Boost Your IT Business Performance at AMM 2012

This is the time of year when most companies are working full speed on their 2012 business plans, from setting sales and marketing objectives to estimating the upcoming operational and capital investment needs. December is also the holiday season for many, but the work never stops for solution providers and others in the IT industry. In addition to building budgets and plans for the New Year, the push is on to meet and exceed annual revenue goals before the end of the month. That’s on top of the day-to-day activities, such as providing the quality service clients expect. On top of balancing all those work and personal responsibilities, solution providers begin to plan their schedules for the next few months, including the industry events that will have the most positive effect on their business.


While the list of conferences and workshops for IT channel participants continues to grow, the CompTIA Annual Member Meeting (AMM) remains at the top. This “must attend” event gives solution providers the opportunity to brainstorm ideas that will help improve their businesses and gain inspiration from their peers and a variety of industry experts. AMM 2012 will be held April 10-12 at the Westin Chicago River North, where attendees will take part in a number of sessions and workshops related to the IT channel. The annual CompTIA event offers a number of opportunities for IT channel business owners and executives to network with their peers, to strategize on issues affecting the IT industry and to discuss the trends and issues affecting the groups.


AMM gives solution providers the opportunity to learn from their peers and other industry thought leaders, as well as contribute their own experiences and ideas. There’s a lot more to this event than discussions; attendees can also participate in a number of business building workshops and gain valuable insight with CompTIA research. Last year’s meeting offered a wealth of development and training resources for solution providers, which they could implement immediately in their organization upon their return. That portfolio included legal and healthcare IT practice building templates and tools, as well as detailed guides for developing unified communications and cloud computing businesses. Building on the success of those sessions and workshops, attendees can expect to see a number of new CompTIA member-inspired materials and programs at the upcoming event.


Driving the Industry, One Community at a Time

Collaboration will be everywhere at AMM 2012, with most of the CompTIA Communities in attendance to continue their technology or market-specific missions. These groups of solution providers, vendors, distributors and thought leaders work to create a variety of initiatives and programs to advance their areas of concentration. All AMM attendees are welcome to join and participate in these community meetings, and the non-concurrent schedules will allow attendance in multiple sessions.


The legendary IT Services and Support Community will be holding their quarterly face-to-face meeting at AMM, discussing a number of the latest issues affecting their segment of the industry. Other groups that will be actively involved in the April event include Cloud Services, Healthcare IT, IT Business Growth Professionals (coaches and consultants who assist solution provider businesses), IT Security, MSP Partners, Managed Print Services, Small Business Owners and Unified Communications. That list is expected to grow as the industry leadership meets in the coming weeks and finalizes their calendar for 2012.


The Distinguished Innovators

One final, yet notable group attending AMM 2012 will be the new class of IT Industry Hall of Fame inductees. CompTIA will honor this group of individuals and organizations who have pioneered or uniquely helped the computer industry or the IT channel thrive. Many previous Hall of Fame inductees have familiar names, such as Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, while others toiled behind the scenes, developing the framework and science used to create today’s technology. These individuals are the founders of the industry, while the organizations or products revolutionized the way we use technology. The 2011 class will be properly honored during a formal luncheon at AMM.


Nominations for the IT Industry Hall of Fame are now open and will be accepted through January 17, 2012. Do you know someone, something or a group worthy of this recognition? Simply submit your recommendation online or by downloading the nomination form and submitting it via mail or fax.


If you’re interested in attending the CompTIA Annual Member Meeting 2012 (who wouldn’t?), the registration page is now open . Don’t forget to book your room at the Westin Chicago River North and visit CompTIA Events for more details.


Brian Sherman is founder of Tech Success Communications, specializing in editorial content and consulting for the IT channel. His previous roles include chief editor at Business Solutions magazine and industry alliances director with Autotask. Contact Brian at Bsherman@techsuccesscommunications.com.