The IT industry is changing faster now than ever before. To keep up, North Carolina MSPs, MSSPs, and IT consultants took time out of their busy schedules to attend ChannelPro LIVE: Charlotte on Sept. 9-10.
Attendees praised the conference for its educational content, vendor demonstrations, and robust networking opportunities. Although the event was built with North Carolina MSPs in mind, it drew a number of regional attendees. Among them was Tim Tsutsumi, managing partner of Ai Technology Professionals, an MSP based in the Mechanicsville, VA-area. “I’ve been in the industry for 20 years and I can’t believe I haven’t come before,” Tsutsumi admitted. “It’s been a great event. Lots of camaraderie and networking.”
Another attendee from Virginia, Resilient IT President Kevin Mann, shared similar sentiments. “I attended a couple of years ago and it’s great to be back. The benefit [of ChannelPro events] is learning from your peers and building referral relationships. You’ve got to put yourself out there and one thing leads to another.”
Day 1: Networking and Keynotes
The event’s “pre-day” activities featured a keynote address by Ian Richardson, a nationally recognized leader in managed services. The founder of Fox & Crow Group also is co-contributor of The Business of IT column series published by ChannelPro.
After selling his MSP in 2021, Richardson dedicated his career to helping channel pros scale their companies. His presentation, Stop Losing Deals – Overcome Objections to Close More Contracts, offered practical advice on how MSPs can get past sales objections and win more business.
Next, How MSPs Can Win the Hearts (and Wallets) of Nonprofits showed MSPs how to tap into the growing sector. It highlighted the value of mission-driven partnerships and how they can generate both goodwill and revenue.
The day ended with the popular MSP Matchmaker Workshop, where IT pros shared best practices on relationship building, vendor selection, and acquiring/merging/selling their businesses. The networking opportunity segued directly into the cocktail reception in the exhibit hall.
Day 2: Actionable Strategies and Fun
The event’s “main day” began with a networking breakfast, followed by sessions packed with actionable advice. The opening demonstration, Brand New Ways to Use AI to Improve Your MSP, explored how MSPs can use AI to streamline operations and enhance customer experiences.
Vendor presentations came next, with major vendors such as Kaseya, TD SYNNEX, and ThreatLocker showcasing new solutions for MSPs. Their session topics covered everything from endpoint security to credential management.
One major highlight was the session on How NOT to Get Fired. Culture and process experts Allen Edwards of Eureka Process and Manuel Palachuk of Manuel Palachuk International dove into customer retention: how to avoid common pitfalls and how to communicate effectively.
Allen Edwards (pictured left) and Manuel Palachuk (pictured center)
After a well-received networking lunch, two audience members competed in an interactive game, ‘80s Movie Trivia, with lots of help — and laughs — from the audience.
The day concluded with a powerful keynote from Leia Kupris Shilobod, the CEO of CompliancyIT and a respected cybersecurity and compliance expert. Her address, You Aren’t a Commodity – How Specialization Changed My Life, emphasized the importance of finding a niche and productizing an offering can help MSPs stand out in a crowded market.
Wrap-up and Awards
The event concluded with awards, and exciting giveaways. Attendees left with new strategies, connections, and insights to drive their businesses forward.
The day concluded with special recognition for the event’s sponsors during the ChannelPro awards ceremony, as voted by the Charlotte audience:
- Best Add-on Product: Blancco Technology Group
- Best Cloud Solution: Barracuda MSP
- Best Distributor: TD Synnex
- Best Expo Hall Presentation (Premium Sponsors): Galactic Advisors
- Best Expo Hall Presentation (Silver Sponsors): NUSO
- Best Hardware Solution: EnGenius
- Best New Solution: Cork
- Best On-stage Presentation: Galactic Advisors
- Best Product or Platform: Kaseya
- Best Revenue Booster: Channel Hunters
- Best Security Solution: ThreatLocker
- Best Software Solution: Kaseya
- Most Exciting Solution: Josys
- Best in Show: Galactic Advisors
- ROI Lightning Round Winner: NUSO
- Editor’s Choice: TechGrid
- ChannelPro Community Award: Avast
Sponsors Make It Happen
ChannelPro LIVE: Charlotte provided MSPs with valuable tools and perspectives to help them grow and thrive in a competitive industry. This was made possible by the support of world-class sponsors of the event.
Join Us Again
This was the sixth of eight in-person ChannelPro events planned for 2024, following Chicago, Orlando, Baltimore, Columbus, and DEFEND East in New Jersey.
Next up on the 2024 event schedule are two virtual events, plus — by popular demand — ChannelPro’s second cybersecurity-focused conference of the year:
- Sept. 17: ChannelPro Product Round-Up: Driving MSP Profits with Cutting Edge Products will be a virtual event. Powerful vendors Josys, CyberQP, and EnGenius highlight tools that can help MSPs see better margins. Reserve your spot now.
- Oct. 9-10: ChannelPro LIVE: Dallas with AI Insights Workshop offers MSPs businesses practical insights into leveraging artificial intelligence to boost profits, plus best practices, demonstrations, and lots of networking opportunities. Sign up here.
- Nov. 12-13: ChannelPro DEFEND West in the Los Angeles area provides two full days of cybersecurity-focused content workshops, sessions, demonstrations, and plenty of networking. See more details and then register today.
Don’t feel lost in the crowd!
Most channel industry events are massive and offer generic vendor pitches and session content. ChannelPro events have a regional focus and are designed to make you the star of the show. We welcome MSPs, MSSPs, IT consultants, VARs, and other channel professionals at our live events — free for qualified attendees. To learn more, visit the ChannelPro events page.
