If you are a UK tech start up there's really only one place to be this week and that's on the Web Mission trip to Silicon Valley and San Francisco. Over the next few days reps from twenty or so UK companies will be networking like crazy, bashing the ears of top US VCs and meeting the odd web 2.0 superstar. I have managed to sneak along for the ride and will be blogging the event both here and on TechDigest.

It's an impressive list of companies too with some you will be familiar with, like video experts Coull and innovative music site Slicethepie , alongside some that are new including edocr which bills itself as the YouTube for web documents.

It'll be fascinating to watch all these companies swapping investor stories and comparing notes on business plans and even more interesting to see what the Americans make of it all. The trip formally kicks off on Saturday night with a cocktail or two in the Clift Hotel on Geary Street.

Btw if anyone fancies meeting up for a quick beer or breakfast to talk Shiny things (I am here until the 25th) email me on ashley@shinymedia.com