What a week - and a very well done one at that. My hats off to the team that made this week possible - Pam, Julia, Deanna and all the rest. Been attending this event now for 8 years and this was hands down the best one ever. Hard to imagine it continuing to get better each year - but somehow it has and I am very thankful for the many hours and days and months that are put in to making the experience so valuable and enjoyable.
That really is a trick - making it valuable - but also keeping it enjoyable. There was lots of content this week - maybe a bit too much as there was really no way to figure out which of the hundreds of sessions to attend. I was involved in presenting in three, and the crowds were a bit light considering how many folks were in attendance. But having lots of choice was obvious and there was something available for everyone. If you didn't get value from the content - it was definitely your fault.
For me - the week is all about relationships. And it really is based around community. My week started actually ahead of the official open of WPC - with the SMB IPAB - a partner advisory board made up of folks worldwide who are focused on serving small business. We had a great day together tackling issues that are specific to our businesses. Danielle, Mark, Turi and team have given us a great community to be part of as we carry the torch for the SMB partners. I have grown to appreciate the partners in our group very much - and appreciate that community.
Each morning I had devotions with a group of partners and took some time to get out of the chaos to get grounded and focused on what matters. We have been doing devotions daily for the last three years, and while a small group of 10-12 show up, that community is critical to keeping me focused and on track all week. We shouldn't turn off our spiritual walk just because we leave the office. Besides - a 7AM devotional time keeps people from staying out too late!
Of course attending any conference is more fun when you know folks and are part of community together. I can honestly say that part of the reason I enjoy WPC so much is that I get to meet with fellow members of HTG who are all over the place. Our orange and green shirts make it pretty easy to find one another (except for the folks from the Netherlands who seem to like orange too). Had a couple great dinners with the HTG folks and enjoyed every interaction. But it is very different going to WPC today compared to 8 years ago when I knew no one. Those were some lonely days - but motivated me to become involved in community.
SBSC may not have been center stage this year - but definitely had a presence with the yellow lounge and other places. Lots of relationships from that community which are valuable and makes it easier to feel part of this mass of people moving around WPC. Those friendships may only be renewed once a year, but it is awesome to be part of that community. Hats off to those who helped keep SBSC through the MPN transistion. Community matters, and SBSC really has an important mission. Probably does need a bit of a facelift - but there is a passionate set of partners on that advisory council that are committed to help drive it to the next level.
Last but not least for me - is the Microsoft employee community. I am blessed to know literally hundreds of folks who go to work every day for Microsoft. And they are just plain good people. We talk some business - but in most of my conversations - we also talk some life. Often we partners forget that folks who work for Microsoft or any vendor for that matter - are not the enemy - they are folks just like us that are trying to make ends meet at the end of the month. They have personal struggles and fight the same battles we do. Rather than spend time beating on them for a few bucks or trying to drive a point of margin out of the deal - how about asking them how they and their family are doing? How about treating them like the real partner they are? We lose sight of why we are in business some days. For me anyway, it is not just about making another buck. It is about living life with folks in a way that adds value to their life. It is about understanding their problems and struggles and offering any help I can give. It is about being a go giver rather than a taker. All in all I find the Microsoft people to be wonderful folks that want the same things we all do - life, love and happiness. They aren't out to take advantage of anyone - they just want to do their job and pay their mortgage like you and me.
So WPC has been a wonderful week. It doesn't just happen and serving on the WPC PEB has been an eye opener for me this year. I have been blessed to be part of a community of partners and a Microsoft team that are passionate about delivering unbelievable value to all attendees. That really is the bottom line. This event - all 14,000 plus - is all about people. The WPC team gets that and works hard to meet every one of those attendee needs. But as attendees, we need to also be part of serving one another and making sure that everyone who attends is not alone, left out, or lost in the chaos. It is all about people and relationships. I hope everyone has made some new friends this week. I sure have, and look forward to connecting and then coming next year to participate in LA as part of an even bigger community! Thanks Microsoft - for an awesome week!
Showing posts with label WPC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label WPC. Show all posts
Friday, July 16, 2010
Monday, July 12, 2010
WPC Day One
I am in Washington DC to attend the most important vendor event of the year - Microsoft's WPC. The attendance is touted at 14,000, and there certainly are a lot of folks here. Not bad considering the registration fee was $1795 for the four day event plus hotel and travel. For many, who come overseas for the week, this is a pricey event to attend. But it is worth every penny from my perspective. There is no other event one can attend where you can get access to as many people in one spot with a very well designed way to connect - called ironically WPC Connect. A decent web portal to create appointments and hundreds of tables that are assigned to enable people to connect the old fashioned way - communication between four eyes. In this day of social media, email, and cell phones - talking to one another face to face is sort of a treat. And the way I spend my week here is taking advantage of that very opportunity - making as many face to face, eyeball to eyeball, connections as I can fit in.
I have to admit I skip the keynote addresses - they are recorded and available online. Plus the bloggers, tweeters, and media do a great job letting me know what was said. I have gotten over the need to sit with 10,000 of my closest friends to watch demos and hear execs give a glimpse of the future. It is valuable information - I certainly don't ignore it - but from a time use perspective - I am going to use the time to be face to face with people.
Today's key messages can be defined in one word: CLOUD. Microsoft has been talking about the cloud for at least three or four years. It is coming, it is real, and I certainly don't believe we should stick our heads in the sand and pretend it doesn't exist. It does and it will impact how we do business. Ballmer is quoted as saying: "We’ve been shouting about cloud for about four years but 2010 is the year when the opportunity and transition to the cloud is absolutely clear." The message has been coming for some time. Had we moved four years ago we would be doing something differently for a living right now. I agree it is slowly progressing. But it is still a very immature technology in terms of how it fits in a VAR business model.
My major question is how a partner who still makes a significant amount of margin from implementation of solutions including hardware and software sales can make the transition. I am yet to see how we can take our 16M business - about half of the margin coming from selling hardware, and half from managed and project services - and generate that on 6% BPOS margins. Do you know how many $10 per user sales at 6% margin it takes to generate the replacement margin to keep our company in business? It is millions of users. Sure in three years we are all good. I can do the math and see that there is a point at which the cloud model actually becomes more profitable. But how do I make payroll for the three year transiton? Do I just stop doing payroll while we make the change? When I checked last with my staff if they love coming to work enough to come if I stop paying them - the answer was no.
Any time there is a disruptive technology it creates opportunity. That has been the case the dozens of times we have re-engineered our companies as VAR's over the past few decades. And it has been the history of our industry - we will again find a way to make the transition and stay relevant and in business. But it isn't going to be a shift from our current state to a new world of cloud overnight. There are lots of reasons that doesn't even work technologically, let alone financially. So the hype is a bit over the top. VAR's own the last mile of the customer relationship. VAR's will decide when the transition to cloud occurs in the SMB. The real need to move this along is to create transition models that enable VAR's to create business models that enable that transition. New technical skills, a need to become sales organizations, marketing and pipeline growth, and many other areas have to be addressed for us to make that change.
So thanks for continuing to push us along Microsoft. We are moving, not at your speed probably, but the more you help us figure out how to transition successfully, the faster we will embrace the model and make cloud the thing 2o1o is remembered for.
I have to admit I skip the keynote addresses - they are recorded and available online. Plus the bloggers, tweeters, and media do a great job letting me know what was said. I have gotten over the need to sit with 10,000 of my closest friends to watch demos and hear execs give a glimpse of the future. It is valuable information - I certainly don't ignore it - but from a time use perspective - I am going to use the time to be face to face with people.
Today's key messages can be defined in one word: CLOUD. Microsoft has been talking about the cloud for at least three or four years. It is coming, it is real, and I certainly don't believe we should stick our heads in the sand and pretend it doesn't exist. It does and it will impact how we do business. Ballmer is quoted as saying: "We’ve been shouting about cloud for about four years but 2010 is the year when the opportunity and transition to the cloud is absolutely clear." The message has been coming for some time. Had we moved four years ago we would be doing something differently for a living right now. I agree it is slowly progressing. But it is still a very immature technology in terms of how it fits in a VAR business model.
My major question is how a partner who still makes a significant amount of margin from implementation of solutions including hardware and software sales can make the transition. I am yet to see how we can take our 16M business - about half of the margin coming from selling hardware, and half from managed and project services - and generate that on 6% BPOS margins. Do you know how many $10 per user sales at 6% margin it takes to generate the replacement margin to keep our company in business? It is millions of users. Sure in three years we are all good. I can do the math and see that there is a point at which the cloud model actually becomes more profitable. But how do I make payroll for the three year transiton? Do I just stop doing payroll while we make the change? When I checked last with my staff if they love coming to work enough to come if I stop paying them - the answer was no.
Any time there is a disruptive technology it creates opportunity. That has been the case the dozens of times we have re-engineered our companies as VAR's over the past few decades. And it has been the history of our industry - we will again find a way to make the transition and stay relevant and in business. But it isn't going to be a shift from our current state to a new world of cloud overnight. There are lots of reasons that doesn't even work technologically, let alone financially. So the hype is a bit over the top. VAR's own the last mile of the customer relationship. VAR's will decide when the transition to cloud occurs in the SMB. The real need to move this along is to create transition models that enable VAR's to create business models that enable that transition. New technical skills, a need to become sales organizations, marketing and pipeline growth, and many other areas have to be addressed for us to make that change.
So thanks for continuing to push us along Microsoft. We are moving, not at your speed probably, but the more you help us figure out how to transition successfully, the faster we will embrace the model and make cloud the thing 2o1o is remembered for.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Can't Miss Events for 2010
We are just about a month from the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference, and I thought it would be a good time to remind you why events like this are so important to us as partners. I wrote an original post on this topic in 2009, and have updated my thinking here based on my focused role as CEO now. There are only a few events on my “cannot miss” list any more:
1. Quarterly HTG meetings
2. ConnectWise Partner Summit
3. Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference
4. CompTIA Breakaway
Certainly there are a number of other quality events that occur in the channel each year, but to be honest, if I don’t pick and choose I will be attending an event or two every week. And as my role has matured, it has become more important to select the events that will make the largest impact on our company from my seat as CEO. There is a real cost, and a significant opportunity cost to be out of the office, on the road attending events. So why are these my picks and what has changed?
First, let’s talk about roles and how that should impact the events we attend. From my perspective – there is a vast difference between the role of CEO and President/GM. I am finally figuring that out. The CEO role should be heavily focused outside the company – on relationships and industry – externally looking. The President or GM is more internally focused and responsible for the day to day management. CEO’s are strategic while President’s are responsible. Those differences should drive the types of events we attend. Another role we have within companies as they grow is managers. These are the folks who carry out the tasks and make sure the work gets done. They own execution and need to be in the weeds figuring out how to make it happen. As a CEO I stay out of the weeds as much as I can. That is not where I belong.
That said I realize that maybe as many as 90% of the people reading this post don’t have the model of CEO and President as roles split between different people. I know that the singled-bodied CEO/President/GM has to serve many masters. As we celebrate our 25th anniversary at HTS, we have finally moved to a place where we have a different person responsible for strategy vs. operations. I remember all too well how it was when I went to events as the lone leader with strategic and operational focus. So understand – my focus is now from the seat of strategy – that of a CEO.
I have really not spent any time attending operational meetings for a while now. It didn’t fit my job role even as President. That is where we need to start as we determine how to make investments in meeting attendance. I may be unpopular with some because of these views. Everyone wants to attend every meeting. Every meeting sponsor wants you at their event. But it just doesn’t make sense to do them all. So what will I be doing for the balance of 2010?
HTG quarterly meetings are the backbone of my community involvement. At those meetings each quarter I get updated on our business. Connie now owns the responsibility to prepare and present as President but I try to sit in and check out the benchmarking numbers that show how we did relative to the group we participate in, HTG as a whole, and the industry. This also gives me a big batch of fresh ideas to evaluate, as well as a quick pulse on the industry and marketplace which is becoming increasingly important for my role of strategic leader. I also am able to bounce ideas off the best and brightest about pending business model hurdles and required changes – like the cloud – a sort of think tank environment to help solidify thoughts and directions because of deep relationships and an environment that is tailored for those kinds of activities. The days spent at HTG are the best investment I can make in terms of working on my business from a strategic vantage point.
One of the new wrinkles for HTG this year has been the CEO Forum where a handful of companies are gathering every 6 months to focus solely on strategy and the role of CEO. Our next meeting is next week in Denver – and we will be diving deep in to strategic planning and preparation for the next big thing in our industry. I find the chance to sit in a room with 18 brilliant other CEO’s as stimulating and valuable as it gets.
Since ConnectWise is the platform we run our business on, attending their partner summit is a no brainer. There is no one single thing that can impact my business as deeply and quickly as tweaks made to the PSA tool we use. So attending their event, rubbing shoulders with the other users there, and learning how to get the most from that product is a great investment of time. But realize that my time is spent primarily in advisory council, presentation, vendor meetings, press and other modes – while we have other members of the HTS team there focusing on the actual utilization of the product. ConnectWise is the operating system of our business, and I need to be close to all aspects of that eco system to assure success in our business. We need to have a strategic relationship with the company on as many levels as possible as no other part of our infrastructure has the impact that ConnectWise has.
Microsoft WPC – the next large scale event I will attend – is all about building relationships broadly across a large organization. It would take weeks of time on campus in Redmond and airplanes flying back and forth across the country to be able to see and meet with the number of people I am able to connect with during 4 days at WPC. There is no other gathering where I can get access to the quantity of a vendor’s staff that Microsoft provides at WPC. Mornings allow access to executive keynotes that provide a roadmap for the future. Afternoons are filled with breakouts, but sprinkled in all of the open spots are one on one’s and small meetings with program managers, product folks, field team and a variety of others from Microsoft. If you just attend WPC for the content delivered from main stage and breakouts, it is a good value. But if you really take advantage of the time to connect with people, it is an unbelievable opportunity to build relationships with key people across that organization that can be fantastic resources for you to leverage and work with to grow your company.
CompTIA is a new focal point for me as I sit in the the role of CEO. CompTIA provides a lot of great content, but the reason I feel strongly the need to connect is all the things they focus on in an advocacy role for our industry. They are working in politics and thought leadership and will be a significant force in defining what the IT industry looks like. I want to be involved and part of that process. I see it as a significant part of strategy.
HP and SonicWALL are also key partners for HTS and thus on my list of must attend events except when they either don’t hold them or lay them over other events that are more strategic. This year SonicWALL has not held an event, and HP held theirs right on top of the HTG Summit so I skipped it in lieu of what I felt was far more important. That is happening more all the time which forces us to make choices and the need to change how we spend our time. And that is really the message of this blog – you have to really think about what you are going to invest your time in and not just attend an event because it is offered.
Distribution affinity groups like VTN are bubble meetings for me as a CEO, but must attend for those in the day to day roles within a company. I attended VTN for many years, but now have passed that torch to my management team in most cases today.
So the real question is – which events are on your “must attend” list? Mine has changed over the years as my company has grown and my role has changed. My advice is to take a hard look at what your job really entails for your company and then be sure to send the right people to the right events to get the information first hand they need to achieve their job success. Sometimes, often in fact, that is not likely you. I realize it is hard for many to send an employee to a conference or training. Who will monitor them and make sure they are actually doing what they are supposed to? How can I be sure they won’t sleep in or make the company look bad? You can’t know, but if you hired the right people that is not an issue.
1. Quarterly HTG meetings
2. ConnectWise Partner Summit
3. Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference
4. CompTIA Breakaway
Certainly there are a number of other quality events that occur in the channel each year, but to be honest, if I don’t pick and choose I will be attending an event or two every week. And as my role has matured, it has become more important to select the events that will make the largest impact on our company from my seat as CEO. There is a real cost, and a significant opportunity cost to be out of the office, on the road attending events. So why are these my picks and what has changed?
First, let’s talk about roles and how that should impact the events we attend. From my perspective – there is a vast difference between the role of CEO and President/GM. I am finally figuring that out. The CEO role should be heavily focused outside the company – on relationships and industry – externally looking. The President or GM is more internally focused and responsible for the day to day management. CEO’s are strategic while President’s are responsible. Those differences should drive the types of events we attend. Another role we have within companies as they grow is managers. These are the folks who carry out the tasks and make sure the work gets done. They own execution and need to be in the weeds figuring out how to make it happen. As a CEO I stay out of the weeds as much as I can. That is not where I belong.
That said I realize that maybe as many as 90% of the people reading this post don’t have the model of CEO and President as roles split between different people. I know that the singled-bodied CEO/President/GM has to serve many masters. As we celebrate our 25th anniversary at HTS, we have finally moved to a place where we have a different person responsible for strategy vs. operations. I remember all too well how it was when I went to events as the lone leader with strategic and operational focus. So understand – my focus is now from the seat of strategy – that of a CEO.
I have really not spent any time attending operational meetings for a while now. It didn’t fit my job role even as President. That is where we need to start as we determine how to make investments in meeting attendance. I may be unpopular with some because of these views. Everyone wants to attend every meeting. Every meeting sponsor wants you at their event. But it just doesn’t make sense to do them all. So what will I be doing for the balance of 2010?
HTG quarterly meetings are the backbone of my community involvement. At those meetings each quarter I get updated on our business. Connie now owns the responsibility to prepare and present as President but I try to sit in and check out the benchmarking numbers that show how we did relative to the group we participate in, HTG as a whole, and the industry. This also gives me a big batch of fresh ideas to evaluate, as well as a quick pulse on the industry and marketplace which is becoming increasingly important for my role of strategic leader. I also am able to bounce ideas off the best and brightest about pending business model hurdles and required changes – like the cloud – a sort of think tank environment to help solidify thoughts and directions because of deep relationships and an environment that is tailored for those kinds of activities. The days spent at HTG are the best investment I can make in terms of working on my business from a strategic vantage point.
One of the new wrinkles for HTG this year has been the CEO Forum where a handful of companies are gathering every 6 months to focus solely on strategy and the role of CEO. Our next meeting is next week in Denver – and we will be diving deep in to strategic planning and preparation for the next big thing in our industry. I find the chance to sit in a room with 18 brilliant other CEO’s as stimulating and valuable as it gets.
Since ConnectWise is the platform we run our business on, attending their partner summit is a no brainer. There is no one single thing that can impact my business as deeply and quickly as tweaks made to the PSA tool we use. So attending their event, rubbing shoulders with the other users there, and learning how to get the most from that product is a great investment of time. But realize that my time is spent primarily in advisory council, presentation, vendor meetings, press and other modes – while we have other members of the HTS team there focusing on the actual utilization of the product. ConnectWise is the operating system of our business, and I need to be close to all aspects of that eco system to assure success in our business. We need to have a strategic relationship with the company on as many levels as possible as no other part of our infrastructure has the impact that ConnectWise has.
Microsoft WPC – the next large scale event I will attend – is all about building relationships broadly across a large organization. It would take weeks of time on campus in Redmond and airplanes flying back and forth across the country to be able to see and meet with the number of people I am able to connect with during 4 days at WPC. There is no other gathering where I can get access to the quantity of a vendor’s staff that Microsoft provides at WPC. Mornings allow access to executive keynotes that provide a roadmap for the future. Afternoons are filled with breakouts, but sprinkled in all of the open spots are one on one’s and small meetings with program managers, product folks, field team and a variety of others from Microsoft. If you just attend WPC for the content delivered from main stage and breakouts, it is a good value. But if you really take advantage of the time to connect with people, it is an unbelievable opportunity to build relationships with key people across that organization that can be fantastic resources for you to leverage and work with to grow your company.
CompTIA is a new focal point for me as I sit in the the role of CEO. CompTIA provides a lot of great content, but the reason I feel strongly the need to connect is all the things they focus on in an advocacy role for our industry. They are working in politics and thought leadership and will be a significant force in defining what the IT industry looks like. I want to be involved and part of that process. I see it as a significant part of strategy.
HP and SonicWALL are also key partners for HTS and thus on my list of must attend events except when they either don’t hold them or lay them over other events that are more strategic. This year SonicWALL has not held an event, and HP held theirs right on top of the HTG Summit so I skipped it in lieu of what I felt was far more important. That is happening more all the time which forces us to make choices and the need to change how we spend our time. And that is really the message of this blog – you have to really think about what you are going to invest your time in and not just attend an event because it is offered.
Distribution affinity groups like VTN are bubble meetings for me as a CEO, but must attend for those in the day to day roles within a company. I attended VTN for many years, but now have passed that torch to my management team in most cases today.
So the real question is – which events are on your “must attend” list? Mine has changed over the years as my company has grown and my role has changed. My advice is to take a hard look at what your job really entails for your company and then be sure to send the right people to the right events to get the information first hand they need to achieve their job success. Sometimes, often in fact, that is not likely you. I realize it is hard for many to send an employee to a conference or training. Who will monitor them and make sure they are actually doing what they are supposed to? How can I be sure they won’t sleep in or make the company look bad? You can’t know, but if you hired the right people that is not an issue.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference Awards
Have you delivered innovative customer solutions built on Microsoft technologies? Submit your company’s nomination for the annual Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference 2010 Awards program today! http://www.digitalwpc.com/awards Deadline is April 2.
Why not tell the world about the great things you are doing with Microsoft technologies in serving your client's needs. Not only can you submit an application for these awards, you can also create a case study around your nomination and use it for marketing to your current and prospective clients.
Every partner has delivered value that is worth writing about. Far too many never tell a soul, and miss one of the greatest tools you have in your arsenal, customer success stories. Take some time and apply for these awards and then repurpose your efforts and create a valuable marketing resource you can use for your clients.
Don't wait - do it today. Time goes quickly. http://digitalwpc.com/awards
Why not tell the world about the great things you are doing with Microsoft technologies in serving your client's needs. Not only can you submit an application for these awards, you can also create a case study around your nomination and use it for marketing to your current and prospective clients.
Every partner has delivered value that is worth writing about. Far too many never tell a soul, and miss one of the greatest tools you have in your arsenal, customer success stories. Take some time and apply for these awards and then repurpose your efforts and create a valuable marketing resource you can use for your clients.
Don't wait - do it today. Time goes quickly. http://digitalwpc.com/awards
Saturday, July 18, 2009
WPC Wrap
What a week it has been. The 2009 version of Microsoft's Worldwide Partner Conference is in the books and it was another fantastic event. The WPC team did a fantastic job of executing as I didn't detect any real blips at all. OK - the power going out on Thursday during the central region awards event caused some excitement - but that is probably not in the master plan. Kudo's to the team for a job well done. I can't really imagine the details that go into planning an event like that. I can imagine the miles of walking because it seemed my meetings were from one end of that venue to another, and it is no little distance. But it was cool inside so no complaints from me. If there was an area the team could have corrected, it would have been to get the temps down to the Friday level for the early part of the week. I nearly melted on Sunday and Monday just walking the few blocks to the convention center.
There were lots of important announcements this week. MPN - the new Microsoft Partner Network - tops my list of important things to consider. Change is inevitable, and while the current MSPP program is very well done, the new one looks to take it to yet another level. They are putting Small Business where it belongs - as a real competency - and appear to be raising the bar a bit as well which is welcome. The current program has been watered down a bit too much over time, so a reset is good and should bring new value to partners. Of course the key will be the associated air cover to the marketplace so they have some clue of what MPN is all about and how they can use it to find quality partners to engage with.
The technology wave is exciting. I think this has to be the largest wave of new products ever, and there are some really exciting things on the horizon. I spent quite a bit of time with the Win7 group as part of their Ignite program. We had a customer who participated in the program down at the event with us and were able to spend time providing feedback and direction on our participation and the program overall. Win7 has me really excited - in our SMB client base - lots of folks that have postponed hardware refresh due to the economy. I hope Win7 will be just the nudge to get them to move. Office 2010 looks very cool as do a lot of other pending releases.
But the real value of WPC is not the sessions (sorry Microsoft - especially now with digital WPC where I can watch them this week from home). The real value happened in the hallways and particularly for me - in the Connect area. I had about 25 meetings this week with different partners and Microsoft folks. That is why I attend WPC. No other venue gives me the access to so many people I want to connect with. Even in the many trips I make to Redmond, it is more difficult to connect. At WPC everyone is there for the same reason - there aren't all the normal interruptions of life, and you can just get down to business. So if you attend this event in particular, but really any of the large partner events, use the time to connect. I tend to use the daytime to connect with Microsoft and the evening and meals to connect with peers. But my goal is to be spending time with people in small groups or one on one for at least 12 hours a day. I can sleep this week - sure didn't do enough of that last week.
HTG had a fantastic week at WPC. A number of our members presented, and we had our green shirts (well some of us did) on Wednesday. You know who you are if you didn't. :-) Funny the excuses I heard about why not. Var Vid was there recording things and it was just great to be in a place where there were about 20-25 fellow HTG'ers roaming the halls. Inevitably I would run into a friendly face most everywhere I went. The SBSC council dinner was another highlight as we spent the evening getting acquainted and looking forward to the future. Francois Daumard is doing a stellar job of resetting that program and has pulled together a strong advisory council to help lead that charge. HTG has 5 of those seats and will be intimately involved in helping take SBSC in the US to a new level. I was able to connect with a lot of the central region team about our needs at HTS, and with many folks about HTG. There was certainly a lot of buzz around HTG and the great things we are doing.
The ConnectWise partnership continues to grow and drive value and direction in the marketplace. Had a lot of good time with the ConnectWise team and many good discussions with members about how we can take process to the next level with our relationship. Exciting days are ahead because of our strategic alliance with them.
All said, it was an awesome week. Great food, great content, great venue and most of all great people. It just doesn't get much better than that. If you missed this year - put it on your calendar for 2010. Washington DC in July - it is worth the investment!
There were lots of important announcements this week. MPN - the new Microsoft Partner Network - tops my list of important things to consider. Change is inevitable, and while the current MSPP program is very well done, the new one looks to take it to yet another level. They are putting Small Business where it belongs - as a real competency - and appear to be raising the bar a bit as well which is welcome. The current program has been watered down a bit too much over time, so a reset is good and should bring new value to partners. Of course the key will be the associated air cover to the marketplace so they have some clue of what MPN is all about and how they can use it to find quality partners to engage with.
The technology wave is exciting. I think this has to be the largest wave of new products ever, and there are some really exciting things on the horizon. I spent quite a bit of time with the Win7 group as part of their Ignite program. We had a customer who participated in the program down at the event with us and were able to spend time providing feedback and direction on our participation and the program overall. Win7 has me really excited - in our SMB client base - lots of folks that have postponed hardware refresh due to the economy. I hope Win7 will be just the nudge to get them to move. Office 2010 looks very cool as do a lot of other pending releases.
But the real value of WPC is not the sessions (sorry Microsoft - especially now with digital WPC where I can watch them this week from home). The real value happened in the hallways and particularly for me - in the Connect area. I had about 25 meetings this week with different partners and Microsoft folks. That is why I attend WPC. No other venue gives me the access to so many people I want to connect with. Even in the many trips I make to Redmond, it is more difficult to connect. At WPC everyone is there for the same reason - there aren't all the normal interruptions of life, and you can just get down to business. So if you attend this event in particular, but really any of the large partner events, use the time to connect. I tend to use the daytime to connect with Microsoft and the evening and meals to connect with peers. But my goal is to be spending time with people in small groups or one on one for at least 12 hours a day. I can sleep this week - sure didn't do enough of that last week.
HTG had a fantastic week at WPC. A number of our members presented, and we had our green shirts (well some of us did) on Wednesday. You know who you are if you didn't. :-) Funny the excuses I heard about why not. Var Vid was there recording things and it was just great to be in a place where there were about 20-25 fellow HTG'ers roaming the halls. Inevitably I would run into a friendly face most everywhere I went. The SBSC council dinner was another highlight as we spent the evening getting acquainted and looking forward to the future. Francois Daumard is doing a stellar job of resetting that program and has pulled together a strong advisory council to help lead that charge. HTG has 5 of those seats and will be intimately involved in helping take SBSC in the US to a new level. I was able to connect with a lot of the central region team about our needs at HTS, and with many folks about HTG. There was certainly a lot of buzz around HTG and the great things we are doing.
The ConnectWise partnership continues to grow and drive value and direction in the marketplace. Had a lot of good time with the ConnectWise team and many good discussions with members about how we can take process to the next level with our relationship. Exciting days are ahead because of our strategic alliance with them.
All said, it was an awesome week. Great food, great content, great venue and most of all great people. It just doesn't get much better than that. If you missed this year - put it on your calendar for 2010. Washington DC in July - it is worth the investment!
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
HTG at WPC
We are almost ready to head to New Orleans for what may be the biggest event of the year outside our quarterly HTG meetings. There is a lot going on down there, and here is a list of things you probably want to take advantage of:
HTG Green Shirt Day
Wednesday is the day which has been set aside for HTG members to wear your green HTG shirts. It is important to bring that shirt along and proudly wear it that day. See photo for clarification on shirt!
HTG Buttons
Scott and I will have buttons available for you to wear at WPC to let people know you are part of HTG. Find us and put a button on!
HTG meeting place
SBSC is again hosting the Yellow Lounge, which is a good place to meet up with other SMB partners and particularly HTG members. Plan to meet up there around 11:30 each day to see what other HTG'ers are free for lunch.
Morning prayer and devotions
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday mornings we will have a devotional and prayer time at 6:30 AM at the Residence Inn Convention Center in the courtyard there. Join us and bring along anyone that has interest.
Partners in Christ Prayer Breakfast
Wednesday morning at 7 AM we will hold the annual prayer breakfast at the Marriott Convention Center. Pre-registration is requested – link to register is http://survey.constantcontact.com/survey/a07e2is6m4qfuzirfgr/a011kfwjnyit6/questions
HTG Meet-Up and dinner
Sunday evening at 6:30 PM – sponsored by ConnectWise and Microsoft
The Court of the Two Sistershttp://www.courtoftwosisters.com/ 613 Royal St. New Orleans, LA 70130. This is for HTG member companies only and you need to RSVP to me via email to have a spot.
HTG Speakers at WPC
SMB007 Power of Community
Presenters: Mark Crall, Dave Sobel, Erik Thorsell, Richard Tubb, Jamison West
Wed 7/15 2:00 PM-3:00 PM 215-216
Learn from esteemed peers who have successfully harnessed the "Power of the Community" in not only establishing better operational, sales, marketing and financial practices but greater work/life balance through execution of goals and accountability to their peers who become lifelong friends. Get ready to be personally challenged to aspire to greater things as you witness fellow SMB IT community peers who have called each other higher though a commitment to giving and execution.
SMB008 Social Media 101: Defining and Understanding How to Connect with Your Clients and Colleagues Using the Latest Technologies
Presenter: Stuart Crawford
Wed 7/15 2:00 PM-3:00 PM 217
Social media is the latest trend, but many leaders face big hurdles with getting online and creating a buzz. Hear how you can use social media tools internally across your organization and as a mechanism to quickly share important information. This session takes a hands-on approach on how to: use social media to connect with employees, team members, and clients; design a blog; write your message clearly and concisely; and apply delivery mechanisms and alerts for notification of new content.
SMB009 Partner Planning: Four Simple Plans That Can Change Everything
Presenters: Scott Scrogin, Arlin Sorensen, Erik Thorsell
Wed 7/15 3:30 PM-4:30 PM 208-210
This first session discusses key plans that should be in place for success, including: company business plan, personal leadership plan, life plan, and a disaster recovery/continuity plan. Hear from Partners who have had business or life change because of planning and learn how to get started with specific tools in each of these areas. Plan to spend a few hours working on your business and your life developing foundational direction that will lead to success!
SMB010 Virtualization: What You Need to Know to Get Your Business Ready
Presenter: Dave Sobel
Wed 7/15 3:30 PM-4:30 PM 215-216
Virtualization is a game-changing new approach to infrastructure. Learn what you need to know to start implementing projects using virtualization technologies, specifically as it relates to Windows Small Business Server and Windows Essential Business Server. See real life techniques and experiences that get you ready to deliver solutions, including a complete restore into a virtual machine from raw backup. Not just for the big boys, this is the next generation of infrastructure.
SMB013 Partner Planning Workshop: Putting Pen to Paper
Presenters: Scott Scrogin, Arlin Sorensen, Erik Thorsell
Wed 7/15 5:00 PM-6:00 PM 208-210
In this session, a workbook is provided for working on your company business plan, personal leadership plan, life plan, or continuity plan. We break into groups to work on at least one plan that is specific to your situation. Partners provide feedback and ideas to help you with the process. One of the outcomes of this session includes follow-up and accountability. Plan to spend this hour working on your business developing foundational direction that will lead to success!
SMB015 Building Momentum in Your Managed Services Practice
Presenter: Mark Crall
Thu 7/16 1:30 PM-2:30 PM 218-219
Move from the hit-or-miss world of break/fix to a reliable, recurring revenue stream. Industry leader Mark Crall strategizes on how to successfully move your customers to managed services. Learn • The importance of offering managed services • Key issues to consider first • Steps for planning your new service offerings • When and how to present to existing customers Don't miss this session! A stable, predictable revenue stream is critical for your company's survival and continued growth.
SI003 Optimizing What You Already Own in a Changing Economy
Presenter: Kenneth Lince, Arlin Sorensen, Erik Thorsell
Thu 7/16 4:30 PM-5:30 PM 243-244
Understand the software your partnership with Microsoft affords you to maximize your management of information and client relations. Learn how partners are using Microsoft technology solutions they own, as a result of their partnership with Microsoft, to optimize their business and sales agility in selling and delivering solutions more effectively to their customers.
HTG Green Shirt Day
Wednesday is the day which has been set aside for HTG members to wear your green HTG shirts. It is important to bring that shirt along and proudly wear it that day. See photo for clarification on shirt!
HTG Buttons
Scott and I will have buttons available for you to wear at WPC to let people know you are part of HTG. Find us and put a button on!
HTG meeting place
SBSC is again hosting the Yellow Lounge, which is a good place to meet up with other SMB partners and particularly HTG members. Plan to meet up there around 11:30 each day to see what other HTG'ers are free for lunch.
Morning prayer and devotions
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday mornings we will have a devotional and prayer time at 6:30 AM at the Residence Inn Convention Center in the courtyard there. Join us and bring along anyone that has interest.
Partners in Christ Prayer Breakfast
Wednesday morning at 7 AM we will hold the annual prayer breakfast at the Marriott Convention Center. Pre-registration is requested – link to register is http://survey.constantcontact.com/survey/a07e2is6m4qfuzirfgr/a011kfwjnyit6/questions
HTG Meet-Up and dinner
Sunday evening at 6:30 PM – sponsored by ConnectWise and Microsoft
The Court of the Two Sistershttp://www.courtoftwosisters.com/ 613 Royal St. New Orleans, LA 70130. This is for HTG member companies only and you need to RSVP to me via email to have a spot.
HTG Speakers at WPC
SMB007 Power of Community
Presenters: Mark Crall, Dave Sobel, Erik Thorsell, Richard Tubb, Jamison West
Wed 7/15 2:00 PM-3:00 PM 215-216
Learn from esteemed peers who have successfully harnessed the "Power of the Community" in not only establishing better operational, sales, marketing and financial practices but greater work/life balance through execution of goals and accountability to their peers who become lifelong friends. Get ready to be personally challenged to aspire to greater things as you witness fellow SMB IT community peers who have called each other higher though a commitment to giving and execution.
SMB008 Social Media 101: Defining and Understanding How to Connect with Your Clients and Colleagues Using the Latest Technologies
Presenter: Stuart Crawford
Wed 7/15 2:00 PM-3:00 PM 217
Social media is the latest trend, but many leaders face big hurdles with getting online and creating a buzz. Hear how you can use social media tools internally across your organization and as a mechanism to quickly share important information. This session takes a hands-on approach on how to: use social media to connect with employees, team members, and clients; design a blog; write your message clearly and concisely; and apply delivery mechanisms and alerts for notification of new content.
SMB009 Partner Planning: Four Simple Plans That Can Change Everything
Presenters: Scott Scrogin, Arlin Sorensen, Erik Thorsell
Wed 7/15 3:30 PM-4:30 PM 208-210
This first session discusses key plans that should be in place for success, including: company business plan, personal leadership plan, life plan, and a disaster recovery/continuity plan. Hear from Partners who have had business or life change because of planning and learn how to get started with specific tools in each of these areas. Plan to spend a few hours working on your business and your life developing foundational direction that will lead to success!
SMB010 Virtualization: What You Need to Know to Get Your Business Ready
Presenter: Dave Sobel
Wed 7/15 3:30 PM-4:30 PM 215-216
Virtualization is a game-changing new approach to infrastructure. Learn what you need to know to start implementing projects using virtualization technologies, specifically as it relates to Windows Small Business Server and Windows Essential Business Server. See real life techniques and experiences that get you ready to deliver solutions, including a complete restore into a virtual machine from raw backup. Not just for the big boys, this is the next generation of infrastructure.
SMB013 Partner Planning Workshop: Putting Pen to Paper
Presenters: Scott Scrogin, Arlin Sorensen, Erik Thorsell
Wed 7/15 5:00 PM-6:00 PM 208-210
In this session, a workbook is provided for working on your company business plan, personal leadership plan, life plan, or continuity plan. We break into groups to work on at least one plan that is specific to your situation. Partners provide feedback and ideas to help you with the process. One of the outcomes of this session includes follow-up and accountability. Plan to spend this hour working on your business developing foundational direction that will lead to success!
SMB015 Building Momentum in Your Managed Services Practice
Presenter: Mark Crall
Thu 7/16 1:30 PM-2:30 PM 218-219
Move from the hit-or-miss world of break/fix to a reliable, recurring revenue stream. Industry leader Mark Crall strategizes on how to successfully move your customers to managed services. Learn • The importance of offering managed services • Key issues to consider first • Steps for planning your new service offerings • When and how to present to existing customers Don't miss this session! A stable, predictable revenue stream is critical for your company's survival and continued growth.
SI003 Optimizing What You Already Own in a Changing Economy
Presenter: Kenneth Lince, Arlin Sorensen, Erik Thorsell
Thu 7/16 4:30 PM-5:30 PM 243-244
Understand the software your partnership with Microsoft affords you to maximize your management of information and client relations. Learn how partners are using Microsoft technology solutions they own, as a result of their partnership with Microsoft, to optimize their business and sales agility in selling and delivering solutions more effectively to their customers.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Opportunity to Share your Faith in New Orleans
For those coming to Microsoft's WPC - we are holding a special prayer breakfast on Wednesday morning. This will be the second annual Partners in Christ prayer breakfast. Here are the details:
New Orleans Marriott at the Convention Center
859 Convention Center Boulevard
New Orleans, Louisiana 70130
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
7:00 - 8:00 a.m.
Click Here to Register Today!http://survey.constantcontact.com/survey/a07e2is6m4qfuzirfgr/a0115fwc143m2/questions
This is open to any and all who want to gather for a time of fellowship and sharing. Please register at the link above so we have plenty of space and food. I hope to see you in NOLA and particularly at this breakfast. It is open to VAR's, vendors, Microsoft staff - any and all are welcome to join us. There is no cost to attend. Just show up to meet and fellowship.
Our speaker this year will be Boyd Bailey. Boyd is founder and Chairman of Wisdom Hunters, LLC and is the author of two devotional books, Infusion and Seeking Daily the Heart of God; Boyd is also founder of Ministry Ventures, a venture capital firm for early stage ministries which has helped 45 start-up ministries raise over $15.5 million and impact over 35,000 people for Christ. Prior to Ministry Ventures, Bailey was the National Director for Crown Financial Ministries. He was instrumental in the expansion of Crown into 30 major markets across the U.S. He was a key facilitator in the 25 million dollar merger between Christian Financial Concepts and Crown Ministries. Before Crown he and Andy Stanley started First Baptist Atlanta’s north campus; and as an Elder, Boyd assisted Andy in the start of North Point Community Church. In college he bought a service business with five employees. This business endeavor financed his education and the equity from its sale was the economic launching pad for his graduate school experience.
Again this year we will be providing all attendees a free book, Boyd’s Infusion devotional. We look forward to seeing you at the Marriott on July 15 at 7AM!
New Orleans Marriott at the Convention Center
859 Convention Center Boulevard
New Orleans, Louisiana 70130
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
7:00 - 8:00 a.m.
Click Here to Register Today!http://survey.constantcontact.com/survey/a07e2is6m4qfuzirfgr/a0115fwc143m2/questions
This is open to any and all who want to gather for a time of fellowship and sharing. Please register at the link above so we have plenty of space and food. I hope to see you in NOLA and particularly at this breakfast. It is open to VAR's, vendors, Microsoft staff - any and all are welcome to join us. There is no cost to attend. Just show up to meet and fellowship.
Our speaker this year will be Boyd Bailey. Boyd is founder and Chairman of Wisdom Hunters, LLC and is the author of two devotional books, Infusion and Seeking Daily the Heart of God; Boyd is also founder of Ministry Ventures, a venture capital firm for early stage ministries which has helped 45 start-up ministries raise over $15.5 million and impact over 35,000 people for Christ. Prior to Ministry Ventures, Bailey was the National Director for Crown Financial Ministries. He was instrumental in the expansion of Crown into 30 major markets across the U.S. He was a key facilitator in the 25 million dollar merger between Christian Financial Concepts and Crown Ministries. Before Crown he and Andy Stanley started First Baptist Atlanta’s north campus; and as an Elder, Boyd assisted Andy in the start of North Point Community Church. In college he bought a service business with five employees. This business endeavor financed his education and the equity from its sale was the economic launching pad for his graduate school experience.
Again this year we will be providing all attendees a free book, Boyd’s Infusion devotional. We look forward to seeing you at the Marriott on July 15 at 7AM!
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Iron Chef Video from WPC
At the WPC event in Houston earlier this month I had the opportunity to do a presentation with Erik Thorsell, Ric Opal and Glen Lowe to help create a little interest and understanding about the new Windows Essential Business Server that will ship this fall. If you aren't up to speed on this product - you need to start getting familiar.
We didn't do a normal presentation at all - it was a takeoff on the Iron Chef TV series and we had some fun. I made a little snafu in the presentation but overall I hope you find it enjoyable. There will be more tools coming very soon for you to evaluate your readiness for EBS, but take some time for a laugh or two and begin thinking about how you will add EBS to your portfolio going forward.
http://www.facebook.com/p.php?i=665414301&k=X5EZ3Z64P4ZM5ACEWFY2WW
Send any feedback via this blog. Would love to hear what you think.
We didn't do a normal presentation at all - it was a takeoff on the Iron Chef TV series and we had some fun. I made a little snafu in the presentation but overall I hope you find it enjoyable. There will be more tools coming very soon for you to evaluate your readiness for EBS, but take some time for a laugh or two and begin thinking about how you will add EBS to your portfolio going forward.
http://www.facebook.com/p.php?i=665414301&k=X5EZ3Z64P4ZM5ACEWFY2WW
Send any feedback via this blog. Would love to hear what you think.
Friday, July 11, 2008
WPC is wrapped
The week is done and I am glad - pooped out and ready to go home for some rest. WPC 2008 was a great event. I have to admit that meetings took up most of my time. I did make a couple keynotes but normally I was in the Connect area with another partner or Microsoft blue badge talking about the future or the past. There is no place like WPC to connect with people that are part of this industry. Great place to talk with other vendors and media too - most of the relevant technology players are in town for this event every year.
That said - I do want to say that the most important stuff happened in a couple of areas sort of disconnected from WPC. The first was around community. HTG members gathered here Sunday to start a next level of our peer program. And throughout the week I was blessed to spend time with a number of HTG members and participate at parties, celebrating birthdays, praying together - lots of interaction with people that are part of the community. The yellow lounge was a long way from the action this year and it really hurt connecting from my perspective. People love community and come to this event to experience some of that. I hope next year the lounge for SMB and SBSC can be much closer to the action and really let us connect again.
The most exciting thing for me was the few spiritual activities that happened. While some may say we have to separate our spiritual life from our business life to be politically correct - I don't think that is true or even possible really. Life is about a lot more than EBITDA and certifications. We are made up of our physical, emotional and spiritual parts and to try and isolate it and pretend it doesn't exist just doesn't cut it for me. Sunday morning we had a small gathering for HTG members who were in early to discuss the life of Joseph. Brad Schow led the discussion. Tuesday morning a group of us met on the second floor of the convention center to pray. And then on Wednesday - we had our first annual Partners in Christ prayer breakfast. Over 50 in attenance which is a great start and will be continued next year. Rather than share the details I encourage you to check out Mark Crall's blog where he captures it well. http://sbsc.techcareteam.com/ is the link to not only get another perspective but also some notes on the speaker for the day.
WPC was an awesome event. The party at Minute Maid stadium was loud and filled with games and food - but the real value of this event is the people. Lots of great introductions, plenty of reunions and refreshing discussions - people are what the industry really is all about. I am glad to be able to participate. See you in New Orleans in 2009!`
That said - I do want to say that the most important stuff happened in a couple of areas sort of disconnected from WPC. The first was around community. HTG members gathered here Sunday to start a next level of our peer program. And throughout the week I was blessed to spend time with a number of HTG members and participate at parties, celebrating birthdays, praying together - lots of interaction with people that are part of the community. The yellow lounge was a long way from the action this year and it really hurt connecting from my perspective. People love community and come to this event to experience some of that. I hope next year the lounge for SMB and SBSC can be much closer to the action and really let us connect again.
The most exciting thing for me was the few spiritual activities that happened. While some may say we have to separate our spiritual life from our business life to be politically correct - I don't think that is true or even possible really. Life is about a lot more than EBITDA and certifications. We are made up of our physical, emotional and spiritual parts and to try and isolate it and pretend it doesn't exist just doesn't cut it for me. Sunday morning we had a small gathering for HTG members who were in early to discuss the life of Joseph. Brad Schow led the discussion. Tuesday morning a group of us met on the second floor of the convention center to pray. And then on Wednesday - we had our first annual Partners in Christ prayer breakfast. Over 50 in attenance which is a great start and will be continued next year. Rather than share the details I encourage you to check out Mark Crall's blog where he captures it well. http://sbsc.techcareteam.com/ is the link to not only get another perspective but also some notes on the speaker for the day.
WPC was an awesome event. The party at Minute Maid stadium was loud and filled with games and food - but the real value of this event is the people. Lots of great introductions, plenty of reunions and refreshing discussions - people are what the industry really is all about. I am glad to be able to participate. See you in New Orleans in 2009!`
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Digital Forum at WPC
One of the opportunities presented to us this week was time with the Digital Forum - a content delivery provider. They offered some free video time and editing and we captured some footage and had them help create a video we hope can be part of your webpage to help explain HTG to your customers and friends. Check it out:
http://www.digitalforumtv.com and search for HTG
Always looking for a way to inform prospects and others who want to learn more about the power of peers, so share those ideas. Take a look and talk with the guys are VarVid.com if you want help learning how to incorporate video into your website or blog.
http://www.digitalforumtv.com and search for HTG
Always looking for a way to inform prospects and others who want to learn more about the power of peers, so share those ideas. Take a look and talk with the guys are VarVid.com if you want help learning how to incorporate video into your website or blog.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
The week at WPC
Over halfway done with WPC. What a whirlwind. Meetings, keynotes, sessions, receptions, parties - busy from 6 AM til 9 PM every day. Glad to get back to the hotel to fall into bed and crash so I can possibly get up in the morning. There have been lots of new things to focus on: Essential Business Server, SBS 2008, Virtualization, S + S and on it goes. Presented three times in breakouts and been in meeting after meeting with partners and Microsoft. It has been a fantastic value and great use of time, although I will have used up 2 weeks of time in this one week here in Houston - things are that full and busy.
One of the great things that happened this week was the launch of VarVid by Aaron Booker and Pat Dolan. These guys are doing a great job of capturing the activity of the week and managed to catch me. Check this out:
Video: WPC Video - 13 Arlin Sorensen
I am excited about the potential for video and what it can do for our interaction. Check out all their videos at www.varvid.com. Thanks guys for the great work!
One of the great things that happened this week was the launch of VarVid by Aaron Booker and Pat Dolan. These guys are doing a great job of capturing the activity of the week and managed to catch me. Check this out:
Video: WPC Video - 13 Arlin Sorensen
I am excited about the potential for video and what it can do for our interaction. Check out all their videos at www.varvid.com. Thanks guys for the great work!
Monday, July 7, 2008
Keynote Info from WPC
Great news for SBS partners. Michael Risse announced this morning that 5000 free SBS2008 exam vouchers would be made available. Send a request to askcorp@microsoft.com to request one.
He also announced November 12 as the ship date for SBS/EBS. Sort of a surprise to me and others in the room. Product has been moving along nicely so I am unsure what that date really means at this time. May be when things are going to be available through the channel which is different than availability through some forms of access.
Great start to the week here at WPC. If you aren't here this year, you really should consider it for next year. There is no other event where you can get the pulse and access to MS as you do here. This is definitely a partner focused event. Join us in 2009!
He also announced November 12 as the ship date for SBS/EBS. Sort of a surprise to me and others in the room. Product has been moving along nicely so I am unsure what that date really means at this time. May be when things are going to be available through the channel which is different than availability through some forms of access.
Great start to the week here at WPC. If you aren't here this year, you really should consider it for next year. There is no other event where you can get the pulse and access to MS as you do here. This is definitely a partner focused event. Join us in 2009!
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Last Minute News Flash
Here is the exact location of the hotel for tomorrow's HTG meetings:
Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites
1810 BELL STREET
HOUSTON, TX 77003
1-713-652-9400
It is just two blocks from the convention center. Registration opens for the WPC event at 10AM. We hold the HTGALL session from 3-6 at the Holiday Inn Express. It will be live via live meeting - details at http://varvid.com/htgmembers.html.
Hope to see you in person or across the wire.
Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites
1810 BELL STREET
HOUSTON, TX 77003
1-713-652-9400
It is just two blocks from the convention center. Registration opens for the WPC event at 10AM. We hold the HTGALL session from 3-6 at the Holiday Inn Express. It will be live via live meeting - details at http://varvid.com/htgmembers.html.
Hope to see you in person or across the wire.
Friday, July 4, 2008
Sessions on Monday at WPC for the Small Biz Track
Monday is our day to shine at WPC. While we no longer have a specific pre-day like we have in the past, we have graduated to an entire track this year and Monday is filled with a bunch of HTG members presenting, including myself. Here is the agenda and what I know for sure about HTG members presenting:
9:00 - 9:05 Welcome Remarks George Bush Ballroom B
9:05 - 10:55 Executive Keynote: Michael Risse George Bush Ballroom B
10:55 - 10:45 Keynote Speaker: Peter Hillary George Bush Ballroom B
11:00 - 12:10 Breakout Sessions
SMB-PF01
Marketing Ideas that Work: Plan, Execute & Report for Marketing Success (Larry Hedin)
George Bush Ballroom B
SMB-PF02
Goal Setting for Business Success (Stuart Crawford)
George Bush Ballroom A
1:10 - 2:15 Breakout Sessions
SMB-PF05
Marketing Ideas that Work: Plan, Execute & Report for Marketing Success (Larry Hedin)
George Bush Ballroom B
SMB-PF06
Selling solutions creates greater revenue and closes deals faster (Arlin Sorensen)
George Bush Ballroom A
SMB-PF07
Proactive Community Membership: What’s in it for me? Getting the most ROI from the Small Business Specialist Community. (Mark Crall)
Room 310 BCEF
2:15 - 2:30 Break
2:30 - 3:35 Breakout Sessions
SMB-PF09
Real-World Performance Indicators and Business Intelligence to Run Your Company (Michael Cocanower)
George Bush Ballroom B
SMB-PF10
Solution Selling creates greater revenue and closes deals faster (Arlin Sorensen)
George Bush Ballroom A
3:45 - 4:15 Microsoft Keynote Speaker: Michael Risse Town Hall Meeting
4:15 Closing Reception George Bush Lobby
So if you are at WPC, be sure to come hear Larry, Stuart, Michael or me and bring that HTG spirit - maybe a chant or two. Be sure to wear your button all week!
9:00 - 9:05 Welcome Remarks George Bush Ballroom B
9:05 - 10:55 Executive Keynote: Michael Risse George Bush Ballroom B
10:55 - 10:45 Keynote Speaker: Peter Hillary George Bush Ballroom B
11:00 - 12:10 Breakout Sessions
SMB-PF01
Marketing Ideas that Work: Plan, Execute & Report for Marketing Success (Larry Hedin)
George Bush Ballroom B
SMB-PF02
Goal Setting for Business Success (Stuart Crawford)
George Bush Ballroom A
1:10 - 2:15 Breakout Sessions
SMB-PF05
Marketing Ideas that Work: Plan, Execute & Report for Marketing Success (Larry Hedin)
George Bush Ballroom B
SMB-PF06
Selling solutions creates greater revenue and closes deals faster (Arlin Sorensen)
George Bush Ballroom A
SMB-PF07
Proactive Community Membership: What’s in it for me? Getting the most ROI from the Small Business Specialist Community. (Mark Crall)
Room 310 BCEF
2:15 - 2:30 Break
2:30 - 3:35 Breakout Sessions
SMB-PF09
Real-World Performance Indicators and Business Intelligence to Run Your Company (Michael Cocanower)
George Bush Ballroom B
SMB-PF10
Solution Selling creates greater revenue and closes deals faster (Arlin Sorensen)
George Bush Ballroom A
3:45 - 4:15 Microsoft Keynote Speaker: Michael Risse Town Hall Meeting
4:15 Closing Reception George Bush Lobby
So if you are at WPC, be sure to come hear Larry, Stuart, Michael or me and bring that HTG spirit - maybe a chant or two. Be sure to wear your button all week!
Good stuff coming at WPC
I am speaking for a number of sessions at WPC next week. Want to highlight what I consider to be a real focus for this years event - the huge attention that will be paid to SBS2008 and EBS2008. We are going to get some major air time and attention and finally get our due. That said, I hope you take time to attend a number of sessions around those products and get involved with all the ancillary activities that will be happening.
I will be doing a fun session with Erik Thorsell and Ric Opal ala The Iron Chef. Here is the info on that session on Wed afternoon at 4:30.
Multiply Your Success (and Have Fun): Watch three partners compete and give you prescriptive guidance on practice building in the Windows EBS “Iron Chef” competition. Cast your vote for the winner. Prescriptive Guidance to add EBS to your practice session on Wednesday, July 9th – 4:30pm-5:30pm, Room General Assembly Theater C
There are also a number of other things happening, including some contests. Check this out:
Multiply Your Winning Power: Enter to win Windows Home Server and many other cool prizes
Visit the Information Counter or go to www.multiplyyourwinningpower.com to find out how.
Multiply Your Fun: Join us for the exclusive partner launch party for Windows Essential Server Solutions on Tuesday, July 8th, at 5:30 PM in the Wireless Lounge. This one is going to be especially fun.
There also are Facebook groups for SBS & EBS too - come join the social networking amongst SBS & EBS partners:
EBS - http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=16942574025
SBS - http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=12683314018
This is where you can sign up for all things SBS/EBS for WPC so get logged on and connected.
I will be doing a fun session with Erik Thorsell and Ric Opal ala The Iron Chef. Here is the info on that session on Wed afternoon at 4:30.
Multiply Your Success (and Have Fun): Watch three partners compete and give you prescriptive guidance on practice building in the Windows EBS “Iron Chef” competition. Cast your vote for the winner. Prescriptive Guidance to add EBS to your practice session on Wednesday, July 9th – 4:30pm-5:30pm, Room General Assembly Theater C
There are also a number of other things happening, including some contests. Check this out:
Multiply Your Winning Power: Enter to win Windows Home Server and many other cool prizes
Visit the Information Counter or go to www.multiplyyourwinningpower.com to find out how.
Multiply Your Fun: Join us for the exclusive partner launch party for Windows Essential Server Solutions on Tuesday, July 8th, at 5:30 PM in the Wireless Lounge. This one is going to be especially fun.
There also are Facebook groups for SBS & EBS too - come join the social networking amongst SBS & EBS partners:
EBS - http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=16942574025
SBS - http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=12683314018
This is where you can sign up for all things SBS/EBS for WPC so get logged on and connected.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Are you going to WPC?
Microsoft's WPC is coming quickly - July 7-10 in Houston to be exact. One thing you may have noticed is the price certainly has gone up a bit. This year it is $1795 to attend. That is pretty expensive for any conference but for those of us serving the SMB market it is very costly. Well your SBSC membership will help defray $400 of that cost - check out the link at https://partner.microsoft.com/us/40059948.
For HTG members - we have a busy week planned there. HTGALL will meet Sunday afternoon from 3-6 PM at the Holiday Inn Convention Center. There will be other events going on during the week - more details as we get closer.
WPC is definitely something you need to do a lot of planning ahead of time in order to get the value of your investment. So if you are going, know your schedule, plan your interaction with other partners and Microsoft folks, have a plan in place so you can recover the cost of your time there. I can honestly say it is one of the most valuable conferences we attend because of the access we have to people but it only happens if we are very prepared before we get to Houston. So do your homework, make the investment, and then commit to making that time and money produce an ROI. It is very possible with some planning and discipline. See you in Houston!
For HTG members - we have a busy week planned there. HTGALL will meet Sunday afternoon from 3-6 PM at the Holiday Inn Convention Center. There will be other events going on during the week - more details as we get closer.
WPC is definitely something you need to do a lot of planning ahead of time in order to get the value of your investment. So if you are going, know your schedule, plan your interaction with other partners and Microsoft folks, have a plan in place so you can recover the cost of your time there. I can honestly say it is one of the most valuable conferences we attend because of the access we have to people but it only happens if we are very prepared before we get to Houston. So do your homework, make the investment, and then commit to making that time and money produce an ROI. It is very possible with some planning and discipline. See you in Houston!
Monday, April 28, 2008
Are you a WPC alumni?
As a valued attendee of the 2007 Worldwide Partner Conference you receive a special discounted registration rate of $1,395 ($400 USD off the $1,795 standard price).
The alumni rate expires tonight (4/28) so take advantage of this offer and register by 11:59PM PST.Once you're registered, you will also be able to use a session preference tool to view session abstracts and vote for the 10 sessions you would like to attend.
Register today! If you have already registered, you can still select sessions by going to https://www.wpc08commnet.com/ and login with your registration credentials.To take advantage of this alumni offer, please follow these easy steps:
1. Visit https://partner.microsoft.com/global/trainingevents/wwpartnerconference
2. Register to attend the conference.
3. During the online registration process, you will be asked if you are alumni and you need to answer "yes" to qualify for offer (No code needed).
4. Note that the special alumni registration rate expires on April 28!
I will be in Houston all week and we will have a number of HTG events during the week as well, starting with an HTGALL session on Sunday July 6 from 3-6 pm at the Holiday Inn Convention Center. See you in Houston!
The alumni rate expires tonight (4/28) so take advantage of this offer and register by 11:59PM PST.Once you're registered, you will also be able to use a session preference tool to view session abstracts and vote for the 10 sessions you would like to attend.
Register today! If you have already registered, you can still select sessions by going to https://www.wpc08commnet.com/ and login with your registration credentials.To take advantage of this alumni offer, please follow these easy steps:
1. Visit https://partner.microsoft.com/global/trainingevents/wwpartnerconference
2. Register to attend the conference.
3. During the online registration process, you will be asked if you are alumni and you need to answer "yes" to qualify for offer (No code needed).
4. Note that the special alumni registration rate expires on April 28!
I will be in Houston all week and we will have a number of HTG events during the week as well, starting with an HTGALL session on Sunday July 6 from 3-6 pm at the Holiday Inn Convention Center. See you in Houston!
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