Regional Events Encourage Business Growth Planning

Training and education are very similar to politics: pay attention to what’s happening close to home and you’ll do well in your career. Travel to remote event locations can require a significant investment of your company’s time and money; even more so when several employees are along for the trip. If it’s difficult (or impossible) for you to get away for the quality training you need and the industry networking opportunities you desire, check out events that are a short drive or flight away.

In no way am I implying that the larger national events aren’t important. In fact, the networking and vendor access at the major conferences can be extremely beneficial to an IT providers’ long-term business growth. Meeting face to face with other executives and manufacturers, as well as a geographically diverse group of peers, allows you to keep up to date on the latest industry offerings and trends. IT channel events are where many companies develop their business strategy and decide which course will help them accomplish their goals. Whether big or small, each meeting or workshop serves a purpose.  

I’ve had the pleasure of attending just about every IT conference there is over the past several years and encountered a number of VARs and MSPs that attribute a significant part of their success to these industry events. Whether it was additional revenue from a new channel program or technology offering, or a major business improvement they made after a training class, many providers return home with something that helps their organization. Many attendees set a conference goal each time; discovering a valuable tool, course or offering that will help their business and justify the time and expense of the trip. For example, Oli Thordarson of Alvaka Networks makes it a point to return to the office with at least one actionable item from each conference; something he can implement to improve his portfolio or business practices. That focus has likely been a factor in the phenomenal growth of his MSP organization!

Each CompTIA event is a channel-specific experience, focused on helping technology businesses like yours prosper and build for the future. Seattle will be the setting for this week’s Regional Workshop (November 11^th): a one-day workshop in which each attendee will develop his own company’s business plan— on site with the guidance of an experienced professional! Creating a future plan is a challenging task when you’re involved in the day to day operations of your business. This Mastering Business Strategy and Execution workshop is designed to take away your daily distractions, and help you generate sound ideas that take your organization to the next level. If you’re in the Seattle area, check out the details and register today to take advantage of the program. You’ll save yourself some time and money as well…