ChannelPro closed out February with a dynamic event in the Windy City — ChannelPro LIVE: Chicago.
The live event on Feb. 28-29 brought together a full house of managed service providers and IT consultants for networking and business-boosting educational sessions at the Hyatt Regency Schaumburg, Chicago. Notable channel experts, including those well known in the Chicago area, led interactive sessions throughout, kicking off ChannelPro’s 2024 regional tour.
The newly rebranded ChannelPro LIVE events focus on the topics that MSPs care about through tips, product demonstrations, and actionable items they can use to boost their businesses.
ChannelPro’s Michael Siggins served as the event master of ceremonies.
Along with the keynote speeches, panels, and presentations, there was a cocktail reception at the expo hall on the pre-day, and a main day expo luncheon, where attendees witnessed product demonstrations, took advantage of exclusive show specials, and learned about the latest partner programs from world-class vendors.
Additionally, the event’s pre-day activities introduced MSP Matchmaker, a panel exclusively for Chicagoland IT professionals. Local guests Kelly Stone of Channel Program, Christopher Vollmond-Carstens of Ntiva, and Adam Bielanski of MSP+OS offered tips, and listened to stories from and interacted with audience members on three topics: peer networking, choosing the right vendors, and mergers and acquisitions.
“We really wanted to focus on the power of networking and local connections at this event,” said Michael Siggins, ChannelPro founder and event master of ceremonies. “It is likely that a key partner for attendees’ future success was at this event, or within 100 miles of here. Our goal was to get our attendees to engage with as many local resources as possible.”
Tactics on Leadership, Partnerships, and Winning Strategies
Several industry leaders took to the stage to share advice and best practices on running a successful business and strengthening the industry at large. Among the presentations:
- Cultivating Leadership and Embracing Change, the pre-day keynote by Joanna Mirov, founder and legacy CEO of MXOtech (acquired by Ntiva in 2022). Mirov shared her story about how she built and sold a successful MSP.
Joanna Mirov’s keynote captivated the audience.
- Refurbishing & Donating Tech to Those in Need, a presentation by Loren Williams, PCs for the People regional account manager, who shared how clearing out stockpiles of unused hardware can benefit others.
- Shortening the Selling Cycle, a presentation by Karen Meracle of Sandler in the Chicago area, offering sales training tips on how to close deals or get out of talks that are going nowhere.
- Six Ways to Use AI to Improve Your MSP, a panel discussion on a hot topic by Bielanski and Blair Dawson of McDonald Hopkins, moderated by ChannelPro Tech Editor Matt Whitlock.
- Strategies for Winning Bigger Accounts, a panel discussion by Bob Coppedge of Simplex-IT and Stone, moderated by ChannelPro Executive Editor and Chief Content Strategist Jonathan Browning.
- Secrets to Onboarding Clients Successfully, a panel discussion by Mirov and Will Young of Bering McKinley, moderated by Browning.
- How NOT to Get Fired by Your Clients, a panel discussion by Bielanski and Mirov, moderated by Browning.
- Elevating Managed Services with Comprehensive Education and Partnerships, a panel discussion with Silver Sponsors Chris Walter of Avast Business and Roger Burke Sr. of Huntress, moderated by ChannelPro Senior Channel Editor Anjali Fluker.
- The Right Approach to Cybersecurity and Compliance Consulting, the closing keynote by Dawson, an acclaimed Chicagoland cybersecurity attorney and adjunct professor.
MSPs network with peers and chat with world-class vendors in the Expo Hall.
Vendor Awards
Event attendees voted to present these Chicago sponsors the following awards:
- ROI Lightning Round Winner: Island by PerfTech
- Best Cloud Solution: Kaseya IT Complete
- Best Security Solution: Huntress
- Best Hardware Solution: Island by PerfTech
- Best New Solution: Nanitor
- Best Software Solution: ConnectWise
- Best Add-on Product: Avast Business and Acronis (tie)
- Best On-stage Presentation: Kaseya IT Complete
- Best Expo Hall Presentation (Premium): Galactic Advisors
- Best Expo Hall Presentation (Silver): Huntress and Barracuda (tie)
- Best Distributor: TD SYNNEX
- Best Product or Platform: Kaseya IT Complete
- Most Exciting Solution: Galactic Advisors
- Best in Show: Kaseya IT Complete
- Editor’s Choice Award: Vicarius
Sponsors Make It Happen
Many thanks to the world-class sponsors of ChannelPro LIVE: Chicago:
TITANIUM
GOLD
SILVER
SILVER CLASSIC
BRONZE
COCKTAIL RECEPTION HOSTS
ASSOCIATION PARTNERS
Join Us Again
Next up on the 2024 ChannelPro event schedule are two events, one virtual and another in person:
March 19: ChannelPro Product Round-Up: Driving MSP Profits with Cutting Edge Products, offering actionable strategies for MSPs to harness tools to drive profit margins and elevate service quality in a competitive market. Register here.
April 10-11: ChannelPro LIVE: Orlando at the Marriott Orlando Airport Lakeside in Central Florida. Register here.
If you are an IT integrator, managed services provider, consultant, or VAR serving small and medium businesses, these events are designed specifically to help you grow your business. To learn more, visit the ChannelPro events page.
