The City Beautiful was a whirlwind of activity on April 10-11 as MSPs from Central Florida braved thunderstorms to learn from industry experts and connect with each other at ChannelPro LIVE: Orlando.
The day-and-a-half event at the Marriott Orlando Airport Lakeside featured business-enhancing educational sessions, keynote speakers, and opportunities to connect with other local, regional, and statewide MSPs — as well as top vendors in the sector.
The Orlando event was the second of ChannelPro’s eight dynamic gatherings scheduled throughout the United States in 2024: seven ChannelPro LIVE gatherings and the ChannelPro DEFEND cybersecurity-centric event this summer.
ChannelPro LIVE: Orlando focused on the top issues that MSPs care about: Scaling their businesses, using AI to boost efficiency, finding partnership opportunities, keeping customers happy, and much more.
“I think it’s very important for IT professionals to come to ChannelPro events in their area to broaden their horizons to not only answer your questions, but to learn questions that you didn’t even know existed,” said James Thompson, president of TechBay USA, an IT services provider in Lake Mary, FL.
Participation and Peers
Rayanne Buchianico leads an interactive discussion about mergers and acquisitions.
A favorite activity for many attendees was the MSP Matchmaker session, an interactive session that allowed attendees to move about the room while engaging with three professional “coaches” as well as each other on three topics: Peer networking, mergers & acquisitions, and vendor selection.
The coaches were Manual Palachuk International Owner and President Manuel Palachuk, ABC Solutions LLC Founder and CEO Rayanne Buchianico, and longtime industry professional Howard M. Cohen, who represented the National Society of IT Service Providers (NTSITSP).
After a brief introduction, the audience was divided into three discussion groups, each led by one of the coaches. After 15 minutes, participants were given the option to switch to one of the other coaches or remain in the same group.
Kathy Durfee, CEO and founder of Bradenton, FL-based TechHouse, said she found the format enjoyable and effective. “When you can participate, then your ideas move forward,” she said. “If someone asks a question or makes a statement and you think about it, then you put a thought out there and someone else says something. So, I’m in a different place by the end of 15 minutes.”
Attendees also had opportunities to network with peers and visit vendors during a cocktail reception on the pre-day and a luncheon on the main day in the expo hall. Along with food and beverages, those at the event were treated to product demos, show specials, and learned about partner programs.
Leadership, Partnerships, and Maximizing Opportunities
Several industry leaders took to the stage to share advice and best practices on successfully growing an MSP business. Among the presentations:
Eric Long and Philip de Souza chat with ChannelPro’s Matt Whitlock about AI.
- The Culture Imperative: The Cost of Getting it Wrong and How to Get It Right, the pre-day keynote by Palachuk.
- Promoting IT Professionalism, a presentation by Cohen.
- Joining a Local Peer Group Can Help Your MSP Maximize MDFs, a presentation by Paul Daigle of BizAdvisoryBoard.
- How MSPs Can Win the Hearts (and Wallets) of Florida Nonprofits, a presentation by Orlando’s own Rosene Johnson, founder and CEO of Mission Unleashed Enterprises.
- Six Ways to Use AI to Improve Your MSP, a panel discussion with Eric Long of TeraCloud and Philip de Souza of Aurora, moderated by ChannelPro’s Matt Whitlock.
- The Secrets to Onboarding Clients Successfully, a panel discussion with Charles Lannan of Lannan Technologies and connection coach AnnMarie Santamarina, moderated by ChannelPro’s Anjali Fluker.
- The Importance of Local Partnerships, a presentation by city of Orlando CIO Rosa Akhtarkhavari.
- Selling Up! 5 Strategies for Winning Bigger Accounts, a panel discussion with Buchianico and Lannan, moderated by Fluker.
- Using AI to Deliver a Stellar Customer Experience, a panel discussion moderated by Whitlock featuring three event vendors: Chris Walter of Avast, Brian Doty of Kaseya, and Cal Jeffrey of Insight Cyber.
- How NOT to Get Fired by Your Clients, a panel discussion with de Souza and Palachuk, moderated by Fluker.
- My Technology Journey, the closing keynote by Orlando businessman Carlos Perez, principal of Perez Technology Group.
Vendor Awards
Event attendees voted to present the following awards to these Orlando sponsors:
ROI Lightning Round Winner: Island
Best Add-on Product: INKY
Newcomer INKY captures multiple vendor awards.
Best Cloud Solution: INKY
Best Distributor: Pax8
Best Expo Hall Presentation (Premium Sponsors): Kaseya IT Complete
Best Expo Hall Presentation (Silver Sponsors): Huntress
Best Hardware Solution: Island
Best New Solution: Island
Best On-stage Presentation: Barracuda
Best Product or Platform: Kaseya IT Complete
Best Revenue Booster: Galactic Advisors
Best Security Solution: ThreatLocker
Best Software Solution: AnyDesk
Most Exciting Solution: Galactic Advisors
Best in Show: (tie) Galactic Advisors and Kaseya IT Complete
Editor’s Choice: TruGrid
ChannelPro Community Award: Avast Business
Sponsors Make It Happen
Many thanks to the world-class sponsors of ChannelPro LIVE: Orlando.
Join Us Again
Next up on the 2024 ChannelPro event schedule are two events, one in person and the other virtual:
- May 15-16: ChannelPro LIVE: Baltimore at the DoubleTree by Hilton Baltimore North. Register here.
- May 22: ChannelPro Deep Dive: Bundling & Pricing Managed Services, which will help MSPs capitalize on high-value solution opportunities, and dodge pitfalls that can stall revenue. Reserve your spot here.
If you are an IT integrator, managed services provider, consultant, or VAR serving small and medium businesses, these events are designed specifically to help you grow your business. To learn more, visit the ChannelPro events page.
