Report from Austin

I am in Austin, Texas, the Music Capital of the World, at least during this week of the SXSW Music Festival. Bands and artists from all over the world have flown in for the event. Representatives from the City of The Hague and Crossing Borders are here with six bands to profile The Hague as a major music venue.

A prime goal of the City officials is to strengthen relations with the City of Austin and create even more bonds for cooperation. Since Austin is also well known as a high technology centre and as an emerging hub for pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, the WestHolland Foreign Investment Agency in cooperation with the City of The Hague took the opportunity to organize a US NL Breakfast Briefing for Austin companies and city and state officials.

In a room decorated with Tulips and little wooden shoes bringing a touch of Holland to Austin, the Consul General of the Netherlands, Ms. Lucita Moenir Alam gave a welcome speech highlighting the Netherlands, and specifically The Hague, as an excellent location for Austin companies that are considering expansion into Europe.

Presentations were given by the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency and a tax specialist from Greenberg Traurig regarding the many advantages of the Netherlands from a strategic location, labour and fiscal perspective, with special emphasis on the Innovation Box for innovative companies. Leonard Kok from the City of The Hague promoted the WestHolland / The Hague region as a hub for IT &Telecom, Oil and Gas, Water Management, Life Science, Security technology and Creative Industries - Music.



This was a great opportunity to meet many of the Austin companies and City and State officials. We appreciate the tremendous support we received from the City of Austin, the Austin Chamber of Commerce, the US Commercial Service and The Governor’s office for the state of Texas and look forward to welcoming our new friends to The WestHolland / The Hague region in the near future.

Also, a big thank you to Crossing Borders who have invited all the breakfast meeting guests to the “Music City The Hague” barbeque featuring Bands from The Hague on Saturday, March 20th as part of the SXSW festival.


Lissa Boxy, WFIA from Austin.