Hello Austin, this is London Calling

For over 12 years, Here East has travelled to SXSW to bridge the gap between disruptors across the Atlantic. Last week, we returned to Texas to host the third edition of ‘London Calling’ – an exclusive networking platform designed to turn pioneering ideas into transatlantic business opportunities.

Watch the SXSW London Calling 2026 event recap video here.

Hosted at Hanghart, Austin – in partnership with London & Partners, Loughborough University London, UCL’s Creative Experience Lab London (CELL), Wise, and Oury Clark – we brought together senior transatlantic leaders shaping the future of tech, policy, finance, and creative industries.

London Calling was created to unite two of the world’s most dynamic innovation ecosystems – London and Austin – aiming to strengthen transatlantic connections between the founders, investors, creatives, and industry leaders that call them home, and create meaningful opportunities for collaboration across the UK and US.

Beyond networking, we were joined by an incredible mix of experts and speakers who shared insights at the event. These included:

● Gavin Poole, CEO of Here East

● Michael Magan, COO of Here East

● Jane Nelson, Texas Secretary of State

● Keith Scott, His Majesty’s Consul General, Houston

● Katy Arnander, Director of Programming at SXSW London

● Justin Diener, Co-Founder and CEO of Synapse Virtual Production

● Vinay Nilakantan, Head of Product (North America) Wise

● Jemma Hotta, Partner at Oury Clark

● Stephen Feline, Director of North America at London & Partners

● Graham Hitchen, Director of the Policy Unit at Loughborough University

● Dr Lora Markova, Chief Programme Director at Loughborough University London

Alongside a welcome address from Texas Secretary of State, Jane Nelson, the event featured three fascinating spotlight sessions.

This saw experts from CELL and Synapse Virtual Production discuss the future of live entertainment and next-gen live experiences, while the team at Wise explained how ‘Wise Business’ (their digital, multi-currency account for companies) can help to navigate global finances and exchange rates across USD, GBP and EUR. We also looked ahead to the second SXSW London, with Director of Programming Katy Arnander exploring what’s in store for the festival’s return to East London this June.

While we were out in Texas, Here East CEO Gavin Poole also sat down with Graham Hitchen, Director of the Policy Unit at Loughborough University to record a live episode of Here East’s Visionary podcast unveiling the new research and innovation space: Creative Experience Lab London (CELL).

Born from a partnership between Loughborough University London and University College London – and housed at Here East on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park – CELL is a physical, industry-first research space designed to prototype the next generation of immersive creative experiences: from reimagined museum spaces to radically new live performance formats.

Learn more about CELL by listening to the ‘Live at SXSW in Texas’ Visionary episode here.

For the third year in a row, the event showcased our capital city’s thriving business and innovation landscape on the global stage, and the atmosphere mirrored exactly what we’ve built on our London campus: a high-velocity environment where the next opportunity or partnership could be only one conversation away.

Echoing this, Here East COO, Mike Magan said:

“The transatlantic relationship between London and the United States is thriving. We want people to come to London – and we have a home for them. At Here East, we create at scale: It’s a high-tech campus where we cultivate collaboration – and that’s what we’ve seen today.”

London Calling was yet again a fantastic opportunity to bring together entrepreneurs, innovators, and investors from around the world – but the conversation didn’t end in Texas.

We’re carrying this momentum straight into the second SXSW London this summer, hosted in the heart of East London from 1-6 June.

Thank you to the everyone who made London Calling happen. We look forward to connecting again soon. Keep an eye out as we'll be announcing our SXSW London event shortly!