Networking isn't always effective, but when it is, MSPs benefit in the long run. They typically end up generating more business, finding new opportunities and educating themselves on emerging industry trends, which benefits not only them but their customers.
To help MSPs grow in their respective vertical and geographic markets, channel vendors, associations and publications offer a variety of networking opportunities throughout the year, but just attending conferences isn’t enough.
MSPs must participate and be willing to push their boundaries.
We have updated the list of events in June 2020, as many of the conferences were moved online due to the pandemic situation.
Why channel conferences are one of the best places to network
While many people, in general, don’t enjoy networking, it’s typically necessary for business owners looking to grow their businesses and expand their knowledge on the industries they work in day in and day out. (You might also want to check other Marketing Strategies for Growing MSPs.)
With so many ways to network nowadays, we oftentimes forget about one of the oldest ways to connect with other human beings — in person.
We’ve grown so accustomed to communicating with one another behind our devices. We now typically find ourselves choosing the path of least resistance whenever it comes to networking with our peers. It’s laziness at its finest. (There’s no doubt about it.) To change this behavior and improve the likelihood of fostering new relationships, we must first put ourselves in situations where we’re forced to interact with total strangers. What better way to do that than attend channel conferences?
When attending channel conferences, you put yourself in uncomfortable situations, but you learn to adapt. There are networking receptions, dinners and most importantly, educational sessions.
In this package, you will get five guides helping to create marketing strategies and tips on:
- Dealing with on-site SEO
- Creating web advertising properly
- Email chains for MSPs
- Content marketing for an MSP blog
- Social media marketing
Educational sessions at channel conferences are paramount to your success
MSP owners often find themselves heads down in their businesses. They become so consumed with managing daily operations they forget to reassess how they’re going to tackle the challenges in their industry. When this happens, these MSPs remain stagnant, and eventually, they end up failing.
Continuing education is how you stay ahead as an MSP. As you know, the tech space is constantly evolving. If you’re not up to date on emerging issues, you’re doing a disservice to your customers. Remember: They hired you to protect their businesses in an increasingly complex threat landscape. You should do everything in your power to find the time to educate yourself on how you can better serve not only them but their customers. It’s up to you to deliver results effectively.
Industry conferences typically offer attendees days packed with educational sessions on emerging topics impacting the future of MSPs. While networking is one of the main reasons why people attend conferences, don’t forget to take advantage of the sessions made available to you.
Our industry’s events provide plenty of opportunities for you to evolve as a business owner.
List of channel events to consider if you want to get ahead of your competitors
While there are plenty of channel events to consider for next year, there’s a short list of conferences you must attend if you want to stay ahead of your competitors.
Despite the fact that 2020 has caused a change in plans for all of us, you can still attend online MSP events and receive valuable knowledge and information for growing your business.
Here is the list of MSP events in 2020 (updated on 6/22/20):
1. OFFLINE: ITEXPO (February 12-14, 2020)
2. OFFLINE: MSPExpo (February 12-14, 2020)
3. ONLINE: IT Sales and Marketing Boot Camp (April 8-11, 2020)
4. ONLINE: IT Nation Explore 2020 (June 23-26, 2020)
5. ONLINE: Channel Pro SMB Forum 2020 (July 8-9, 2020, Raleigh; September 2-3, 2020, Boston; November 4-5, 2020, Los Angeles)
6. ONLINE: SMB Techfest (July 16, 2020)
7. ONLINE: ASCII’s SMB IT Success Summit ‘20 hosts the MSP Connect Live virtual networking event on July 22-23, 2020
8. ONLINE: CompTIA ChannelCon 2020 (August 4-6, 2020)
9. ONLINE: SpiceWorld 2020 (September 15-17, 2020)
10. ONLINE: GlueX 2020 (September 27-29, 2020)
11. OFFLINE: MSP World 2020 (September 30-October 2, 2020)
12. OFFLINE: DattoCon 2020 (The event in Atlanta is postponed; October 5-7, 2020, Berlin, Germany)
13. OFFLINE: IT Nation Connect 2020 (November 11-13, 2020)
You’re not simply exchanging ideas when networking. You’re building for the future. The relationships you develop when networking can help you with taking your business to the next level. If you’re not networking, you’re not actively searching for business opportunities — putting not only the health of your business at risk but your livelihood.
- White-label managed backup sell-sheet
- Powerful customer sales presentation
- 2 promo email templates for selling Backup-as-a-Service
