Along with a meteoric sonic boom and statewide tornado drill, ChannelPro LIVE: Columbus brought big energy to the Ohio city. MSPs, MSSPs, and other IT channel partners gathered March 17–18 at the Renaissance Columbus Westerville-Polaris for two days of actionable insights and networking. The event delivered a blueprint for scaling MSP businesses, improving operations, and turning cybersecurity and compliance into profitable revenue streams.
Huge MSP turnout in Columbus, OH
From business-focused sessions to workshops to vendor-led demonstrations, ChannelPro LIVE provided Columbus-area IT providers with the tools and insights needed to grow and compete more effectively in today’s evolving channel landscape.
“The presentations were very topical and helpful for MSPs right now, especially around growth and how they should be working with customers,” said Joe McGuire, chief solutions and revenue officer of IT consulting firm MTMG Inc. “A lot of MSPs don’t take the time to think about those things because they’re busy putting out fires day to day. This event gives them a chance to step back, think strategically, and get really practical advice.”
Momentum Grows on Day 1
The conference opened with registration and welcome remarks from The ChannelPro Network Founder and Publisher, Michael Siggins. This set the tone for an agenda focused on practical strategies for scaling a successful MSP business.
The Bourbon Icebreaker: How to Choose the Right Security Tools
Cybersecurity breakout session with Henry Timm
Kicking off the educational sessions was The Bourbon Icebreaker. Over sips of bourbon, Bradley Gross of Law Office of Bradley Gross, PA; Nate Sheen of Astoria; and Scott Verbus of Linear 1 Technologies chatted about choosing the best security tools. The panelists shared what MSPs really should look for when selecting and justifying cybersecurity tools, from stack decisions to budget strategy. Audience members joined in with their own insights.
Breakout Sessions Inspire Conversation
Following the icebreaker, simultaneous breakout sessions offered tactical insights:
- Evaluating the Threat Landscape unpacked the latest data and translated it into action for MSPs. Henry Timm of Phantom Technology Solutions and Dawn Sizer of 3rd Element Consulting joined forces to lead this hands-on session.
- Sticky by Design explored how MSPs can drive client loyalty through security-first practices. Verbus and his business partner/wife, Lesley Verbus, shared practical ways to strengthen client relationships.
- Dissecting Your Incident Response Plan featured Sheen and Stephen Haley of CompliancePoint Inc. They walked through incident response plans logically and practically. This served as a reminder that a solid plan of action saves your company data and its reputation.
- You Are the First Line of Defense, also led by Sizer and Timm, laid out why MSP leaders themselves are prime cyber targets. Attendees walked away with practical steps to strengthen their own security and safeguard their clients.
Vendors Druva and Slide also presented breakout sessions on how their solutions help MSPs better serve their clients.
Actionable Insights from the Vendor Community
Shortly thereafter, attendees filed back into the main stage room for The Truth About MSP Growth: What the Data Actually Shows. In this presentation, sponsored by N-able, Chris Massey unpacked common growth myths using real-world go-to-market data from MSPs across North America. It provided attendees with practical takeaways grounded in what’s actually working at scale.
“We call it conventional wisdom. It’s, ‘We need to land twice as many deals to be able to double in size,’ or ‘We need to have this enterprise sales motion.’ The reality is that most MSPs are successful doing neither of those things. They’re creating larger deals and being more intentional about how they go to market,” Massey told ChannelPro. “There’s no easy button to sales or growth. My message was to get them thinking about where they want to be a year or two from now and how to get there by trying something different.”
His message underscored a recurring theme throughout the event. Growth requires intention, not just effort.
Fun on the expo hall floor
Day 1’s educational content concluded with a vendor panel moderated by ChannelPro’s Matt Whitlock. It featured experts from Absolute Security, Cylerian, Channel Hunters, Slide, and Siren Security. They tackled the macro-forces reshaping the MSP landscape: consolidation, compliance, pricing pressure, and tool sprawl.
Networking and Cocktails
The day finished with a St. Patrick’s Day-themed cocktail reception. Partners and exhibitors mingled and chatted over drinks and appetizers.
“I like the genuine, authentic conversations that we have with the leaders of these MSPs,” said Gene Kim, vice president of managed service providers at Absolute Security, one of the vendor panelists. “When I speak at these events and sit down and have drinks with these folks, I really get to learn a lot about their businesses. It’s a more intimate setting where we’re able to have longer, more substantive conversations with decision-makers within MSPs.”
Day 2: Data, Automation, and Business Best Practices
The second day opened with another round of remarks from Siggins. Sessions then leaned into data management, selling techniques, and cybersecurity strategy.
AI and Automation Are Top of Mind
Day 2’s educational sessions began with Selling With Insight: Using Data to Find Hidden Revenue. Expert panelists Timm and Haley unpacked how MSPs can dig into ticket trends, asset details, and technology gaps to uncover opportunities.
MSP Attorney Brad Gross
Several in-depth vendor presentations on trends followed. Then, expert panelists Sizer and Sheen discussed How to Automate Your MSP and Scale with AI. They laid out the clear distinctions between AI and automation. They also revealed how they use automation in their own businesses to save time and then layer in AI elements as needed. Audience members chimed in with their own winning strategies.
Afternoon Highlights: Pitch Edition to Legal Reality
Channel’s Got Talent: Cybersecurity Pitch Edition brought fun and surprising insights as MSP peers presented their service pitches with real-time feedback from judges Verbus, Sizer, and Timm.
Chris Buckingham of Solve CXO was joined by Ohio-based attendees Michael W. Gross of Engrossed Advisory, Adam Jackson of TechVera, and Iszy Ucker of Astoria. All four were judged on their pitching skills to imaginary prospective new clients. In the end, the audience voted Buckingham as the winner.
Then, Gross’ popular solo presentations covered the legal implications of AI liability and legal issues facing local MSPs. His overarching point: success in the IT channel requires careful adherence to laws and regulations, not just technical prowess.
In the closing keynote, The 4th Quarter Speech, Dave Wilkeson of MSP Advisor tied together conference themes and left attendees with a roadmap for tangible improvements in strategy, sales, and operations. Wilkeson’s remarks summarized the two-day MSP experience and wrapped up the educational content on a strongly positive note.
“Connecting with the community is always a highlight, but there was also a lot of great content from both the speakers and the people in the room,” Buckingham shared. “You can really see the paradigm shift happening in the industry with AI, data, and digital transformation. Some of the messaging around how MSPs need to get out of their own way as owner-operators really stood out.”
Partner in Excellence Award
As Day 2 drew to a close, Siggins presented the coveted Partner in Excellence Award to an outstanding local MSP. Selected by its Advisory Group, the honor recognizes exceptional channel partnerships based on impact, innovation, and collaboration.
(from left): Michael Siggins, Lesley Verbus, and Scott Verbus
This year’s Columbus nominees represented some of the most impressive IT services firms in Ohio and neighboring states, including Astoria, Linear 1 Technologies, Orchestrate Technologies, Clarity Technology Solutions, and TechVera.
The recipient was Linear 1 Technologies; its co-founders, the Verbuses, were honored. The MSP was nominated by EOS Worldwide and Pax8 in recognition of its forward-thinking approach to operational excellence. By fully embracing the EOS® framework and leveraging its distribution partnership with Pax8, Linear 1 Technologies streamlined operations, improved client alignment, and built a more scalable, efficient business that drives consistent results for its clients.
The couple also successfully leaned into their own individual strengths, with Scott Verbus as the visionary and Lesley Verbus as the integrator. Together, they made the company stronger overall. Linear 1 Technologies demonstrates how modern MSPs can achieve great things through partnership, making it an industry leader very deserving of the award.
Industry Recognition
ChannelPro LIVE: Columbus concluded with special recognition for the event’s sponsors. Awards were presented to the following vendors, as voted by the Ohio audience members:
- Best Breakout Session: Slide
- Best Add-on Product: Atakama
- Best Cloud Solution: Thread
- Best Distributor: TD SYNNEX
- Best Expo Hall Presentation (Premium Sponsors): Kaseya
- Best Expo Hall Presentation (Silver Sponsors): Channel Hunters
- Best Hardware Solution: Carbon Systems
- Best New Solution: Atakama
- Best On-stage Presentation: Kaseya
- Best Product or Platform: ThreatLocker
- Best Revenue Booster: Channel Hunters
- Best Security Solution: ThreatLocker
- Best Software Solution: Cloaked
- Most Exciting Solution: Intufo
- ROI Lightning Round Winner: Slide
- Editor’s Choice: Cylerian
- Best in Show: Slide
Sponsors Make It Happen
Many thanks to the world-class sponsors of ChannelPro LIVE: Columbus.
Looking Ahead
If you are an MSP, MSSP, IT consultant, or VAR serving SMBs, ChannelPro events are designed to help you grow your business.
There are six more stops on ChannelPro’s 2026 in-person event schedule. Each conference offers even more opportunities for MSPs to learn, connect, and grow. Next up, ChannelPro LIVE: Charlotte is coming to North Carolina in April.
Not near one of our event cities? MSPs nationwide can join virtual events and webinars from their own homes or offices. If you’re concerned about frivolous lawsuits and compliance audits, check out the next ChannelPro DEEP DIVE online event: Next Level Cybersecurity. Each event is designed to be interactive, content-rich, and profitability-focused.
Don’t miss these great opportunities to sharpen your strategy and drive better results. To learn more and register now, visit the ChannelPro events page.
Jonathan Browning contributed to this article.
Anjali Fluker is senior channel editor for The ChannelPro Network, where she covers news, trends, and best practices for the MSP community. She specializes in telling the stories that matter to IT providers serving the SMB market. When she’s not reporting on the latest in managed services, she’s connecting with channel pros at industry events across the country.
Images: Michael Siggins, Anjali Fluker, Joel Zaidspiner, and Matt Whitlock
