The ASCII IT Success Summit convened outside the nation’s capitol on November 2 and 3 for the lastest stop in the 2021 series of two-day business-building events for managed service providers.
Sponsored by The ASCII Group, the summit featured presentations by members and sponsors on top-of-mind issues in the SMB channel, with a particular focus on security and cloud computing. Attendees also had the opportunity to browse the vendor expo hall and network with peers.
ASCII member Jay Tipton, CEO of Technology Specialists, in Fort Wayne, Ind., kicked off the event on day one with his “Tales from the Breached,” sharing how he addressed the impact of the Kaseya ransomware attack this summer.
Topics covered over the two days included: building a Microsoft Azure practice, cybersecurity best practices, profitability in an everything-as-a-service world, capitalizing on the cloud transformation, and more.
In other sessions on thriving in managed services, Stephen Monk of MSP Noverus Innovations provided advice on managing growing pains; Shawn Walsh of Encore Strategic Consulting discussed how to build a winning client advisory board; and C.J. Ezell, a former MSP who is now CEO of CrossBay Digital Marketing, explained why telling your MSP story matters in today’s IT marketplace.
Additionally, ASCII Group President Jerry Koutavas delivered a talk on where MSPs should reinvest.
The conference’s headline speaker, Mike Michalowicz, a business makeover specialist and author of The Pumpkin Plan: A Simple Strategy to Grow a Remarkable Business in Any Field and Fix This Next: Make the Vital Change That Will Level Up Your Business, discussed how channel pros can determine what to do and in what order to ensure healthy, fast, and permanent growth.
Sponsor award winners at the show, based on attendee votes, were:
Best Presentation – Solutions Granted
Best Partner Incentives – D&H
Best Education – SOCSoter
Best Keynote – Huntress
Most Innovative Solution – ThreatLocker
Best Market Opportunity – Huntress
Best Distributor – Pax8
Partner Involvement – Pax8, Carbon Systems, and Zomentum
Best Rapid Pitch – GreenLink Networks
Best Channel Program – Pax8
Best Revenue Generator – SOCSoter
Best Partner Support – Pax8
Best in Show – Huntress
The next ASCII MSP Success Summit takes place on December 8 and 9 in Orange County, Calif. The coveted ASCII Cup will be awarded to the sponsor who received the most attendee votes at this year’s regional events during that show. Additional information is available here.
The ASCII Group is the premier community of North American MSPs, VARs, and solution providers. Founded in 1984, ASCII offers members leveraged purchasing programs, education and training, discounts on business services, and more.
