It was 2010 when I attended my first Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference (now Microsoft Inspire) in Washington, DC. That amazing experience was pivotal in setting the trajectory of my career in the last 10 years. Since then, I’ve been to every #MSInspire held in Toronto, Los Angeles, Orlando, DC and Las Vegas.
Every event is special and beneficial not only to me, but to my company as well. Even if it’s my 10th #MSInspire, here are three reasons why I am attending as if it’s my first time:
- Business is moving at lightspeed
We live in a world where devices outnumber people and create more data than people can consume. The pace of change is faster than ever. Technology has led to disruptions in our personal and our professional lives.
As a Microsoft partner, it’s essential to have a growth mindset and embrace this exciting change. We know that competitive advantage is fleeting. Value depreciates from the moment of change. Maximizing our impact to our customer isn’t about protecting what we have but hunting for innovations that help them unlock the value.
As we stand on the shoulder of today’s technology giant, #MSInspire provides partners a conducive setting to learn, ideate and expand their business throughout the corenotes, breakout sessions, and networking opportunities.
In fact at AvePoint, we heeded the call at WPC 2012 (former #MSInspire) to extend our business to the cloud. As a result, our portfolio of cloud solutions is our fastest growing business. In addition to enabling our customers to better manage and govern Office 365 with the AvePoint Cloud, we have enabled MSPs to maximize the same platform so they can easily manage multi-customers and multi-tenant environments. Come and see us at #MSInspire to learn more.
Protip: Pay attention to what Microsoft is focused on in the next fiscal year and plan your business growth around their relevant initiatives. - Meet amazing people & make lifelong friends
Since most of the sessions are recorded and will be made available on demand, I spend most of my time at #MSInspire my time engaging with people learning about industry trends, partnership initiatives and catching up with colleagues I rarely see.
I can’t count how many business opportunities I’ve uncovered as a result of meeting amazing people from Microsoft, the partner community and the broader industry. To keep track of everyone you meet, make sure you take advantage of LinkedIn. Check out this blog post on how you can make the most out of LinkedIn and Twitter at #MSInspire.
At the end of the day, isn’t every business powered by people?
Protip: Make sure you schedule a follow-up meeting right after you meet someone at #MSInspire to ensure that all the next steps that was discussed happens. - Experience all of the wonderful activities
It’s evident that Microsoft wants to make sure all #MSInpire attendees has the best time and makes the most out of their week in Las Vegas. In addition to attending sessions, networking events and checking out the expo hall, I highly encourage you to participate in meetups, diversity + tech initiatives and after hour events.
I can never forget the time I rapped at WPC 2011 party, organized a dragonboat fundraiser at WPC 2012 and even sang acapella on stage at WPC 2016.
There’s so much to do, places to see and food to eat 😉 Just make sure you keep the pace and don’t over do it.
Protip: Read this blog post on the 5 things you have to bring to #MSInspire
If it’s your first time to #MSInspire, make sure you come and attend the First-time attendee orientation on Sunday, Jul14. I look forward to see you at Microsoft Inspire!