MSPs’ opportunities are growing, but so are the risks. That theme of balance was front and center at ChannelPro LIVE: Parsippany, where IT channel professionals gathered Aug. 11-12 for two days of education, peer discussion, vendor discovery and networking.
Across sessions at the Hilton Parsippany in New Jersey, channel professionals tackled some of the biggest issues shaping MSP businesses today: cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, legal risk, automation, profitability and the search for new recurring revenue.
The real value of ChannelPro LIVE went beyond what happened on stage. MSPs compared notes with peers, questioned industry experts and met vendors that could help them solve business and technology challenges.
“I love coming here to network with local MSPs and, obviously, keep up with a lot of the things that are going on in the MSP and technology industry,” said Michael Hornby, CEO of Edison, New Jersey-based Techmentum.
Security risks become business opportunities
Day 1 put cybersecurity front and center.
The Bourbon Icebreaker kicked off the event.
The Bourbon Icebreaker: How to Choose the Right Security Tools opened the educational program over sips of bourbon. ChannelPro’s Jonathan Browning joined MSP Stanley Louissaint of Fluid Designs and MSSP Anthony Oren of Nero Consulting, along with attorney Brad Gross of Law Office of Bradley Gross, PA to discuss how providers can make smarter decisions about their security stacks.
ChannelPro’s Matt Whitlock followed that up with a panel discussion on New Realities and Risks: How MSPs Can Protect Their Bottom Line. Featured speakers from Channel Hunters, Cylerian, Kipling Secure, Red Sentry, Slide and Seceon shared their insights on how MSPs can serve clients more profitably.
From there, breakout sessions dug into the evolving threat landscape, client retention, ransomware containment, identity-first security, BCDR and new software opportunities.
- Henry Timm of Phantom Technology Solutions and Dawn Sizer of 3rd Element Consulting turned the spotlight inward during You Are the First Line of Defense: Cyber Hygiene for MSP Leaders.
- Louissaint teamed with Pete Busam of Equilibrium Consulting for Sticky by Design: How to Leverage Security to Build Client Loyalty.
- Technology vendors QuellSecure, Slide, Partner Development Group, Aura Business, Druva and Incite Automation provided demos and deep dives into how MSPs can get the most out of their products.
Gross closed the educational portion of the day by tackling the legal implications of AI for MSPs and their clients. His session explored how providers can address those risks in contracts and agreements before problems arise.
The evening concluded with a cocktail reception in the exhibit hall. This gave attendees, consultants and vendors more time to continue conversations started during the sessions.
“We want to meet everyone in the industry,” said Sandeep Uppaluri, co-founder and CEO of Squash AI, an event sponsor. “We want to make sure that they hear about Squash. But more importantly, we want to make sure that we’re getting feedback from everyone. We want to understand how they see the industry evolving.”
From data to dollars
Brad Gross discusses the legal risks of AI for MSPs.
On Day 2, the focus shifted toward putting technology and business strategies to work. The sessions revealed where MSPs can look for growth as well as potential opportunities to deepen client relationships and generate revenue.
In Selling With Insight: Using Data to Find Hidden Revenue, Browning joined Timm and Atul Bhagat of BASE Solutions to explore how MSPs can use information already inside their businesses. They revealed how things like ticket trends, asset data and security gaps can help MSPs identify sales opportunities and make stronger recommendations to clients.
Gross returned for a session focused specifically on legal issues facing New Jersey and Northeast MSPs.
The session How to Automate Your MSP and Scale with AI tackled the role of AI in MSP operations. Browning moderated the panel featuring Oren and Jonathan Goodman of Halyard Consulting. They emphasized that MSPs shouldn’t automate simply for automation’s sake. The better starting point is identifying inefficient workflows, improving the underlying process and then determining where automation and AI can produce measurable gains.
Learning from the people doing the work
Cybersecurity service pitches during Channel’s Got Talent
Some of the most useful lessons came directly from MSP owners, consultants and other channel professionals who deal with these challenges every day.
Channel’s Got Talent: MSP Pitch Edition put that idea into practice. Three volunteer participants in the competition delivered on-the-spot elevator pitches, received immediate feedback from a panel of judges and then got another shot at making their case.
Later, Sizer and Busam focused on the fundamental business issue of controlling costs. They identified common margin drains, including bloated tool stacks and inefficient service delivery. They also offered practical ways MSPs can improve profitability.
In the closing keynote, The 4th Quarter Speech, Melissa Hockenberry of First Things First Training and Consulting tied together conference themes and left attendees with steps for tangible improvements in strategy, sales and operations.
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. The honor recognizes exceptional channel partnerships, with finalists judged by the ChannelPro Advisory Group based on impact, innovation and collaboration..
The nominees represented some of the most impressive IT services firms in New York, New Jersey and neighboring states. The nominee companies were: Renner Brown, Titan Technologies LLC, Powersolution.com, CMIT Solutions Hackensack • Bergen North, Tekie Geek, MacSolutions+, SWK Technologies, Voicecom Plus and August eTech.
Bill Michael chats about his company’s success with Michael Siggins.
The award recipient was East Hanover, New Jersey-based SWK Technologies, which was nominated by Cyberleaf. Chief Information Officer Bill Michael accepted the award, joining Michael Siggins on stage for a question-and-answer session.
Industry recognition
ChannelPro LIVE: Parsippany concluded with special recognition for the event’s sponsors. Awards were presented to the following vendors, as voted by the audience members from the Northeast:
- Best Sponsor Breakout Session: Slide
- Best Add-on Product: CyberFOX
- Best Cloud Solution: iboss
- Best Distributor: TD SYNNEX
- Best Expo Hall Presentation (Premium Sponsors): Kaseya
- Best Expo Hall Presentation (Silver Sponsors): Griffin-IT
- Best Hardware Solution: CyberPower
- Best New Solution: QuellSecure
- Best On-stage Presentation: IRONSCALES
- Best Product or Platform: Slide
- Best Revenue Booster: FlexPoint
- Best Security Solution: Absolute Security
- Best Software Solution: Atakama
- Most Exciting Solution: CyberFOX
- ROI Lightning Round Winner: Slide
- Editor’s Choice: Virtua
- Best in Show: CyberFOX
- ChannelPro Community Award: FlexPoint
Real conversations, real connections
That combination of education, candid peer feedback and access to vendors is at the heart of ChannelPro LIVE. MSPs leave with ideas they can put to work, while vendors get the opportunity to hear directly from the partners and customers they serve.
And between breakouts, panels and the expo floor, those in attendance spent substantial time swapping ideas with peers and connecting with vendors. That face-to-face time is one of the event’s biggest draws for attendees as well as sponsors.
“A lot of it for us is keeping the brand in front of the VARs and MSPs,” said Syndigo Senior Account Executive Andrew Halbeck. “If you’re not at shows like this to keep your brand in front of people, it’s hard for them to know about you.”
“Historically speaking, MSPs are in an event-driven industry,” added Matt Solomon, co-founder of BetterTracker, a ChannelPro LIVE: Parsippany sponsor. “They want to see you at the events. They want to see you investing in the community.”
For MSPs navigating a rapidly changing market, sometimes the most valuable takeaway isn’t another product. It’s a better question, a new connection or an idea they can put into action as soon as they get home.
Sponsors make it happen
Many thanks to the world-class sponsors of ChannelPro LIVE: Parsippany.
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 three 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 heads to Virginia for ChannelPro DEFEND: Alexandria, Sept. 1-2.
Not near one of our event cities? MSPs nationwide can join virtual events and webinars from their own homes or offices. If you’re interested in how forward-thinking IT providers are benefiting from AI and automation, check out the next ChannelPro DEEP DIVE online event on Aug. 25. 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
