Our travels are nearly complete for a while. After some fun in the sun in Hawaii and a quick trip to Miami, we’ll finally head home tomorrow morning for some much needed rest. We’ve met a lot of amazing people, made some great connections that should lead to mutually beneficial, long-term partnerships, and we leave with zero regrets (except maybe not winning the drawing for the Ford Mustang earlier this afternoon)!

That said, perhaps the best thing about conferences like the ITExpo and Pacific Telecommunications Council Conference that we attended in recent weeks is the chance to become more and more familiar with the emerging trends and technology affecting our sector in the future. There is a pulse of energy–a hum that is turning into a roar–letting attendees know in what directions the Hi-Tech sector is headed and what the impact will be from local communities to international markets.

As luck would have it, the upcoming Channel Partners Conference in Las Vegas is the perfect opportunity to take this new knowledge and forge meaningful partnerships for the future. And since the Conference is still almost a month away, we have plenty of time to take in all that has happened in the last couple of weeks and work out a real strategy for our organization. Where are our new opportunities coming from?  Are there challenges we face that we aren’t addressing head on?  How can we leverage our core expertise and offerings to be a more efficient, more effective organization for our customers and clients?

Here are six things we are looking forward to at the 2014 Channel Partners Conference and Expo at the end of February.

  1. Seeing where the Channel is thriving.  Leveraging the channel for partnerships, amplified sales, and promotional efforts is a mainstay of successful IT and telecommunications businesses. Having a chance to interact with both those working in the channel and those supplying the goods and services is a great chance to further understand where technology is headed in the enterprise.
  2. Presentation of the winners of the 2013 Circle of Excellence.  The Channel Partners Conference cuts straight to the chase in honoring exceptional members from the previous year. This year’s conference will kick off with almost 3,500 attendees acknowledging the most recent winners on Wednesday afternoon.

    Attendees at the channel partner conference 2012

    Sessions at the conference are instructive about the direction IT is headed.
    Image courtesy of Tech.co

  3. The innaugural  Channel Partner Awards dinner.  Wednesday night will be a chance to see which partners, large and small, are putting together excellent solutions for clients and customers. While it’s nice to honor others, we’ll also be taking note of what ideas and solutions are providing value in other places.
  4. Shark Tank!  Thursday afternoon a group of channel partners will take the stage to answer tough questions about why their offerings are worth selling. While this should be a fun spin on the popular television show, it’s going to be great to hear why these services and products may be a great fit for partners to sell.
  5. Selling Techniques Luncheon.  On Thursday there will be two luncheons focused on selling new IT solutions. One will focus on communication sales, while the other will address Hybrid Cloud selling.   We’re always interested in hearing how our colleagues are addressing value instead of simply talking about cost when it comes to IT sales.
  6. Las Vegas.  Any list about a conference in Las Vegas wouldn’t be complete without at least a little discussion of the city’s attractions! The conference is being held at the majestic Venetian Resort Hotel and Casino. The Venetian has great gaming and amazing restaurants, along with welcoming rooms and a gracious staff.

    Venetian Hotel and Resort

    The Venetian is a great place to attend a conference in Las Vegas.
    Image courtesy of Vegas Bellhop

We’re thankful for the respite after attending two amazing conferences in recent weeks. But we are also thankful that we’ll soon have a chance to meet with manufacturers and service providers responsible for creating and growing markets in fascinating new areas and arenas. From telecom to cloud computing, from VOIP to network security, the 2014 Channel Partners Conference and Expo is going to offer plenty of new knowledge and partnerships to all those who attend. We can’t wait! Until then, click here to learn how Mosaic NetworX works with channel partners to deliver amazing solutions to clients and customers!