Channel Partner Summits: Sometimes Less Is More
The VAR Guy certainly loves big, well-run channel partner conferences. But sometimes less is more. Two prime examples: The recent Kaspersky Lab North America Partner Conference and this week’s Sophos Partner Connections conference in Las Vegas. So what makes those two events unique compared to other channel partner conferences that The VAR Guy typically attends?
Simply put: Kaspersky and Sophos, rivals in the security software market, have built intimate events that involve no sponsors, no tech fairs, no fireworks. Instead…
- each morning typically involves a general session to review technology trends and partner program milestones.
- each afternoon typically involves breakout sessions running in parallel, focusing on new technologies, marketing and sales guidance. And those breakout sessions are repeated a few times on the agenda, so that attendees have multiple opportunities to sit in on key sessions.
- networking dinners and/or a networking event like golf.
That’s it. That’s the entire conference. And ya know what? It works.
Sure, The VAR Guy still loves massive and midsize channel events (see a complete list of channel partner conferences). But smaller events with agendas that fit on a single sheet of paper — indeed, no Event App necessary — offer a nice change of pace for attendees… and The VAR Guy.
