The Channel Partners Conference & Expo Industry Keynote will feature Christopher Dean, Chief Strategy Officer of Skype, on the subject of "Service Provider Transformation." The Industry Keynote address will take place Wednesday, Sept. 23, 1:30 – 2:30 p.m., and will also serve as the VON Conference & Expo closing keynote address. The VON Conference & Expo is co-located with the Channel Partners Expo in South Beach and runs Sept. 21 – 23. The combination of these two shows presents a unique opportunity to connect with the full spectrum of partners and customers.
Dean has 20 years of experience in business and corporate development, strategy consulting and advising startups. He specializes in deals to grow revenue, create new distribution channels and develop and launch new products. Dean has led several business development and strategy teams that have defined and prioritized strategic partner targets and identified, negotiated and closed partnerships. He was most recently the co-founder of Texada Capital and responsible for new business development. Earlier, he spent four years as the senior vice president of marketing and business development at Face Time communications, a leading vendor of security, management and control solutions for enterprise-oriented instant messaging.
The roles of carriers, network operators, ISPs, and independent telecom providers are being revolutionized as innovative new IP-based services and business models arise. That means the definition of what it means to be a "telecom service provider" today is up for grabs - Come hear what this well-known industry veteran has to say about all these topics and more.
The Fall 2009 Channel Partners Conference & Expo in Miami will include Hot Topic workshops as part of the education agenda. The Hot Topics were created after hearing your feedback/requests for longer and more in-depth education sessions that offer a more comprehensive look at the various subjects. The Hot Topic workshops will be on Carrier Ethernet, Hosted VoIP/Unified Communications (UC), 4G and Telecom Lifecycle Management (TLM). The Carrier Ethernet and Hosted VoIP sessions will take place Wednesday, Sept. 23, 3 – 4:45pm and the 4G and TLM sessions will take place Thursday, Sept. 24, 9:30 – 11:15 a.m. Each Hot Topic session will feature four speakers taking you through different components or aspects of each area of interest. The Hot Topic sessions do not require additional registration. Keep checking the Channel Partners web site for more education information.
The early bird gets the room ... ... and based on the “sold out” status of the Loews Miami Beach Hotel it would appear the channel is full of early risers!
The Loews Miami Beach Hotel, which was offering a discounted room rate for Channel Partners Expo participants, is already completely booked. But have no fear, show management has worked a deal with a second hotel to offer a discounted rate.
The neighboring Royal Palm South Beach Resort is leaving its lights on for Channel Partners Expo participants at a rate of just $185/night when you book by Aug. 22. The Royal Palm is a mere two-minute drive (or a 15-minute walk) from the Miami Beach Convention Center and is ideally situated in the South Beach Art Deco District. Click here for hotel contact information and to get more information on the limited time discounted room rate. See you in South Beach!
It is with mixed emotions that I announce my resignation from the position of senior vice president of PowerNet Global Communications.
After discussing this with my wife, Dawna, and with my family (and much prayer), I believe that it is time to pursue other goals.
I have been with PNG for almost 12 years and have enjoyed every moment of it. Together we created one of the most successful and innovative companies in telecommunications.
PNG was started in the basement of Bernie Stevens’ home. It is now a highly respected and stable company that does more than $100 million in sales. I am most proud of the fact that PNG is known in the industry as a company with integrity and that PNG can be trusted. I know that with the strong leadership team at PowerNet Global, the company will continue to grow and prosper.
I will be forever grateful to PNG for having given me the opportunity to be a part of the accomplishments and the great times we have had over the years. PNG is truly a family company. I will miss working with and seeing the wonderful people.
However, because it is an opportune time for someone else to lead PowerNet Global to greater heights, it is time for me to take myself to greater heights as an individual.
I will remain active in the industry as a consultant, speaker and a member of the PHONE+/Channel Partners Conference & Expo Advisory Board. (See you at the Channel Partners Conference & Expo in Miami this September.)
As Mark Twain said:
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
YOU Track is Coming Back to Channel Partners Miami
The Fall Channel Partners Conference is bringing back the YOU Track—an entire track of education sessions suggested and voted on by you. What session topics do you want to have in Miami? Let us know HERE.
The YOU Track survey will be open through April 17. After the survey closes we will compile of the suggested topics and let you vote on the topics we will present in Miami. The YOU Track was a great success in Las Vegas and we look forward to presenting more topics you want to learn about in Miami.
An online extension of the Channel Partners Conference & Expo, the Channel Partners Network group is dedicated to the indirect sales channel for communications products and services. Its charter is to provide an ongoing forum for indirect sales partners to network, share industry news and information, learn about new revenue opportunities, and influence the programming at the Channel Partners Conference & Expo, the industry’s only event exclusively for agents, brokers, VARs, dealers, interconnects, systems integrators and consultants.
“The membership traction we have seen in the early days of the Channel Partners Network only goes to show that the indirect sales channel is looking for ways to connect,” said Mike Saxby, group publisher for PHONE+. “Like the trade show, the online forum gives agents and their suppliers a way to network on a daily basis without leaving their desks.”
While the Channel Partners Network is a nascent group, Saxby said early participation shows potential. Group members already are discussing issues like incentives, compensation, lead generation and more.
“What’s interesting is that the group has not only become a forum for partners but also for suppliers seeking best practices in channel management,” said Saxby.
Membership in the Channel Partners Network is subject to approval. To request to join, click here or go to the LinkedIn Groups Directory and search for Channel Partners Network.
