already started to see a few successes from the trip which we will hopefully keep you up to date on as and when we can. 

With a number of other global sporting events coming up over the next few years, hopefully skignz can be involved, but we still feel it may be difficult to exceed the experience of Rio 2016, although given the opportunity I'm sure we will try.

Please take a look below at a selection of images from Rio...

To find out more about skignz, please visit our relaunched website or take a look on the usual Social Media Channels.

Boston, BABCNE and our very own Mr Brown

The date is the 1st December 2014 and not only is skignz embarking on the 1st day of December but Co-Founder and CMO was setting off to Boston MA, USA, to speak to some of the worlds largest brands.

Joining Si on this trip was a delegation from the North East of England including UKTi, NECC and a number of businesses keen on finding out what Boston has to offer them.

Deb McGargle, the awesome Co Founder of Particular Law, one of the UK's leading law firms working with start up tech companies was Si's travelling companion. Si takes up the story of the trip:

Deb and I were routed through Dublin from Newcastle and the biggest shock we came across was Passport Control, normally what you have to go through in the country you land in, was in Dublin Airport, right after you went through security. US Sovereign soil in Ireland. Hence no time for duty free or even breakfast! The trip had begun.

Both Deb and I are still not quite sure if this is a good idea or not, as it felt rather strange, but upon landing in Boston and literally getting off the plane, walking through a corridor, one door took us right out onto the taxi stand where the other led us to the baggage carousel. Not the usual miserable face wanting to know your 'inside leg measurement' as proof your visit to their country is for anything worthy.

 

BABCNE (British American Business Council of New England) and the British Consulate were fine hosts and many of their board members were on hand through our trip to welcome us and introduce us to many different people. I was slightly shocked as the President of BABCNE, Ken Vacovac was my own father's Doppelganger! The Boston, Malcolm Brown. Both seemed that their counterpart was probably the best looking guys in their native towns ... mmm!

Back to business and whilst I was off spending a number of days in meetings with different organisations including UKTi, Microsoft, CIC, British Consulate, Local Government office and a number of local businesses, Deb was off meeting other lawyers across Boston, whilst taking some time out to address a group of students at Harvard Law school! As one does!

I'm very privileged to say that I've actually known Deb since we were in primary school and she's equally at home in the House of Lords or Harvard Law as she is in a start-up company's garage trying to understand their next move!

I spent a lot of time showing demo's of the skignz technology to various audiences including many people from our own delegation, in turn finding out what got those guys out of bed on a morning. I must say we had quite a wonderful eclectic group of people and thoroughly enjoyed their company.

Over the years I have been on a number of delegations with UKTi and I always enjoy meeting and enjoying talking to others who have gone on the trip. I think I find a kindred spirit that these guys are prepared to get off their derriere and go out and make things happen. There does not seem to be an age, sector, industry or background barrier. They are all out there as I am trying to make things happen on a global scale, trying to get a slice of the bigger pie than what is on offer in our own immediate areas.

Not many of you will know this but both Gary (skignz other Co-Founder) and I met on a UKTi mission to Cannes, France way back in 2001. I believe we were the only people to secure work from that trip, but that was from each others' company as we went on to build a strong partnership and longer lasting friendship and now a partnership.

So if you have not spoken to UKTi or been on a 'Trade Mission' Sector visit, then I highly recommend you do, not just from a business perspective but also from your own personal development point of view.

Back to Boston and BABCNE, where some of us were invited to their Christmas Luncheon at the Harvard Club. A most splendid afternoon was had by all and I walked away with quite a few prizes from their quiz ;-).

Another reason for the trip was to engage with their Venture Capital Community to try and get an understanding of what they are looking to invest in, what profile of company, stage of growth etc. However nothing prepared me for the 'sheer size of this VC Community'.

In the building, One Broadway, in the centre of the Cambridge area of Boston, they have five times as many Venture Capitalists than the whole of Europe combined! Yes you did read that right! From what I was told, their combined wealth would place them as about the 5-6th world's largest GDP!

After pitching skignz to a number of potential VC's I then went on to take a look at the government buildings, the Consulate General's Residence for an early reception and a visit to WCM, one of Boston's top media agencies.

One of the visits that really stuck out in my mind and was probably most relative to skignz (other than the fine people at Microsoft - you know who you are ;-) ) was visiting CIC (Cambridge Innovation Centre) also in the same building as ALL these VC's and the British Consulate.

After showing us around the start up and growth accelerator areas, they invited us to take part in their Thursdays weekly gathering, free beer and plenty of interesting people with similar interests in creativity, tech and all at different stages of their business growth.

I even had the opportunity to speak to some Russian students who were on an exchange programme for four weeks. It was really interesting to see what they made of the tech scene compared with their homeland. Obviously this conversation took place in Russian, with me being fluent! Yeah, right oh!

In summary, Boston was an awesome experience, a worthwhile trip and a great opportunity to meet new friends, catch up with old friends and expand the gospel of skignz ... speaking of gospels ... Gospelware who were another awesome company on the delegation I spent time with.

I had met Ryan previously but it never ceases to amaze me, his passion for all things in the mobile tech sphere!

 

Since the trip we have already met one of the key guys from Microsoft for lunch in Newcastle, UK, we have pitched skignz to the most senior people at 3 different leading global brands.

We are hoping that a delegation from Boston & BABCNE will come over to the North East of England for the return leg! They are very welcome and I'm hoping that between BABCNE, UKTi, British Consulate, and the NECC, plus the guys who went out in December can make this happen in 2015.

skignz will certainly be returning to see our new friends in Boston in the coming months as we increase our US activity and fingers crossed with the 3 brands we have already engaged with ...

Watch this space as we update you all through the year on our progress stateside ...

If you would like to know more about BABCNE and what they do, even how they can help you and your business then please visit http://www.babcne.org

Would like to know more about UKTi and see how you can take part in their annual activities. Please visit http://www.greatbusiness.gov.uk

If you would like to pray at the altar of Gospelware, see how these guys eat, sleep and breathe mobile. Please check them out at http://www.gospelware.co.uk

Do you have a tech business and need the best legal support team on the whole planet then you need to get in touch with Deb and her team at Particular. http://www.particularlegal.com

However if you just want to know how skignz could help your Business or even just be a cool thing to have for your own personal use... http://www.skignz.com

Skignz in Brazil

Brazil conjures up some inspiring and romantic notions, strolling along the famous Copacabana Beach in your bikini or even 'speedo's, Pele scoring in the Maracana Stadium, or taking a cable car trip up to Sugarloaf Mountain for the magnificent view... not many would think that the exciting new skignz technology could be used there in the coming years to further enhance visitor experience?

One of the skignz directors has just returned from Brazil where skignz was showcased to a number of organisations and companies including FIFA World Cup 2016, 2016 Rio Olympic and Paralympic Games organisations.

The 10 day visit took in both Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro from which a number of other companies also have expressed an interest into how skignz can add value to their own offerings from both Brazil and the UK. 

The trip included VIP access to Beyonce live in Sao Paulo, Bruce Springstein Live at Rock in Rio, dancing with the Samba Schools, as well as receptions at the British Consulate, Maracana Stadium and the Rock in Rio venue through UKTi and British Excellence.

All in all a worthwhile trip, not only for the business side of things, but also involving some wonderful people we met along the way. The skignz team looks forward to working with them to see how we can give them the 'edge' in their sectors as well as exploring future development of our platform.

Copacabana Beach (Rio de Janeiro)

Trip to Favela Boxing Project

Bruce Springstein (The Boss) at Rock in Rio 2013

Rock in Rio World Stage

Crowds gathering for Beyonce in Sao Paulo

Sunset on Copacabana Beach

UKTi reception at Rock in Rio

Dance Stage at Rock in Rio

British Consulate in Sao Paulo

                                                       

Skignz at Christ the Reedemer!

Get your copy of skignz now: 

www.skignz.com/download