The ASCII Group, a membership-based community of independent MSPs, VARs, and solution providers, kicked off its 2015 IT SMB Success Summit Series February 18–19 in Miami,†the first stop in an eight-city tour. The Success Summits provide an opportunity for attendees to obtain education, hear industry presentations, tour a vendor solutions pavilion, attend an ASCII member meeting, and network with peers.
The pre-day activities on Wednesday included a presentation on “2015 IT Industry Outlook & Trends” by Gary Bixler, founder and principle consultant at Bixler Enterprises.
Vendor-sponsored sessions covered topics such as getting more sales and increasing customer loyalty, security, backup and recovery, cloud strategy, using IT assessments to grow your business, and simplified business management. A welcome reception capped off the pre-day events.
The main day agenda on Thursday started with a networking breakfast followed by the Success Summit kickoff and peer card exchange.
After the welcoming address, the first guest speaker up was ASCII member C.J. Ezell, founder and CEO of of PointClear Networks, a healthcare systems integrator and managed services provider based in Fairhope, Ala. Ezell spoke with attendees about “Strategies Top MSPs Utilize to Win Recurring Revenue in Healthcare.”
The special guest speaker on this year’s tour is Joe Navarro, the leading authority on reading people through nonverbal communication, FBI analyst, and author. He delivered a presentation to the Miami attendees on “Sales and Speed Reading—Renowned FBI Analyst Tells All.”
Vendor presentation topics included capitalizing on the power of the cloud, being a perpetually valuable MSP, MSPs and continuity, managed services in the legal market, disaster recover, cybersecurity, partnerships, mobile opportunties, and more.
Attendees also had the opportunity to browse the solutions pavilion, meet ASCII staff, and vote on vendor awards for multiple Best of Show categories. All votes are tallied for the ultimate award winner, The ASCII Cup, presented at the conclusion of the 2015 tour.
The day ended with a closing awards ceremony and giveaways, followed by an ASCII member meeting.
Attendees bestowed these awards on sponsors:
- Best Software Solution: StorageCraft
- Best Hardware Solution: Datto
- Best New Product: BlackStratus
- Best Cloud Solution: CloudConnect
- Best Revenue Generator: eFolder
- Best Channel Incentives: Itopia
- Best Channel Programs: Lenovo
- Best Partner Commitment: LogicNow
- Best Customer Support: Datto
- Best of Show: LogicNow
- Best Partner Involvement: StorageCraft
- Best Distribution: Pax 8
The Summit Series is designed for qualified industry IT professionals and managed service providers, and is targeted toward those who are looking to increase revenue and enhance their current business model. ASCII members receive free admission to the event.
Next stop on the Success Summit tour is Columbus, Ohio, March 25–26. For more information go to www.asciievents.com.
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