The most prevalent theme at ChannelPro LIVE: Charlotte this week was establishing a roadmap for growth. North Carolina MSPs received practical strategies to find their way.
Across two packed days at the Hilton Charlotte University Place, MSPs from across the Carolinas and Southeast gathered for a hands-on look at what’s working right now. From sharpening recurring revenue strategies to turning cybersecurity and AI into real business drivers, partners found plenty of takeaways to implement immediately.
ChannelPro LIVE events are built for that kind of real-world impact. Sessions centered on profitability, automation, compliance, and scaling smarter, not just bigger.
“Events like this are essential,” said Ted Giesler, a North Carolina MSP and legislative committee chairman of the National Society of IT Service Providers. “MSPs are going to find out about new vendors and technology, which I always appreciate. But they’re going to find out what’s coming down the road and how to run more effective businesses.”
A Security-first Start
The first day of the event focused on cybersecurity, including a deep dive into risk mitigation, incident response, and building security-led growth strategies.
The Bourbon Icebreaker: How to Choose the Right Security Tools
Kicking off the educational sessions was The Bourbon Icebreaker. Over sips of bourbon, Bradley Gross of Law Office of Bradley Gross, PA, Lawrence Cruciana of Corporate Information Technologies, and Ronnie Parisella of Databit 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.
Dawn Sizer and Henry Timm share cybersecurity strategies in a breakout session.
- Embracing the Co-managed Security Opportunity explored how MSPs can capitalize on the growing demand by positioning themselves as trusted security partners. Cruciana and Pete Busam of Equilibrium Consulting shared how to structure roles alongside internal teams and turn collaboration into a scalable, profitable service offering.
- Dissecting Your Incident Response Plan paired Parisella and Cruciana, where 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 Partner Development Group and Slide also presented breakout sessions on how their solutions help MSPs better serve their clients.
Rather than treating cybersecurity as a standalone offering, sessions emphasized its role as a revenue engine. MSPs explored how to package security services more effectively, reduce client risk, and turn compliance requirements into recurring income streams—a theme that echoed throughout the event.
Actionable Insights from the Legal Industry and Vendor Community
Back in the main stage room, Gross took to the stage to tackle the legal implications of AI. He offered valuable guidance on how MSPs can protect themselves by strengthening contract language in MSAs and SOWs.
Then, attendees heard from vendors in a panel moderated by ChannelPro’s Matt Whitlock. The discussion, New Realities and Risks: How MSPs Can Protect Their Bottom Line, featured experts from Blacksmith Infosec, Channel Hunters, Cylerian, LogMeIn, and Slide. They tackled the macro-forces reshaping the MSP landscape: consolidation, compliance, pricing pressure, and tool sprawl.
Networking and Cocktails
The day finished with a cocktail reception, where partners and exhibitors mingled over drinks and appetizers.
“It’s been great event. There are lot of family businesses down here, which you don’t see as much up north in the New York, where I’m from. Regional differences are so interesting. But that’s good, because those are the kind of people we can help,” noted George Ballane, event sponsor and co-founder of T3 Tech Partners.
Day 2: Turning Strategy Into Revenue
If the opening day set the tone, Day 2 turned up the urgency.
Attendees were a key part of the conversations at ChannelPro LIVE: Charlotte.
Speakers and panels zeroed in on the fundamentals that separate stagnant MSPs from high-growth ones: pricing discipline, service standardization, and a willingness to evolve business models. Sessions on managed services sales and profitability reinforced that sustainable growth results from doing the right work at the right margins.
AI also took center stage. Attendees heard how forward-thinking service providers are using automation to streamline operations, improve customer experience, and unlock new service opportunities.
Mining Data, Legal Pitfalls Are Top of Mind
Day 2’s educational sessions began with Selling With Insight: Using Data to Find Hidden Revenue. Expert panelists Timm and Parisella unpacked how MSPs can dig into ticket trends, asset details, and technology gaps to uncover opportunities.
Several in-depth vendor presentations on trends followed. Then, Gross returned to the stage for a popular solo presentation covering legal issues facing local MSPs. His overarching point: success in the IT channel requires careful adherence to laws and regulations, not just technical prowess.
Afternoon Highlights: Pitch Edition to Automating Your MSP
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 Busam, Gross and Samuel Mascato of Sandler South Carolina-Performance Partners. Volunteers from among the event attendees were judged on their pitching skills to imaginary prospective new clients. In the end, the audience voted on the winner.
Samuel Mascato of Sandler South Carolina
Next, expert panelists Sizer and Parisella had a rousing discussion on 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.
Busam then offered a presentation on the topic Sticky By Design: How to Leverage Security to Build Client Loyalty. He talked about how MSPs can retain security clients by building trust through consistent communication and service delivery. Busam shared practical strategies for strengthening relationships and driving renewals without constantly having to resell their value.
Plus, Cruciana and Timm returned for a panel discussion on Expert Tips to Boost Profits: Start by Cutting Costs. They examined common cost drains that eat into MSP margins, from tool sprawl to inefficient operations. They also unveiled practical ways to cut expenses quickly and build a more profitable, sustainable business.
In the closing keynote, The 4th Quarter Speech, Mascato tied together conference themes and left attendees with tangible improvements in strategy, sales, and operations.
Real Conversations, Real Connections
Of course, ChannelPro LIVE isn’t just about sessions. Between workshops, panels, and the expo floor, attendees spent just as much time swapping ideas with peers and connecting with vendors.
That face-to-face time remains one of the event’s biggest draws. Whether it was discovering new tools, comparing notes on service delivery, or forming new partnerships, the networking opportunities were as actionable as the content itself.
“There were a lot of ideas I’ve had that were validated, and it gave us a lot of things to take back and start on tomorrow,” shared Justin Pastor, director of service delivery at Asheville, NC-based IT provider TSA Choice. “We’ve met some new partners and got some new tools that we’re going to implement. It was great and definitely worth the sacrifice of not being in the office for two days.”
Partner in Excellence Award
As Day 2 drew to a close, ChannelPro Founder and Publisher Michael Siggins — the event emcee — 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.
The nominees represented some of the most impressive IT services firms in North Carolina and neighboring states. The nominee companies were: BlueAlly, Carolinas NetCare, Georgia Technologies, I.T. Worx, Logic Speak, Net Friends, and T3 MSP.
The award recipient was Net Friends; its CEO John Snyder was honored. The MSP was nominated by Rewst in recognition of its forward-thinking approach to operational excellence. Net Friends’ disciplined use of automation saves roughly 400 hours per month, allowing each technician to support more than 225 users, well above industry norms.
Industry Recognition
ChannelPro LIVE: Charlotte concluded with special recognition for the event’s sponsors. Awards were presented to the following vendors, as voted by the audience members from the Carolinas:
- Best Sponsor Breakout Session: Partner Development Group
- Best Add-on Product: Blacksmith Infosec
- Best Cloud Solution: Cloud IBR
- Best Distributor: TD SYNNEX
- Best Expo Hall Presentation (Premium Sponsors): Blacksmith Infosec
- Best Expo Hall Presentation (Silver Sponsors): T3 Tech Partners
- Best Hardware Solution: Slide
- Best New Solution: ServiceQ.AI
- Best On-stage Presentation: US Signal
- Best Product or Platform: Kaseya
- Best Revenue Booster: Channel Hunters
- Best Security Solution: ThreatLocker
- Best Software Solution: Atakama
- Most Exciting Solution: Cylerian
- ROI Lightning Round Winner: Slide
- Editor’s Choice: Avast
- Best in Show: Slide
Sponsors Make It Happen
Many thanks to the world-class sponsors of ChannelPro LIVE: Charlotte.
What’s Next
If you are an MSP, MSSP, IT consultant, or VAR serving SMBs, ChannelPro events are designed to help you grow your business.
There are five 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 DEFEND: Chicago is coming to Schaumburg, IL in May.
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.
Anjali Fluker contributed to this article.
Jonathan Browning is executive director of content and engagement for The ChannelPro Network. He has been a leader in the IT channel for close to a decade. He’s an avid fan and early adopter of technology and believes that the managed services industry is the most important driver of economic growth and human innovation.
Images: Michael Siggins, Jonathan Browning
