Adventures in Pre-qualifying Leads

ICF has been pre-qualifying leads in smart infrastructure and related applications targeting companies and organizations that may have solutions that your community may be looking for to assist in enhancing mobility efficiencies, parking solutions, LED lighting, or other street and intersection related solutions. Your community may be seeking applications related to a whole host of challenges or investment opportunities. ICF will be inviting targeted leads to meet with community representatives, such as Mayors, economic development officials, CAOs and CIOS and any ICF Global Summit attendees that would be interested in meeting these business and investment leads. Here are a couple of stories from our recent adventures; this time with Italian companies:

“My recent travels to Europe allowed me the opportunity to meet many startups and accelerated companies with brilliant innovations and a keen interest to expand their companies into North America. With limited economic opportunities and turmoil in some of their countries, they are looking at the stability of North America, especially Canada, as home to their company’s expansion plans. Of course, many are interested in sales, but are also looking for opportunities for JV partnerships, access to venture capital and for talent to develop their companies. Others are determined to open operations in North America. With the CETA and NAFTA trade agreements, these European companies can enjoy access to nearly a billion customers between the EU and North America, with little or no tariffs and less complications than working from their home countries. And then there are some of the incentives such as R&D Tax credits, but mostly the talent, stability and market of North America, that seems to attract them. All are involved in smart city infrastructure, data and related applications. Interested in meeting them? You can meet dozens of small, medium and large companies, FDI (investors) and talent all in one day in one place in NYC on June 11, 2019.”

“We just returned from meeting people, communities and companies in Italy. Despite the cold, wintry and even snowy weather, the people were amazingly warm and inviting. We learned a great deal about their cities, their country and companies. Many are looking to expand internationally due to limited economic opportunities in Italy. From start-ups to ancient firms established in 1725, there is great diversity in these companies. Lots of brilliant innovation going on and a desire to share their solutions and business opportunities with anyone interested. For instance, I met a firm that has been around for nearly 300 years in the hills of northern Italy. It was involved in all forms of clock-making, but more recently develops customized information display systems for the public such as at major international airports around the world, and at railway and bus stations. Using GIS and enabled by broadband, it also provides real time displays telling you when the buses and trains will arrive. It is also diversified into LED lighting, ticket management and other logistics support systems. The company is large by Italian standards and is now expanding its interests globally. If you are interested in meeting this company, let us know. You won’t be disappointed.”

To learn more, see: https://www.intelligentcommunity.org/summit_19_matchmaking_day  and to register at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/icf-global-summit-2019-tickets-54248265021