What a day and evening for the second of five ChannelNEXT events for 2022! We began at 9 a.m. and finished at 9 p.m. Some began earlier and ended beyond midnight. It was a long but good day on so many levels.
In today’s digital-first economy, we are more sure than ever that we have a good recipe for channel conferences. We knew we were on the right path because you, our audience told us so. It all seems right, but we’re not stopping there, we’re going to continue to improve and grow starting with the addition of events across the USA.
Of course, nothing beats in-person, but offering our channel audience the option of how they want to receive content is vital. We provide live streaming options through our news media arm, eChannelNEWS.com, LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitch. We also save and archive our events and they can be consumed and shared on demand whenever you want. We provide all alternatives and all FREE! 72% of our virtual audience is outside Canada, mostly in the U.S.
Now, on to our recap: We started things up with Phil Vokins (Channel Chief of Intel) discussing supply chain concerns, the developing channel ecosystem, and how vendors and partners can capitalise on the digital-first economy. He presented some useful insights on a variety of topics and talked about how Intel assists its partners. He also shared some news about the massive investments (more than $20 Billion) that Intel is making to build more local production in North America. Seems like everyone finally gets the supply chain’s weak spot and are ramping up to never let it happen again. See https://www.e-channelnews.com/channelnextcentral-22-town-hall-it-supply-chain-channel-ecosystems-future-digital-first-market/
Two MSPs (Michael Contento and Erez Zevulunov) who battle and thrive on the frontlines of the tech industry every day offered some of their secrets for success. Like, how they hire and retain top talent and how they select and onboard vendors. We answered many of the queries we got from registrants, but we will have more discussions in the future to address all (subscribe to eChannelNEWS or watch channelnext.ca if you wish to be notified). If you want more now, check out our 100% educational MasterChat series (Seventeen hours are already available to watch and a new 60-minute episode comes out every two weeks). See https://www.e-channelnews.com/channelnext-central-22-msp-talk-show/
We then hosted a series of talk shows with six companies with whom every MSP should do business. All are channel-centric and provide tremendous value with recurring income – that’s just the starting point! Check them out to determine which one(s) best suits your needs. It’s a very good way to get to know what they do; why it matters and who they are. Watch all 15-minute talk shows with Datto, Cradlepoint, Sherweb, ITCloud.ca, Barracuda and Net2Phone. Videos to be posted soon here. Check back!
That was just the morning session (with no breaks for the host)!
At noon, the expo opened with lunch. Everyone browsed the booths, collected some swag and networked over lunch. All of the “at-booth” live interviews may be found below. We invite you to contact these suppliers directly to discuss potential business opportunities and partnerships. They are looking to recruit more partners and they all have rock-solid solutions. I dare say that it’s impossible to not solve big problems and generate recurring revenue from all participating vendors.
At 2 p.m. we returned to the main stage for the afternoon session and turned back on the livestream. We began with our famous Lions’ Den. It’s an enjoyable and fast way to learn about a vendor. Every vendor makes their best sales pitch in under 3 minutes on stage. The Digital Road Warrior Award is given to the individual who has the greatest sales presentation as voted by the in-person audience.
There are many different styles so picking a winner is always subjective. Some look for entertainment. Some look for the message. Some look for personality. While you browse the pitches, make a note as to which solutions may be a good fit for you and your clients. There is a feature on the same voting web page for you to connect with any vendor: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CNEXTCentral2022 Videos can be seen at https://www.e-channelnews.com/the-winner-of-channelnext-central-22-lions-den-was/
Then, we heard from Frances Edmonds (HP’s Head of Sustainability) on how every channel partner can do the right thing starting today, to help the environment while turning it into a profit centre. HP generated $3.5 Billion in revenue as a result of their sustainability practice and is currently the #1 recognized company for sustainability practices. You simply have to take some time to digest this important message. HP has all of the facts and roadmap to become more sustainable. Check out the HP links for some useful resources to get started!
We will publish the full session here. Please let us know if you would like to receive the actual slide deck as sometimes it is not so clear on the livestream.
Finally, Marguerite Fleming of Growth Finder Pro discussed how MSPs may make $15,000 if they become certified digital transformation advisors. In addition, each client will have access to $100,000 in no-interest loans to assist them in their digital transition! She then demonstrated to MSPs how to start building a digital transformation practice as well as prospect customers to engage! Sorry, the government assistance is only available if you live in Canada, but the advice and procedure are the same regardless of where you live! We believe that the MSPs who become Digital Business Transformation Advisors will be the channel leaders of tomorrow. If you are looking for support on the topic, consider joining a peer-group at www.channelpartnerallience.com or start exploring vendors with solutions like Robotic Process Automation.
We will publish the full session here. Please let us know if you need the actual slide decks that outline the detailed plan towards being a Digital Business Transformation Advisor.
Following that, attendees were given the option of participating in a Mastermind peer-group session to assist them in addressing their pain points in real time. We can’t go into detail since everything that happens in a Mastermind session remains in the Mastermind session.
If you don’t know what a Mastermind peer-group is, you may be losing out on something that could be the most significant game-changer in your company. Visit www.channelpartnerallience.com to learn more and watch some videos testimonials of individuals who have attended Mastermind sessions. When you join the Channel Partner Alliance, you get one free Mastermind session to experience it. Try it! You have nothing to lose and so much to gain.
Thank you ChannelNEXT Central 2022 Sponsors!
It was then time to change clothes for the evening’s award dinner gala (Celebrating Reseller Choice Awards, 50 Best Managed IT Companies and Women In Tech Award winners that we had to postpone from Feb 3rd). We all hung out on the sunny terrace for happy hour and snacks before going in for a delectable 4-course meal.
It was truly an enjoyable social networking opportunity with the industry’s best of the best! – Besides a quick recap of why each award matters, there were no speeches since we did all that at the virtual ceremony back on Feb 3rd. The slides rolled on the screen continuously showing all of the winners and runner ups in every category.
We just cannot thank our sponsors enough for supporting this important annual activity. They understand that sponsorship does not guarantee an award win, yet they sponsor every year. Learn more about this award at https://www.resellerchoiceawards.com 2020 will be our 16th year!
At registration every 50 Best Managed IT Company winner received a special 50-best golden lapel pin. Many MSPs wear them whenever they meet prospects. Winners can order more pins or caps for their staff. We will be adding more custom swag that you can use to promote your 50-best award winning best practices.
Want a chance to earn a 50 Best award next year? Complete the assessment at www.bestmanageditcompanies.com.
Here are some of the evening’s pics…
To add to the experience, a great live vocalist delighted us on the terrace and then in the dining room. Then, a local DJ “Sam” turned up the volume. We even ended up singing some karaoke on stage with those who stayed later. We wrapped up in the hotel bar for a few nightcaps and some good conversations. It’s always fascinating to see how much fun discussions can be had during these unplanned after-event activities. It’s where deeper relationships and friendships are made.
Don’t miss next year! Keep an eye out for the next award gala in February 2023 and save the date. It is the country’s biggest evening for the channel!
Do you want more? Join us at any ChannelNEXT conference, which will be coming soon to Winnipeg, Calgary and Vancouver. See www.channelnext.ca for schedule and save the date. Join our mailing list to automatically get event notifications.
Speaking of event notifications, we do apologise if you received multiple confirmation requests for the central event. It seems like the platform we used for registration went a bit bonkers. A big thank-you to those who brought it to our attention and we have already taken steps to prevent this from happening in the future.
See you next time! Next up is ChannelNext in Winnipeg on July 6th, register at www.channelnext.ca
