My next business trip is to Datto Partner Conference (Sept. 10-13, Washington, D.C.). This is the backup and disaster recovery company's first dedicated partner summit. I suspect 250 or so MSPs (managed services providers) will be on hand. So what exactly do I expect to hear and see at the conference? Here are three key themes to keep in mind…

1. Familiar Names, New Faces: In addition to CEO Austin McChord and the established Datto executive team, recent hire Rob Rae — VP, business development — will be on hand. Rae, a Level Platforms veteran, joined Datto several weeks ago. It's safe to expect Rae to mix plenty of business conversations — sales, marketing, compliance — into the agenda…

2. Technology Roadmap: Datto now has five solutions for partners — SIRIS, SIRIS Lite, ALTO, G Series and Genesis. Where are each of those offerings heading next? "Austin is an innovator," Rae asserted during a call last week. "And I think you'll see the latest examples of that at then conference."

3. Sales and Marketing Expertise: Ryan Morris, the IPED and UBM Channel veteran, will be on hand to share some sales, marketing and business development expertise. Morris logs more frequent flier miles than just about anyone in the IT channel. If you haven't had a chance to see him present make sure you circle this session on your agenda.

Bonus – Compliance: If you're not familiar with compliance regulations and the potential implications/opportunities for MSPs in the backup market, then it's time to get educated. A range of MSP-focused software companies — Datto, GFI Software, Intronis and more — are working to educate MSPs about the changing regulatory landscape. The latest issue: The HIPAA Omnibus regulation kicks in Sept. 23, 2013…

If you're heading to the conference and want to catch up, feel free to send me email (joe.panettieri [at] penton.com), post a comment or find me on Google Plus.