Images: Channel Evolution Europe Featuring Avant, 8x8, Sophos, CenturyLink, More
Hundreds took part in two days of keynotes, VIP presentations, the expo hall, networking receptions, awards and more.
Joao Grisantes
As part of our Quick-Fire Showcase, Drew Lydecker, president and co-founder of Avant, Channel Evolution Europe’s title sponsor, shared insights on how partners can increase the value of their business tenfold by being a “trusted adviser” to clients.
Hint: Help customers evolve to next-gen solutions such as SD-WAN, UCaaS and cybersecurity.
We all know 5G’s arrival is close, but is there an opportunity yet for partners?
Ovum analyst Camille Mendler took to the keynote stage to discuss the state of investment in information communications and technology, particularly around new tech such as 5G. She offered scenarios and roles for partners in the emerging 5G world and discussed how partner businesses should respond to the evolving digital ecosystem.
Ovum is part of Informa, the parent company of Channel Partners and Channel Futures.
Attendees packed the keynote room for insights that they could take home to improve their businesses.
The famous Channel Partners pub crawl, a staple at our events in the States, made an appropriate debut in London, home to many of the finest pubs in the world.
Select vendors offered libations to consume as partners networked with vendor representatives.
That’s Jose Campos (left) and Sean Kane of IntelePeer talking up a partner attendee in the expo hall.
IntelePeer, a premier sponsor, also hosted a VIP session dedicated to “Conquering Your Digital Transformation Strategy Step by Step, Day by Day.”
Cloud and UC provider 8×8 (a signature sponsor) reps discuss strategy at their stand in the expo hall.
Mugging for the camera in the expo hall are, left to right, Telarus’ Patrick Oborn, and CenturyLink’s (a signature sponsor) Phil Masterman and Marc Svitak.
GoTo by LogMeIn, an exhibitor and premier sponsor, hosted a VIP session for prospective partners.
That’s Mike Sharp, LogMeIn’s chief product officer, unified communications and collaboration business unit, addressing attendees.
In SolarWinds’ VIP session, Jan Gerzinus Jongsma, director of sales engineering for SolarWinds MSP, the IT service management provider, covered how selling data protection is a path to profit and customer satisfaction.
Attendees walked away with a sense of how a data protection solution designed for efficiency for today’s MSPs is a big step up from traditional image-based backup products.
Here, Mark Copeman, author and producer, Helpdesk Habits, leads an education session dubbed “Tiny Changes, Massive Impact” in our business strategy conference track.
Copeman explained how to put the “human” back into your business, why changes in behavior rarely stick, and five habits you can use now to make a real impact on your business.
Helpdesk Habits is a provider of customer service video training and certification.
That’s Meredith Caram, vice president of global distribution at Intrado (formerly West), participating in the UCaaS Thunderdome, a popular feature in our U.S. shows that we brought to Europe.
Thunderdomes feature competing vendors explaining to attendees why their solution is better than their rivals’, with tough questions coming from inquisitors.
Talkdesk, 8×8, RingCentral and CallCorp also participated. The session was led by moderator Bryan Reynolds of master agent TBI.
A Channel Partners event wouldn’t be an event without a top-notch awards program.
The inaugural Channel Evolution Europe was home to the debut of the EP51 (European Partner 51) awards, recognizing 51 of the top partners in – you guessed it – Europe.
These awards are committed to recognizing the best in ICT excellence, open to partners of any stripe, including VARs, system integrators, ICT service providers, telecom agents and technology consultants.
Pictured above is honoree Todd McQuilkin (left), CEO of Air IT, accepting his award from Kris Blackmon, senior content director, Channel Futures and Channel Partners.
How can MSPs make an impact through innovation?
That was the question Des Lekerman, CEO of TiG Data Intelligence, the provider of data analytics and insights for businesses, set out to answer during his time on the keynote stage.
Identify a gap in the market, find the right team and know when the timing is right to take a risk, Lekerman said.
That’s Peter MacKenzie, incident response team leader at Sophos, the cybersecurity company, delivering a keynote on the risk ransomware poses to partner businesses.
That’s right: Savvy malicious hackers have discovered they can hack your systems and get the information about your clients rather than pursuing them one by one.
MacKenzie explained what you can do to keep from being your customers’ biggest vulnerability in 2020.
Businesses are transforming into a new digital age. That’s why we brought together some key vendors who have successfully navigated some rough waters to get where they are today, offering lessons you can apply to your own business.
Panelists in our panel, “Pivotal Pivots: Shifts that Reshaped Tech Companies and Their Technologies,” included (foreground to background) Vonage‘s Mario DeRiggi, SolarWinds Passportal‘s Colin Knox and IntelePeer‘s Robert Galop.
Not pictured is LogMeIn’s Mike Sharp. The moderator was Kris Blackmon, senior content director, Channel Partners and Channel Futures.
Title sponsor Avant set up a lounge where prospective partners could meet with some of the top providers in the master agent’s lineup.
RingCentral (a signature sponsor), the cloud-based communications and collaboration company, made its presence felt in the expo hall.
This giant digital video display from Vonage, a premier sponsor, was hard to miss.
Vonage is a business cloud communications provider.
This giant digital video display from Vonage, a premier sponsor, was hard to miss.
Vonage is a business cloud communications provider.
The inaugural Channel Evolution Europe (CEE), Dec. 2-3, in London, is in the books, and what a debut event it was.
Hundreds of attendees took part in two days of keynotes, VIP presentations, the expo hall, networking receptions, awards and more.
Some highlights:
The debut of the EP51 (European Partner 51) awards, recognizing some of the very best MSPs, telco agents, VARs, SIs and tech consultants across Europe.
Keynotes and education sessions dedicated to a wide range of technologies and business-strategy topics.
An expo hall featuring three-dozen key vendors, distributors and master agents.
Backed by title sponsor Avant Communications, the event also featured industry titans such as LogMeIn, IntelePeer, ScanSource, SolarWinds and Vonage (premier sponsors); 8×8, CenturyLink, RingCentral and Talkdesk (signature sponsors); and Intrado, Masergy and Mitel (featured sponsors). All of these companies and 20+ more set up shop to meet with existing and prospective partners.
Scroll through the slideshow above to relive the event or see what you missed. No doubt you’ll soon be planning your visit to CEE in 2020.
Photos by Joao Grisantes
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