Red-hot Kiwi companies selected for int'l digital media think tank

WELLINGTON, May 20 (Xinhua) -- Thirteen of New Zealand's most promising digital media companies have been selected to participate in a two-day intensive workshop with the world's greatest creative technology visionaries in Wellington later this month, it was announced on Tuesday.

At the two-day X|Media|Lab "Commercializing Ideas" conference, which starts on May 30 in Wellington, the companies will have the rare opportunity to draw on the expertise of top international digital media powerbrokers.

"We have had almost 60 companies from New Zealand and around the world nominate themselves for X|Media|Lab Wellington. The response and quality of the projects is truly outstanding. New Zealand can rightly claim to be one of the world's digital media hot spots," said Megan Elliott, director of X|Media|Lab, on Tuesday.

The team of international mentors will help local companies develop and commercialise their digital media ideas. Companies from Germany and Australia will also take part.

New Zealand companies chosen for the Lab include Sidhe Interactive, Stray light Studios, Lumen Digital, Test-Tube TV, Ecobob, Instinct Entertainment, the Gibson Group and Thinking Cactus.

The projects selected for the Lab include virtual worlds, games, mobile applications, social media and Web 2.0 applications, immersive worlds and interactive entertainment projects.

During the conference, the International Mentors will explore how companies can find and design ideas, and build businesses fromideas.

The Keynote Conference will also feature the international success stories of Sam Morgan; China's most celebrated digital media entrepreneurs Xin Chung and Alvin Wang Graylin; and Participant Productions' (Syriana, Good Night and Good Luck), Chris Adams.

X|Media|Lab is supported by New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, as part of its work to help grow New Zealand's digital content industry and build its international competitiveness.