ConnectWise†provided a preview of†IT Nation Connect 2019, its premier event for companies that sell, support, and service technology, including some changes based on ConnectWise’s new CEO, Jason Magee’s long-term vision for the event. The conference, to be held Oct. 30 to Nov. 1 at the Hyatt Regency in Orlando, Fla., will feature a new mainstage keynote time, new launch sessions for content tracks, exciting onsite and offsite events, and more.
“This year’s IT Nation Connect promises to be one of the best yet, with some exciting changes from past events that I think attendees will appreciate,” said Magee. “At the same time, we plan to continue focusing on what has made Connect a ‘must-attend event’ for service providers, and that is providing the best-thought leadership, content, and speakers in the industry. And, continuing our commitment to last year, Connect remaining open to everyone – including our competitors.”
What’s New to IT Nation Connect 2019
As a departure from previous Connect conferences, the ConnectWise keynote will take place on Wednesday evening instead of Thursday morning. CEO Jason Magee and other members of the executive team will address attendees from the mainstage, unveiling a series of significant and impactful announcements.
Sixty-seven percent of the 2019 MSP 501 list reported using a ConnectWise product. New this year, ConnectWise is partnering with†Channel Futures†to announce which of the 338 partners on the annual ranking will be named the first-ever ConnectWise MSP 501 Partner of the Year award. During IT Nation Connect, Jason Magee and Kris Blackmon, senior editor for the MSP 501 and content director for†Channel Futures, will make this announcement from mainstage.
On Thursday morning, in place of the traditional ConnectWise keynote, the IT Nation will hear from five of the industry’s founders, during a special mainstage panel session. The Founder’s Panel will be moderated by ChannelE2E Editor Joe Panettieri and will include Arnie Bellini, Arlin Sorensen, Gerald Blackie, co-founder of Kaseya, and Laurie Benson, founder of Inacom. These legends will discuss the origins of the industry, what it was like to be a trailblazer in the MSP industry, share personal experiences and stories and provide their insight on what the future holds.
This year’s Connect will also feature new launch sessions for each of the†six specialized content tracks. Held on Wednesday, Oct. 30, these launch sessions will help members of the IT Nation make the most of the provided content, aid in planning which sessions to attend within the specialized content track of choice and guidance on how to apply the conference learnings into their businesses. †
“These new launch sessions are really about helping attendees make the most of their investment in the conference – we want them to have fun, but more importantly, we want them to apply what they’ve learned,” said Corie Leaman, Director of IT Nation Events for ConnectWise.
The offsite party has historically taken place on Thursday night, but this year it will be on Friday night, Nov. 1 at Universal’s Islands of Adventure. Members of the IT Nation will have exclusive access to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade, Skull Island: Reign of Kong, and Jurassic Park.
Continuing a Great Tradition
In addition to the exciting changes at this year’s IT Nation Connect, ConnectWise is continuing with the tradition of several aspects that have made it the premier service provider event of the year. This includes bringing back big names like Paul Dippell and Gary Pica, as well as providing access to ConnectWise executives and other familiar faces.
This year’s Connect will once again feature the M&A Deal Crawl, an event for a limited number of qualified buyers or sellers to meet in person – incorporating what was learned at IT Nation Connect 2018 as well as IT Nation Connect Australia earlier this year – and making it even better for participants.
IT Nation Connect 2019 remains open to everyone, including competitors of ConnectWise. Already signed up to exhibit at the solutions pavilion are NinjaRMM, BrightGauge, QuoteWerks, Rapidfire Tools, Datto, Continuum, ITGlue and many more.†
Another highlight from past Connect conferences that will continue at this year’s event is the keynote address from a business thought leader. This year will feature Daniel Pink, author of†When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing and†Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us.
