ChannelVision Brings CVx 2022 to Scottsdale
Bruce Wirt served as the keynote speaker. Find out what he said and learn more about the event.
ChannelVision held its first stand-alone event, CVx 2022, at Talking Stick Resort in Scottsdale, Ariz. For the last decade, the company has co-located with another conference brand. ChannelVision Magazine just turned 20 years old.
ChannelVision staff answer inquiries as the event kicks into high gear. On Nov. 2, attendees golfed and enjoyed a reception afterward.
Brad Dupee, head of channel development at Granite and board member of Telecom for Change, talks about the latter’s goal of raising $10,000 for the AZCyber Initiative. That’s a non-profit organization working to unlock career opportunities for Arizona students.
“Cybersecurity is going to be the gift that keeps on giving,” Dupee joked.
Do you follow the four Ps — purpose, passion, perseverance and positivity — of leadership? If you don’t, you’ll only benefit by shifting to that mindset. That was the message from Bruce Wirt, executive vice president and chief revenue officer of Telesystem. Wirt delivered the keynote speech on Nov. 3 before the ChannelVision expo hall opened.
Here are some takeaways from Wirt’s talk:
“Winning is only one part of being a leader.”
“Motivate the team you have.”
“Put people in the best position … to win,” knowing that “you can’t motivate everybody the same way.”
In his keynote, Wirt asserted that employers can teach skills, but they cannot instill purpose, passion, perseverance or positivity. All of that, he said, lies under each individual’s control. For people trying to define their purpose, Wirt recommended identifying something “higher than yourself.” For passion, consider what drives you.
“I care about leading and making people successful much more than I care about SD-WAN or cybersecurity or anything else,” Wirt said.
Along the way, recognize that while you might not love what you’re doing right now, it may serve as “a necessary step to get to the next level.” Perseverance helps here. And so does positivity — which, Wirt emphasized, does not mean being happy or agreeable all the time. Rather, positivity means being enthusiastic, supportive of others and optimistic.
The indirect channel is undergoing swift evolution. As such, some telecom partners might be struggling with positivity. Wirt addressed that.
“This is an industry that’s changing right now,” he said. Domains such as cybersecurity might feel harder to understand and sell than, say, circuits. “It’s different, so we have to change the way we think about things.”
All in all, though, if purpose and passion are not aligned, it’s time to have some hard conversations with oneself and the people around you, Wirt said.
CVx attendees stroll the hallway, lined with exhibiting vendors, just before lunch and the official opening of the show floor.
With highs in the mid-50s, clouds and a breeze to boot, these al fresco diners all get big kudos from Valley of the Sun dwellers who tend to turn to ice when the weather dips below 75 degrees.
CVx featured a hearty spread for lunch. From chicken, pulled pork and burgers to potato salad, coleslaw and leafy greens, there was something for everyone. And, of course, a tempting array of desserts to go with coffee.
CVx attendees streamed onto the show floor after it opened at noon.
The Nextiva booth commanded a large part of the entryway to the CVx show floor. Nextiva just hired Hilary Gadda from TPx Communications.
A CVx attendee plays virtual golf at the NHC booth.
Who doesn’t need a pick-me-up during trade shows? Buzz Theory, run by Channel Futures alum Khali Henderson, always comes through with the caffeine hit.
It’s time to sit and talk shop in comfort, just like these CVx vendors and attendees are doing at Astound Wholesale’s lounge area. Astound formed earlier this year with the combination of five regional cable providers: RCN, Grande, Wave, enTouch and Digital West.
We snuck up on the Telesystem crew, even though Bruce Wirt had already left for the airport. Incidentally, Telesystem just bought Threat Protector, a cybersecurity startup.
CVx attendees stop at the Snom booth during the lunch break. Snom specializes in voice over IP communications
The conversations ramped up as people finished lunch and got down to business.
The folks at Jenne take questions about the distributor’s offerings. The company in September gave partners access to Aryaka’s SD-WAN and SASE platforms.
Telarus recently bought TelAdvocate Communications, a move that was likely to pique CVx attendees’ interest. Telarus says it now ranks as the largest technology solutions brokerage in the channel.
Aircall was on hand at CVx 2022. The company has been diving deep into contact center solutions this year.
We couldn’t resist a little artistic license when we left Talking Stick on Thursday. The desert provides a great backdrop for events like CVx.
We couldn’t resist a little artistic license when we left Talking Stick on Thursday. The desert provides a great backdrop for events like CVx.
ChannelVision Magazine held its first stand-alone event, CVx 2022, this week in Scottsdale, Arizona. The conference and expo featured a range of well-known names in the indirect channel, drawing people from all over the country. CVx 2022 tackled topics including sales empowerment, security, SD-WAN, managed services and more. There also was a golf tournament on Nov. 2 and a cybersecurity mini boot camp on Nov. 4. Channel Futures caught up with the CVx happenings on Thursday, Nov. 3.
Click through the gallery above for photos and commentary on the event.
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