Channel Surfing Blog 

All work and no play  ... . You know what they say. Well telecom execs in general and channel partners in particular don't seem to have any problem steering away from the doldrums.

Here's a great example: Master agency TBI organizes an annual ski trip on the tail end of the Qwest Business Partner Program meeting Q.Marketplace, held in Denver.

This year, TBI gathered together channel execs from XO, Broadwing, McLeod and Qwest with several of its partners for a three-day event in Vail. This is an annual event, but with one small difference in 2007 -- PHONE+ Group Publisher Mike Saxby was along for the ride. And he had a camera to document the experience.

TBI's Geoff Shepstone and Ken Mercer along with their guests -- 16 in all -- shared an eight-bedroom house in Vail. The trip began Friday, Jan. 19, after QMarketplace ended and concluded on Sunday, Jan. 21, with Ken entertaining the crew with blues harmonica. (Wow! Talk about hidden talents!)

The execs also took to the slopes, which was perfect for extreme sports fan Shepstone and QBPP exec Sandy Spencer, a local Coloradoan and wannabe ski bum. Saxby, who hadn't skied for 20 years, would like to thank Geoff and Ken for pushing him down the Blue slope. "They punished me," he said. Fortunately for newbie Melanie  Sunahara, channel account manager for Broadwing (what they are now calling "Level B"), chivalry prevailed and the more experienced skiiers helped her down the green runs. By the end of the weekend, she was skiing really well, Saxby said.

Every night the crew came back to the house and made dinner together. "We were like a telecom family for three days," said Saxby. "After skiing with them and living with them for three days, we are pretty good friends."

I talked to Saxby about the event and his impressions of its value -- besides being fun. He said it was a phenomenal networking event. "The coolest thing about the trip was it was great to see competitors sitting together talking about the industry with agents," he said.

One of the highlights, he added, was when Shepstone, after dinner one night, spent five mintues talking about each of his guests and how they impacted him personally and how they contribute to the industry. In turn, the guests shared their thoughts about Geoff. "You learned a lot about the people you do business with," said Saxby.

And, now you can learn a bit about them, too, thanks to the wonders of film:

The TBI Ski Party two miles high atop Vail Mountain. Host Geoff Shepstone is third from the left in the blue jacket. PHONE+ publisher Mike Saxby is on the right in brand new powder blue duds for the slopes.

The crew at dinner, which they all made together. Talk about too many cooks!

Black Diamond slope skiers John Manning, principal with TBI agent Advanced Net Providers, and TBI's Geoff Shepstone with snowboarder Jennifer Gallego, alternate channel director -- Midwest for XO. As a rule skiers are faster than snowboarders, but Jennifer was an exception. She is a "rockin' athlete," Saxby said.

Mike Saxby with Keith Tomlin, national channel manager for XO; TBI's Ken Mercer; Rob Baker, voice and data specialist for TBI agent CDW; and Mike Belmont, channel sales manager for master agency Renodis.

After the final ski run, everyone -- mostly Chicagoans -- piled into The Tavern at Vail Village to watch the Bears. Pictured above are agent John Manning with Advanced Net Providers; CDW's Rob Baker; XO's Keith Tomlin; Billy Leutzinger, a principal with TBI agent WRL Communications; and Melanie Sinahara, channel account manager for Broadwing.