With more than 160 in attendance, the event brought together IT solution providers, managed service providers, VARs, custom builders, and dozens of sponsors. The event was hailed as a success by all involved. “We were thrilled with the turnout and the high energy at the event,” said Cecilia Galvin, ChannelPro-SMB executive editor and a session moderator at the event. “ChannelPro-SMB is the only media company that focuses on the unique needs of channel pros serving the SMB market, and this event brings all of our efforts to life in a dynamic, interactive format.”
Sponsors represented an elite cross-section of associations, vendors, and distributors offering solutions for the SMB marketplace. Gold sponsors were Epson America, HP, Ingram Micro, LogMeIn, ViewSonic, and Zenith Infotech. Oki Data Americas sponsored the Hottest Trends in Hardware session (aka the “petting zoo”), which was a crowd favorite.
Silver sponsors included Highly Reliable Systems, Ingram Micro, Intel, Lenovo, McAfee, OKI Data Americas, Reflexion Networks, Schneider Electric, SpamSoap, SYNNEX SMB Connect, and VaultLogix. Other silver sponsors were The ASCII Group, CompTIA, SMB Nation, SMB Technology Network, and Varvid, plus additional product sponsors.
Attendees bestowed the following awards on event sponsors:
- Best Cloud-based Solution: LogMeIn
- Best Hardware Solution: HP
- Best New Solution: Epson America
- Best Partner Community: The ASCII Group
- Best Partner Program: Ingram Micro
- Best Software Solution: LogMeIn
- Most Innovative Solution: Epson America
- Best in Show: HP
The full-day, live event for channel resellers, integrators, consultants, and managed service providers offered interactive, in-depth conversations with some of the industry’s top channel pros who have pioneered profitable businesses from cloud computing, mobility, and managed services. A showcase of SMB vendor solutions provided additional learning opportunities and enabled channel pros to get one-on-one advice on employing new technologies and services to better serve their customers.
This year’s interactive discussion topics were:
- Adapting Your Business to the Cloud: Which services should you offer and which ways of offering them are the most profitable? Industry experts addressed these topics head-on and explored how you can take advantage of the latest cloud opportunities.
- Winning Sales and Marketing Strategies for MSPs: How the pros attract new customers, from finding sales prospects to the most effective techniques for turning leads into clients.
- Where the Money Is in Mobility: From device management and security to mobile app development and reselling carrier services, attendees received actionable advice for capitalizing on the mobile juggernaut.
- Today’s Hottest Trends in Hardware: Attendees got a hands-on look at the latest Ultrabooks, smartphones, small-form-factor PCs, storage solutions, monitors, and tablets, and learned from leading experts how to turn cool into cash.
“By participating in the ChannelPro SMB Forum, channel partners had a unique opportunity to learn the ins and outs of today’s top IT trends from colleagues who have learned by doing and paved the way for their success,” said Michael Siggins, vice president and publisher of ChannelPro-SMB and a session moderator at the event. “They also took advantage of the showcase of vendor solutions that will enable them to meet the growing IT needs of their SMB customer base.”
Sponsors interested in the east coast fall event should contact the ChannelPro-SMB team immediately.
