As much of the IT channel prepares to converge at CompTIA Breakaway (Aug. 3-6, Las Vegas), I’m keeping one eye on CompTIA’s Managed IT Services Summit, planned for October in Southern California. The reason: The event will be presented in partnership with MSP Partners — a clear indication that CompTIA and MSP Partners are serious about face-to-face conferences. Here’s some analysis.
First, a few disclosures: MSPmentor does consulting work from time to time for CompTIA. Also, we’ll be moderating sessions at Breakaway and we expect to attend/cover the CompTIA Managed IT Services Summit (Oct. 7-9, Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.). Although we don’t have a relationship with MSPAlliance, we continue to cover the organization and its members on the editorial front.
Quick Analysis
Now, some analysis. CompTIA and MSP Partners are essentially competing with the MSPAlliance’s MSPWorld Conference (Nov. 12-13, Las Vegas).
The events are contrasts in style. The MSPAlliance closely manages registration and media attendance for its events. On the upside, rogue bloggers like The VAR Guy can’t sneak in the back door and eat all the conference snackage. On the downside, media coverage of the event isn’t maximized.
CompTIA approaches the MSP and VAR markets from a different angle — opening up aggressively to a range of partners.
CompTIA Breakaway, for instance, has nine media sponsors and 10 industry partners. The approach ensures vast, viral event coverage across the web.
Based on the CompTIA-MSP Partners announcement, I suspect the “open” approach will continue at CompTIA’s Managed IT Services Summit. But more importantly, key MSP-oriented messages from the event — written by a range of media companies — will rapidly go viral across the web.
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Posted In: Events
Tags: Breakaway2009 | CompTIA Breakaway 2009 | CompTIA MSP Partners | Managed Services Conferences | Managed Services Events | MSP Partners | MSPAlliance | MSPAlliance MSPWorld | MSPWorld
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Joe, I know its difficult for you to answer this, but maybe a question for others. If you could only go to one Managed Services conference all year, what would it be and why? (Not including vendor conferences like Microsoft Partner Conference)
We dont have the time to hit everyone and Im curious for next year where we should be headed.
Hi Nick: I will be sure to offer up some thoughts after this week’s CompTIA Breakaway conference.
I would recommend one of the MSP Alliance MSP World conferences. They were doing managed services conferences before CompTIA had even heard of Managed Services. I am little biased though as I am on the MSP Alliance board.
I’d have to agree with Lane. One of the problems with Managed Services conferences in the past were that they offered very little for the “advanced” MSP. Most of the sessions were based around how to become an MSP, or how to develop a new or stuggling MSP business. One thing that I feel like MSP Alliance did right is they have three tracks at all their conferences that are geared towards the beginner, intermediate, and advanced MSP’s.
Before this year’s MSP World it was the “been there, heard that” conference for 90% of the time, with a few new vendors thrown in.
I concur with Lane and John. MSP World, and its predecessors, really connected me to a lot of peers from whom I gained some critical advice. I’d love to have the time to do all of them, but MSPWorld in Vegas is on the books. And, like Lane, some disclosure: I’m on the education committee for the conference, although I felt very strongly about these conferences before I was appointed…
Jim I am glad you mentioned the Education Committee. This is something that I believe differentiates the MSP World events from others. Jim, myself and several other MSPs are on the Education Committee for the MSP Alliance. Our main goal is to continually improve the content / format of the MSP World conferences. The last conference was the 1st one that we were involved in and as John states our attendees were very happy with the new format. We are continuing to build on this success for the Las Vegas event.
For what it’s worth… I’ve witnessed the MSPAlliance Education Committee and their new format in action and shared my very positive impression (including pics) in this MSPAlliance blog post; http://www.mspalliance.com/blogs/kudos-mspalliance-education-committee
It’s great to hear that MSPAlliance has made improvements to MSPWorld. One key suggestion for MSPA, though: Open up more. Open up to the media in particular. We live in an age of open, real-time information. Blogs. Video, social media.
If MSPAlliance wants to remain relevant long-term, the need to open up to all media rather than hand-picking editors who can cover their shows.
Long live open dialog.