More than a thousand office dealers, MSPs, VARs, system integrators, IT professionals, and resellers gathered on the show floor, looking to invest in solutions, improve tools, technologies, and processes while gathered at The Rio Las Vegas Hotel for the 14th annual ITEX Expo.
The 3-day event to share information, education, product and services, and leading industry experts included: performance and sales management consultants, peer-to-peer dealer executives, notable vendors and OEMs, industry association leaders, Managed Services, and MPS professionals who networked, shared or “coached” businesses looking for the latest implementable methods to grow, save, or expand their businesses or wallet share.
Executive Leadership Workshop
The conference opened with a comprehensive half-day Executive Leadership Workshop, where nearly 200 attendees listened and learned from in-depth discussions on Igniting Revenue and Profit in 2014. The workshop panel included John Hey and Todd Johnson, co-partners, Strategic Business Associates; Tom Callinan, principal, Strategy Development; Jeff Boate, president, Perry ProTech; Sally Brause, director, human resources consulting, PathShare HR Services/GreatAmerica; and social media expert Michael Brito, group director, media and engagement, WCG.
The panel provided in-depth information on maximizing dealer performance; streamlining today’s business model; identifying, developing, hiring and retaining company leaders; structuring and measuring a sales force when you’re in multiple business models; and fully integrating marketing across all media platforms, including mobile.
Rich Simons, president and pioneer of the relatively new company EDGE Business Systems, remarked, “This is our first year at ITEX. It’s a fantastic opportunity to meet other people in our industry from a mentorship standpoint, from an education standpoint. And with all the rapid changes in technology, we’re happy to lean on the individuals who have been doing this for a long time to help rapidly grow our business.”
Throughout the general show the information found in dedicated conference tracks offered comprehensive education centered on selected topics. The roster of industry experts delivered presentations meant to revive or enhance an organization’s business model of operations, examining all areas.
Session Tracks included Automate: Document and Workflow Solutions; Close: Sales Strategies; Converge: Managed Services and MPS Solutions; Deliver: Competitive Service and Supplies; Engage: Marketing Strategies; and Transform: Evolving Technology and Business Models. Education was plentiful in both “Power Hour” sessions as well as the comprehensive Strategy Forum, which featured key vendors that delivered MPS and Managed Services solutions that could be adopted and monetized.
Expo Floor
The expo floor brought more than one hundred vendor companies together to showcase new products and services addressing markets that included cloud computing, document management and workflow, financing and leasing, imaging products and supplies, consumables, IT managed services, MPS, hardware and wireless devices, digital signage, and more. Featured exhibitors included Diamond Sponsor Continuum, Platinum Sponsors DocuWare, ECi e-Automate, ECi FMAudit, LEAF Commercial Capital, MSE, and OKI Data Americas.
“ITEX is the ideal showcase to demonstrate our commitment to the channel from a technology and marketing standpoint. This is why we commit to the Platinum level show sponsorship. Our continuing investment shows that MSE is excited about the future of a still-vibrant market, and we are poised to help dealers thrive for the foreseeable future,” says Luke Goldberg, senior vice president, MSE.
Network Receptions
In addition to education tracks and exhibits, attendees enjoyed two welcome receptions by the host show ITEX, and a reception hosted by the BTA, as well as a members’ reception at the annual IBPI dealer meeting.
Award Recognition
Revealed at the show, imageSource magazine awarded seven dealers or businesses with the magazine’s 2014 Perfect Image Award, each for outstanding achievement. Independently judged by members of the ITEX/imageSource Advisory Council, industry peers and Questex Media, the national awards were presented by imageSource Editor-in-Chief and ITEX Conference Director, Sand Sinclair.
The outstanding Dealer of the Year was awarded to PERRY proTECH, Outstanding MPS Program to FlexPrint Inc., Outstanding Managed Services Program to Gordon Flesch Company, Outstanding Sales Program to Ray Morgan Company, and Outstanding Service Program to DEX Imaging Inc. Two new awards were presented including Outstanding Trailblazer in the Channel to Ann McCann, Marco Inc., and Office Technology Rising Star to EDGE Business Systems, with president Rich Simons picking up the award.
ITEX realizes that today’s dealers and service providers are seeking to fully engage at shows that offer value along with strategies that produce good results. ITEX offers the needed “tools” to suit up, train, learn the best defense, offense, and proactive actions that are currently available to take home and implement. The 2015 ITEX National Conference and Expo is scheduled back at The Rio, March 10-12. For information, visit www.itexshow.com.
