This article originally appeared on MeetingsNet

A sneak peek at the first group of companies accepted into the accelerator program

Last year, Event Tech Lab, Visit and Poken by GES, and UBM announced a collaboration to assist new event technology companies called The Start Up Clinic. Fledgling companies were invited to apply for one-on-one mentoring in core competencies covering four operational areas: Product development, strategic management, finance, and marketing and promotion.

The program will support the new companies with expert advice from six mentors with diverse backgrounds in the meeting and events industry. The mentors are: James Morgan, PhD, CSEP, senior lecturer at Westminster University, London, and the founder of Event Tech Lab; Stephan Forseilles, chief technology officer of Easyfairs; Alison Church, marketing director, U.K. and global for Easyfairs; Damien Lane, co-founder of investment firm Episode 1; Matt Coyne, technology engagement architect at GES EMEA; and Govind Sharma, director of technology at UBM.

The original intention for The Start Up Clinic was to mentor three companies but because ofthe high quality of the final 14 applicants, four firms were invited to join the program. All the firms offer products and services for meeting planners, from exhibition advertising and influencer marketing, to an Eventbrite plugin and a website for conference and event staffing needs. The first crop of companies participating in the program is truly international, coming from Europe, Canada, and the U.S. West Coast.

Here is a sneak peek at the first crop of companies that will join the eight-month accelerator program.