If your business has anything to do with online services or Web 2.0, you’ll be pleased to know that there is a conference and tradeshow taking place this week in San Francisco, CA, USA, for everyone who is passionate about the topic.   

Whether its Web 2.0 marketing, design strategies, or development paradigms that web 2.0 technologies present, Web 2.0 Expo will bring experts together on the subject. During the conference, I’ll be finding some niche items of business value to growth companies, so stayed tuned this week for more. 

In addition to Web 2.0 Expo, O’Reilly and TechWeb, the producers of the conference, are providing resources to house Web2Open–a free, two-day unconference that anyone can attend.  (An unconference is one whose agenda is created spontaneously by the participants in the room.)

But before I go there; there’s much to be said for the pre- and after- events going on during the week; one of which took place Sunday, March 29, midday, to celebrate Web Mission UK 2009, sponsored by UK Trade and Investment – a British government organization.  Each year, Web Mission UK seeks to introduce 20 of the best web 2.0 companies to the many inspiring people and supportive Web 2.0 networks which exist in Silicon Valley.   In addition to a homemade brunch & BBQ provided by Best Public Relations, a group of well over 100 people exchanged ideas on what’s cutting edge and where the next wave is going to swell.    Silicon Valley Bank (www.svb.com) and Meltwater supported the event where 20 UK and Irish startups met with 20 or so US startups and industry people to show & tell what they do in their business; get visibility, advice; and discuss their companies with leading journalists. 

Here are a few example companies who will represent the Web Mission 09 Top 20: 

www.cereproc.com – text to speech technology

www.zemanta.com - enrichment of blog posts and emails in real-time; suggesting tags, links, photos, and related articles as you write

www.bookingbug.com – booking systems for individually-owned and larger businesses.

I lucked out by hearing an elevator pitch which turned into a fruitful discussion with one of the Web Mission 09 entrepreneurs, Glenn Shoosmith, the founder of London-based startup: bookingbug.  I got a download of what bookingbug facilitates for small businesses, and heard more about where they are headed.   

Bookingbug is a booking and reservation system for small individually-run businesses and larger companies to offer services and have them scheduled.  From sports lessons to spa treatments, and community room bookings to consulting services, booking bug can take the pain out of the process. Shoosmith says they’ve strived to create a flexible and easy to use booking system for businesses. By allowing customers to see availability, inquire, reserve or book services online, businesses will increase access and convenience to their customers which means that both will profit.

Provided things go as well as they are going in the UK, bookingbug may well be taking this country by storm, too.  And stay connected this week for more from San Francisco and Web 2.0 Expo.