Both Italians and Italian Americans actively part-take in the large-scale scenario of the technology industry, and the year 2019 began and presents itself as a full year of summits and meetings dedicated to the discussion of the future of the tech industry, and of new ideas to push fourth the sector. 

In the US, from Los Angeles to Las Vegas to New York, at various summits, innovative Italian or Italophile ideas have already been presented so far. In January the CES - 2019 Costumer Electronic Show was held in the most famous gambling city in the world, Las Vegas. CES is organized by the Consumer Technology Association, which has been setting up the summit for over 49 years. On CES, VCs and private investors meet and as one may tell know, these professionals are always eager to be the first to present themselves to creative entrepreneurs in hopes of discovering the next big invention. In January 2019 the Italian delegation, composed of 50 start-ups, had the opportunity to present its various creations to VCs and investors. Among the Italian startups, the most interesting were MatiPay, payment system for food dispensers with Smartphones; BTIcino, Alexa's home automation assistant; and Optima, which assets diabetes patients with the automatic wrap of wounds and scars. Italian innovation and innovative ideas are truly ever-present and usually linked to proactive causes – oftentimes able to assist with human needs. 

At the end of January, the Italian American Greg Bettinelli presented his ideas in Malibu. Mr. Bettinelli, the founder of Upfront summit (which assists in gathering investors and businessmen active in the field of media technologies) created an exclusive opportunity to discuss and share practices among professionals of the tech industry, VCs and investors. Italophiles and Italian American personalities such as Mr. Bettinelli create great opportunities for meetings and discussions on innovative ideas, and real business practices and strategies, in terms of logistics, profit and long-term investments for start-ups.

March 2019 saw the Digital Marketing Summit, which represents another relevant round table for the conversation concerning not only the start-ups and the technologies, but also on the ubiquitous need to adapt to change in tech product promotion in the digital age, and how to integrate digital marketing ops, by featuring new techniques and even new figures, such as "Influencers”. The Digital Marketing Summit, held in San Francisco, serves as a stage for the presentation of true digital marketing leaders, awarding those who defined successful digital marketing currently, and for those who support the true voice of innovation and innovative products. It is important to have a creative idea, but also important is a certain amount of "appeal" from the client. That is done largely through attractive digital marketing and through, influencers marketing and people like Mr. Alexander Cavalieri. An Italian American, presenter at DM Summit, head of CION Investments, Mr. Cavalieri has been a leader – in today’s digital marketing era - in understanding new needs of the DM world, and thanks to his experience and his know how, he was also responsible in his professional life for implementing rigorous digital transformation marketing for big names such as iShares.

After the DM Summit, in New York the “Conductor 3” conference was held in May, a summit dedicated to promoting tools for improving “Direct Return On Investments” for any innovative idea. At this Summit speakers featured diverse subject matters and pushed the idea of strengthening web traffic, therefore emphasizing yet again not only creativity, but product placement and a heavy DM marketing push. Online marketing really is key: Mr. Patrick Campolo, SEO of Ancestry, presented interesting tools and strategies in order to push for greater investments in marketing technology and the ever-present need for optimal teamwork or co-working practices, that must be utilized in order to maximize the output and performance of start-ups and companies.

Authentically Italian creativity, along with Italophile enthusiasm and Italian American start up business strategies, represent a true interconnection of the two affiliated cultures, currently even in the Tech industry, in the start-up phenomena and at international roundtables. Stay tuned for more innovative Italian products, practices and ideas.