I was thrilled to be given the opportunity to head across the pond to attend the UK community’s leading event, this year’s EMEA conference. Gathering professionals from the channel’s counterpoints across the Atlantic, from England, the Middle East, Africa and everywhere in between, EMEA offered a chance to witness the far-ranging effects of the IT industry on a global playing field in a place I’ve always wanted to visit: London.
This was my first EMEA, but it was also the most successful to date, with more than 450 attendees and nearly 50 vendors!
Not only that, but the conference also introduced me to some exceptional folks—professionals from diverse backgrounds with an ear for trends I was surprised to discover and an eagerness to connect with their peers. It was the welcoming attitude that ultimately became my favorite part of the event. Heading to Europe for the first time in my life, I felt full of anxiety, both because being stuck in an airplane for that long will make just about anyone anxious, and because culture shock can easily put you off balance. But I was happy to find the community I met there warm and welcoming, a wonderful group of IT professionals with a wealth of knowledge and an eagerness to talk about what mattered most to them and their businesses.
Meeting with these folks offered me an excellent opportunity to discuss some fascinating topics, while the breakout sessions provided a great proving ground for coming trends and frank discussions. I attended a number of these great sessions while there, offering some fascinating takeaways.
IT Channel Opening Keynote: When Stupid Became Smart and the Internet Became a Thing
This keynote, delivered by Andy Dow, with HP Enterprise Group and the group marketing director at Tech Data UK, provided some of the most compelling food for thought while I was at EMEA. While there’s plenty of ongoing discussion as to how big the Internet of Things will get, there’s also plenty to say about what it means to the channel in the here and now. Smart watches, smart cars, smart thermostats and smart clothes—all these exist and seem fated to head to market soon (if they haven’t already), yet it’s difficult to say if IoT has gone from passing trend to the next big thing in the industry.
When looking at how IoT is affecting the market and how its adoption rate is progressing, I find it interesting to compare its advances to social media. Both have long contended with their fair share of skeptics leveling valid concerns at its sometimes seemingly unstoppable growing popularity. Both have delivered surprising gains while offering opportunities for unexpected innovations. But are we really headed for a future where our smart shirts talk to our smart watch to let us know a recent stain means it’s time to stop by the dry cleaners? The applications of IoT often vacillate between exceptionally silly to exceptionally unique, leaving plenty of room in the market space for innovators with big dreams and bigger ideas to try their hand at making it big. I’m excited to see where it will take us next.
Channel Breakout Session: Enabling Your Business to be More Successful
Kris Nagamooto
Where did your last customer learn about your business? Was an effective marketing plan the culprit? Do you consider you company vision evocative of your business’s identity? When’s the last time you reviewed your sales strategy? In this solution-provider oriented session, we delved into a broad range of topics focused around business fundamentals, innovative marketing techniques and value-rich business resources.
Kris Nagamooto (CompTIA) Simon Dobnson (IT marketing specialist) and Andrew Bailey (Commercial Strategy4) offered insight into tools and strategies any IT business could benefit from, including a helpful overview of the numerous resources CompTIA offers to channel professionals, insight into business strategies that can complement marketing efforts, and an introduction to some core business components that can strengthen the foundation of any IT business. All in all, it was an excellent refresher on some key business fundamentals, as well as an interesting introduction to some practices I was unaware of.
IT Channel Keynote: Creating Happy, Productive Workplaces
This keynote quickly became a favorite among attendees, with Henry Stewart (CEO, Happy) discoursing on topics revolving around finding joy in the workplace. Honestly, it’s a notion so obvious we often take it for granted—the fact that happy people are more likely to excel at their jobs than people who are just plain miserable. People who enjoy not only what they do, but relish the opportunity to tackle new challenges and excel—these are the employees who make truly lasting impressions, who take a job assigned to them beyond mere expectations into a world of unprecedented success.
Happy Henry Stewart
But what makes an employee truly happy? Of course there’s no shortcut to happiness, and too often companies who seek to enforce a regiment they expect will lead to better productivity through happiness often instead find themselves with a program their employees loathe. Often that’s because they see it as yet another misguided attempt by upper management to enforce structure on their lives. That’s why it’s important to not simply enact strict guidelines you believe will lead to happiness, but instead to work towards a company culture that’s conducive to an employees’ personal needs, providing a support structure and the tools they'll need to achieve success on their terms. After all, you can’t force people to be happy, but you sure can provide them everything they need to discover it on their own—something they’ll truly be grateful for.
