In our supervirtualized world it’s refreshing, if not invigorating, to actually meet face to face. While phones and digital communication are ultraefficient, there’s no denying the emotional power that comes from being at an event with hundreds of like-minded business people who all want to meet, learn from each other and share their ideas about the future of managed services.

When people get together—united by a common purpose and desire to learn and exchange ideas—you can feel the energy.

That’s exactly what happened from Oct. 20 to 22, when AVG hosted its first Annual Partner Summit—‘Take it to the Cloud’ in Phoenix. This was a substantial investment by AVG, which wanted to send a strong signal that we’re serious about helping Partners win in the managed services space—and reinforce our commitment to the channel.

It really helped that AVG partners were treated like royalty at the spectacular Sheraton Wild Horse Pass & Spa. With a unique sense of place and inspiring authentic culture, the venue was a perfect environment for the candid conversations, keynote presentations  and informal networking—with just the right touch of luxury and pampering.

Partners came from across North America, drawn by the opportunity to hear notable speakers and find out what’s working and what’s not in managed services. They came to “talk turkey” and get straightforward answers from AVG’s experts and each other. They were not disappointed. 

Marco LaVecchia, vice president Channel Sales, started the event with a real bang that got all Partners on fire. Gary Kovacs, AVG president, took the stage by storm and was a truly captivating presenter. Kovacs summed up AVG’s market momentum: “Going forward, you are going to see a very different AVG!”  

The Summit was undeniably a gold mine of information. Partners heard details about AVG’s new cloud-centric managed service offering, our Identity-as-a-Service “CloudCare SSO,” version 9.0 Managed Workplace solution, our Microsoft Office 365 service module, and much more.

I’ve been involved in channel marketing for more than 10 years. I can honestly say I’ve never seen anything like this. The energy, the passion and the commitment shown by everyone were palpable.

I think everyone left supercharged and excited about the future. I know I did!