Logicalis Sharpens Focus on U.S. Managed Services Market
Logicalis, a $1 billion managed services provider based in the United Kingdom, continues to expand its North American efforts. To wit, the company is set to host a how-to cloud and managed services event in Cincinnati, Ohio on October 13. The planned gathering shows how large MSPs are taking their message directly to customers in face-to-face settings. For small MSPs, it's a healthy reminder that you need to stay in front of customers as larger rivals seek to expand their footprints.
The Logicalis event invite certainly is filled with the usual buzzwords. According to invite:
Logicalis, Inc., an international provider of integrated information and communications technology (ICT) solutions and services, will host an event that details the ways in which cloud, managed services, outsourcing and ITSM strategies can be used to deliver real-world business results for today’s – and tomorrow’s – new economy.
Also of note: A Forrester Research analyst is set to keynote the event — a potential signal that Logicalis has set aside a healthy budget for its face-to-face communications. And Logicalis has promised to ensure the event includes whiteboard sessions with "technology specialists who can help [attendees] map out an innovative strategy that lowers IT costs and increases business efficiencies."
I'll take an interactive whiteboard discussion over a PowerPoint sales pitch any day.
Will the Logicalis event attract and engage existing customers and prospects? Either way, smaller MSPs should watch events like this closely. As MSPs prepare their 2011 budgets, I wonder how many of them will set aside money for lunch-and-learns.
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This is the only way to demonstrate value in a “public marketing event”. Our lunch ‘n learns are always focused on vendor-neutral educational content, where the people attending don’t feel like they are being sold a specific solution, and instead are being educated about general best practices to follow.
In our case, as a smaller company, we can’t afford to hire pricey industry analysts. But if we can get 25-50 really qualified buyers in a room for an hour to “participate” in an “interactive” educational session, then it works. Both from a new prospect introduction perspective as well as a new business opportunity perspective.
Joe: Please let me know when/where you host lunch ‘n learns. We’re on the road constantly and I’d be happy to swing by if the dates work.
-jp (joe [at] NineLivesMediaInc [dot] com)