As you look at your 2020 calendar and investigate which conferences are worth investing in, there are a few ways to narrow your search. You might want to pick a specific subject area where you need to ramp up your knowledge, skills, and resources. Those areas might include IT Ops, cybersecurity, or the new IT discipline of cyber protection, which covers both. You might also want to look more broadly to determine which opportunities might best fit your business.
No matter where you are in your business’ evolution or how large or small your organization is, the most beneficial conferences offer opportunities to learn, network, and explore – enabling you to meet the IT pros who have been in your shoes. After all, learning from others' mistakes, gaining actionable insights from experts, and seeing the advances in tools offered by vendors is the best way to make your business more productive, more profitable, and better prepared for the future.
Here’s a list of the top 16 conferences designed to help the channel realize new growth in 2020 – and beyond.
Meetup Opportunities Backup and Disaster Recovery Meetups: 44 groups with 4,226 members Cloud Computing Meetups: 8,454 groups with 5,193,561 members Software as a Service Meetups: 2,239 groups with 1,204,943 members Year-round Conferences ASCII IT Success Summits @asciigroup, #ASCIISUCCESS February-October Nine cities in the United States and Canada: Long Beach, Houston, Washington DC, Chicago, Cincinnati, Toronto, Atlantic City, Boston, and Orlando asciievents.com Who should attend: MSPs Cost to attend: Gated form directs you to event packages ASCII IT Success Summits are business building events where managed service providers (MSPs) come together to learn best practices, network, find new revenue streams and stay current with the latest industry trends. Events are open to all managed service providers and IT providers who manage SMBs in North America. They provide attendees with access to other peer business owners and technology vendors in the channel. Microsoft Ignite: The Tour @MS_Ignite #MSIgnite #MSIgniteTheTour January-December 30 cities across North America, Asia Pacific, Europe-Middle East-Africa, and Latin America microsoft.com/en-us/ignite-the-tour/#cities Who should attend: ITOps, DevOps, Channel Partners Cost to attend: Free registration Microsoft’s conference is hitting the road this year with destinations across the globe. Developer attendees can join more than 350 industry experts and guest speakers to take part in more than 100 deep-dive sessions, technical training sessions, and workshops that highlight how DevOps professionals can build solutions, migrate and manage infrastructure, and connect with industry leaders and peers from their own communities. Q1 Conferences Channel Partners Conference and Expo #CPEXPO March 9-12 Las Vegas, NV, USA tmt.knect365.com/channel-partners-conference-expo Cost to attend: Gated form directs you to event packages
Attend one of the largest events for agents, MSPs, VARs, integrators, consultants, and service providers. You can expect to network, vet supplier solutions, and attend sessions geared toward the channel’s hottest topics, issues and opportunities while gaining new skills taught by expert presenters.
CloudFest 2020 @CloudFest, #CloudFest March 14 – 19 Europa Park, Germany cloudfest.com Cost to attend:
- Standard Pass: 399€
- VIP Pass: 1,199€
CloudFest 2020 is the second in a three-year themed arc. While the 2019 event focused on hyperscale enablement, 2020 will focus on how AI helps IT businesses maximize the potential that hypervisor partnership offers. Specifically, CloudFest 2020 will explore how the cloud industry is preparing for the AI evolution in terms of technology, oversight, economics, and morality – and how attendees can be in the driver’s seat when it does. Themed tracks will include cybersecurity, AI-driven uptime, sales and marketing, AI reselling, and AI and the human brain.
MSP World Reimagined 2020 #MSPWorld March 15-17 New Orleans, LA, USA mspworldconference.com Cost to attend:
- MSPs Early Bird (until January 31): $199
- Non-MSP/Vendors: $999
Since its inception, MSPWorld has prided itself on its single, vendor-agnostic focus of supporting managed service providers and their respective ecosystems. In 2020, the conference is expected to bring together all relevant members of the IT community in a cohesive, free-flowing, educational and business development environment. If you’re interested in the MSP industry, looking for an opportunity to network, develop partnerships and alliances, evaluate new and existing technology enabling vendors, and learn how to meet the needs of the IT business consumer, this conference is one to consider.
Q2 Conferences
Connect IT Global #ConnectIT May 4-7 Las Vegas, NV, USA connectit.com Cost to attend:
- Early Bird: $750 (by January 31)
- Standard Registration: $850 (January 1 – April 10)
- Late Registration: $950 (April 11 – May 14)
Connect IT brings together thousands of leading IT professionals, business owners, and industry leaders to discuss the ever-evolving march of information technology and its impact on modern business. Attend to dig into the latest trends affecting managed service providers and internal IT teams, and collaborate to set the course of IT Management for the future. The agenda is rich with interactive sessions, in-depth training, socializing, and an exploration of the latest technology solutions – designed to give IT professionals a focused and efficient way to extract more value from the tools they rely on.
Tech Select Partner Conference @Tech_Data #TechSelect May 5-8 Louisville, KY, USA content.techselect.techdata.com/events/upcoming-events Cost to attend: TBA
If you want to dive into new facets of key markets, Tech Select’s Partner Conferences are a good place to get clarity around how to leverage social media and PR to your best advantage. Attendees will discover how to strengthen their position by partnering with Tech Data’s e-business and end-user marketing experts. Plus, they’ll gain valuable insights related to TechSelect’s pillars: culture, wealth, marketing, and services.
Ingram Micro Cloud Summit 2020 #IngramMicro #CloudSummit May 12-14 Miami Beach, FL, USA cloudsummit.ingrammicrocloud.com Cost to attend:
- Early Bird: $750 (by January 31)
- Standard Registration: $850 (January 1 – April 10)
- Late Registration: $950 (April 11 – May 14)
Ingram Micro’s Cloud Summit promises to help build and expand your channel revenue dramatically by giving you access to one of the world’s most powerful cloud-buying networks. You’ll join 2,000+ cloud professionals, including the top global resellers, service providers and vendors, and hear from industry pros (that have included SAP’s CEO, VMware’s COO and Morgan Stanley’s vice chairman) and be among the first to see the latest in SaaS, IaaS, XaaS and IoT technologies in action. Attendees can expect to get go-to-market resources and cloud expertise, gaining what they need to deliver the solutions customers need today.
Cisco Live #ciscolive May 31-June 4 Las Vegas, NV, USA ciscolive.com/us.html Cost to attend:
- Full Conference: $2,595 (register by March 9), $2,395 (March 10-April 13), $2,595 (April 14-May30), $2,795 (May 31-June 4)
- IT Management: $2,695 (register by March 9), $2,795 (March 10-April 13), $2,995 (April 14-May30), $3,195 (May 31-June 4)
- Explorer: $695 (register by April 13), $725 (April 14-May30), $795 (May 31-June 4)
Cisco Live is Cisco’s annual customer and partner conference. It’s designed to give attendees the latest knowledge and skills about go-to technologies, as well as how to leverage new ones required to approach the digital future with confidence. Attendees can expect to gain an education, make connections, and go home more inspired. From technical education to future-focused thought leadership, 1:1 meetings with Cisco experts to connecting with Cisco partners, Cisco Live is the place to transform your outlook, career, and potential by learning directly from Cisco’s best and brightest.
Q3 Conferences
SpiceWorks SpiceWorld 2020 #SpiceWorldATX September 15-17 Austin, TX, USA spiceworks.com/spiceworld Cost to attend: Gated form directs you to event packages
For 12 years SpiceWorld has brought together thousands of IT pros and hundreds of tech brands to build connections, enhance learning and help each other tackle everyday challenges. This three-day event features how-to sessions, peer networking, and tangible interaction with the latest IT products and solutions.
IT Arena @LvivITArena #itarena2020 September 25-27 Lviv, Ukraine itarena.ua Cost to attend: TBA
IT Arena is a tech event with a global outlook and scale. Productive networking, business matchmaking, and a festive spirit are IT Arena trademarks. Three intensive conference days catalyze exponential growth and inspire new solutions and business ideas. IT Arena expands the limits, uniting global tech in Ukraine.
Channel Partners Evolution @Channel_Online #CPEvolution Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center Orlando, FL, USA channelpartnersevolution.com Cost to attend: TBD
Billed as a channel event for forward-thinking MSPs, VARs, agents, integrators, and consultants, Channel Partners Evolution is a three-day event that focuses on the industry’s hottest topics. In 2019, these included 5G, business strategies, careers, innovative technology, marketing, security, and Wi-Fi 6. Multiple programs, receptions, and an awards show create plenty of networking opportunities.
Hosting and Cloud Transformation Summit @451Research #HCTS October 5-7 Las Vegas, NV, USA 451research-hcts.com Cost to attend: TBA
To address the imminent broader production phase of cloud deployment – and the business benefits that will expand beyond cost-savings and agility – the 2020 Hosting and Cloud Transformation Summit (HCTS) will dive deep into how to attendees can facilitate “better, faster, more valuable” outcomes using cloud technologies. Specifically, participants can expect to explore how DevOps and cloud-native techniques will drive more secure, stable and scalable infrastructure. Trademark analyst and executive sessions are still being planned but can be expected to frame the three-day program, with numerous networking opportunities to foster critical relationships in addition.
Tech Select Partner Conference #TechSelect @Tech_Data October 6-9 Phoenix, AZ, USA content.techselect.techdata.com/events/upcoming-events Cost to attend: TBA
Tech Select’s Fall Partner Conference offers clarity for leveraging social media and PR to your best advantage. As always, attendees will learn how to strengthen their position by partnering with Tech Data’s e-business and end-user marketing experts. Plus, they’ll gain valuable insights related to TechSelect’s pillars: culture, wealth, marketing, and services.
Q4 Conferences
Acronis Global Cyber Summit 2020 @Acronis #AcronisCyberSummit October 19-22 Miami, FL, USA acronis.events/summit2020 Cost to attend: TBA
The Acronis Global Cyber Summit is bringing together the world’s largest community of cyber protection professionals for a two-and-a-half-day global conference committed to the improved protection of critical data assets and systems. Featuring business and thought leaders from around the world, it is the must-attend event for managed-IT service providers, IT infrastructure managers, CIOs, ISVs, and developers. Attendees will learn the latest about how artificial intelligence, blockchain, and cloud services can help protect against loss and security breaches.
IT Nation Connect @ConnectWise #itnationconnect November 11-13 Orlando, FL, USA connectwise.com/theitnation/connect-na Cost to attend:
- Starts at: $750
- Group Rates Available: contact for details
IT Nation Connect is for companies that sell, support, and service technology. Over 125 in-depth breakout sessions provide updates on the latest industry trends, while business-boosting keynotes offer valuable, actionable advice, and over 100 exhibitors showcase the tools they offer to help organizations succeed. IT Nation Connect is designed to help businesses work on their business – not just within it – to advance.
AWS re:Invent @awscloud #reInvent November 30 - December 4 Las Vegas, NV, USA reinvent.awsevents.com Cost to attend: TBA
Amazon’s re:Invent event gives AWS developers and customers a chance to discuss new products and features, and explore how different tools can be leveraged for cloud, IT, and cybersecurity needs. Featuring keynotes, training sessions, certification opportunities, and networking activities, the user conference is ideal for AWS customers, developers and engineers, system administrators, and systems architects.
Microsoft Ignite #Microsoft #IgniteTour2020 Date and location: TBA microsoft.com/en-us/ignite Cost to attend: TBA
Microsoft’s Ignite developers’ conference provides the latest insights and skills from the technology leaders and practitioners who are shaping the future of cloud, data, business intelligence, teamwork, and productivity. Attendees learn innovative ways to build solutions and migrate and manage their infrastructure. Connect with over 25,000 people focused on software development, security, architecture and IT – and explore hands-on ways to innovate in areas like security, cloud, and hybrid infrastructure and development.
About Acronis
Acronis is a Swiss company, founded in Singapore. Celebrating two decades of innovation, Acronis has more than 1,800 employees in 45 locations. The Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud solution is available in 26 languages in over 150 countries and is used by 20,000 service providers to protect over 750,000 businesses.
