Arnie Bellini (ConnectWise)
ConnectWise has unveiled plans to launch an inaugural IT Nation Connect event in Australia in early 2019, driven by increased partner momentum locally.
Set for the Gold Coast on 25-27 March, the flagship conference will span the entire Asia Pacific region, providing three days of technology product training, business sessions and networking, backed up by a keynote address from Arnie Bellini, CEO of ConnectWise.
According to Stuart Applegate - director of IT Nation at ConnectWise - the move was prompted by strong ecosystem growth across Australia and New Zealand, alongside a desire for a localised version of the global event.
“We debuted our first IT Nation partner conference in the United States 14 years ago and have watched the annual event in Orlando, Florida, grow into one of the largest gatherings of IT professionals in the world with its more than 3,000 attendees,” Applegate said.
Applegate expects more than 300 professionals to attend the inaugural conference in Australia, which will include at least 30 hours of breakout sessions and two keynote addresses.
“We are incredibly excited about providing our partners around the world a community that gives them the tools and knowledge they need for their businesses,” Applegate added.
“We’re excited to add an Australian event to give IT service providers who live and work in the APAC region the opportunity to more easily access the innovative ideas and educational opportunities that have been available to their peers in the United States.”
The announcement comes weeks before the upcoming IT Nation Connect in Orlando, which is scheduled for 7-9 November.
“Spending time with other ConnectWise users and experts who are willing to share their knowledge and ideas about how to grow an IT services business was both inspiring and beneficial,” said Dean Calvert, managing director of Calvert Technologies.
“The fact that ConnectWise has listened to its partners and is bringing us together in Australia clearly demonstrates how ConnectWise understands its community.”
In April, Bellini offered his largest endorsement of the channel in A/NZ to date, as ConnectWise unveiled increased investment in local operations.
Unveiled during IT Nation Europe 2018, the trans-Tasman market accounted for 7.4 per cent of the tech giant’s revenue in 2017, triggered by a 37 per cent increase in local partners during the past two years.
In a bid to facilitate further growth, ConnectWise opened a new office in Sydney earlier this year, while also increasing the number of colleagues dedicated to the A/NZ market.
Overlooking Darling Harbour, the new office is designed to allow partners to receive on-site product training, education and face-to-face time with account managers.
