From shark judges to cosplay-style costuming, channel sales and marketing expert Robin Robins’ MSP Boot Camp goes beyond content to create unforgettable, results-driven experiences year after year.
More than just another channel conference, her flagship event — the annual IT Sales and Marketing Boot Camp — is known for its high-impact mix of inspiration, strategy, and spectacle. Robins, CEO and founder of Technology Marketing Toolkit (TMT), describes the effort as “edutainment.” It’s a formula that’s drawn thousands of MSPs each year, not just for tactical advice but for a fun, full-scale mindset shift.
Robin Robins
For more than two decades, Robins has helped IT service providers stop spinning their wheels and start growing with intention. Her programs, frameworks, and no-nonsense guidance have helped countless MSPs surpass milestones they once thought were out of reach. The Boot Camp — this year taking place April 22-24 in Dallas — is the centerpiece of that mission.
This year’s theme, “Robin Robins and The Marketing Factory,” adds a playful Willy Wonka-inspired twist to the experience. But instead of chocolate bars or everlasting gobstoppers, attendees are promised “profitable campaigns, processes, and strategies that produce high-value clients, sweet profits, and golden opportunities.”
Here, Robins shares some of the biggest takeaways MSPs can glean from her events.
1. Experience > Information
Robins makes it clear: MSPs don’t attend Boot Camp just to learn. “They’re there for an experience,” she said. “When you are having a good experience, you are actually in a better mindset to learn.”
She shared data from her Rapid Implementation Workshop that shows in-person attendees gain dramatically more value. “On average, they add over $240,000 in new business within a 90-day period,” she said. “When we did it virtually during [the Covid-19 pandemic], that number dropped to under $10,000. Same content. The only difference was the experience.”
2. The Environment Drives Impact
In 2024, Boot Camp was themed “International Master of Marketing,” based on the Austin Powers movie franchise.
Getting out of the office is a game-changer, according to Robins, and not just because it offers a change of scenery. “The hallway conversations, the talks you have at the bar late at night — that experience cannot be underestimated,” she said. “When you leave and go somewhere else, it fosters creativity. You’re able to be more relaxed, and you’re more willing to receive the information.”
That the shift in environment helps MSPs break out of their routines and mental ruts, she noted. It opens them to new ideas and better focus. “You’re not thinking about, ‘I’ve got to take the kids here,’ and, ‘I’ve got to walk the dog,’” Robins said. “You’re able to be more relaxed.”
For MSPs feeling stuck in reactive mode, Boot Camp offers a motivational jolt along with a framework for action.
3. Memorable Moments, Maximum Value
Robins recalled several standout Boot Camp moments that blended inspiration and entertainment. Among her favorites: Shark Tank stars Daymond John, Robert Herjavec, and Kevin O’Leary judged the Better Your Best contest on stage. Five of Robins’ clients stood up in front of an audience of 1,300–1,400 to discuss their journeys as they competed to be a TMT ambassador.
“People relate to the person standing on stage. They think, ‘They’re just Joe Blow average business owner MSP, like me,'” Robins recalled.
Attendees come away with plenty of memories.
That experience is entertaining, informative, and valuable — and something they remember long after the event, she added.
4. Immersion Fuels Implementation
Theatrics, theme music, costumes, even over-the-top props might seem like entertainment. But for Robins, it’s all by design. “We’re creating a full experience that makes people remember what they learned and feel motivated to act on it,” she said.
By blending education with storytelling and sensory engagement, Boot Camp attendees aren’t just hearing best practices, they’re living them. That emotional connection, Robins explained, helps break down resistance and builds confidence.
“You can’t have bad content and bad speakers,” she added. “But it’s also about collaborating with your peers and being part of something transformational.”
Her immersive, edutainment-first approach doesn’t just entertain—it helps MSPs retain lessons and return home ready to implement real change.
Boot Camp: A Blueprint for Long-term Growth
The annual event isn’t just about inspiration for Robins. She seeks to equip MSPs with a new way to think, sell, and scale. While the theme changes each year, the goal is the same: to help MSPs walk away with clarity, confidence, and a game plan they can put into action.
That’s why the event blends high-energy moments with practical frameworks, expert coaching, and peer-driven insights, she explained. “It has to be transformational, otherwise, it’s just entertainment.”
Part of ensuring that effectiveness involves consistently raising the bar, she added. “I’m always challenging myself to do something new, exciting, and fresh,” Robins admitted. “That is exhausting — and it is exciting at the same time.”
Whether they’re just starting out or trying to break past growth plateaus, attendees leave Boot Camp with more than notes — they leave with momentum.
Images: Technology Marketing Toolkit, Joel Zaidspiner
