Credit: IDG
More than 450 executives are expected to tune in for the live running of EDGE 2020, starting tomorrow as an invite-only virtual experience for business technology leaders across Australia and New Zealand.
From Dunedin to Darwin, Palmerston North to Perth and every town, city, state and region in-between, EDGE 2020 will play host to the most influential business leaders in technology, reflective of a diverse, innovative and expanding ecosystem on both sides of the Tasman.
Set for 10-11 November, this virtual experience will bring together emerging and established technology players, spanning bleeding edge start-ups and cloud specialists to independent software vendors and application developers. This is complemented with business consultants and boutique agencies, alongside solution providers and system integrators – all collaborating, all contributing.
EDGE 2020 will create a unique environment in which extreme partner types can join forces in the pursuit of innovation, acting as the conduit for customer transformation.
Attendance is by invitation only, limited to decision-makers shaping the technology landscape on both sides of the Tasman. Such high calibre of attendance will receive business coaching at an executive-level, targeting seasoned leaders to aspiring entrepreneurs.
The Approach:
Mirroring the TV network style model, EDGE 2020 is designed with the executive in mind and built to respect business leader commitments.
Unlike conventional virtual events, EDGE 2020 will be flexible, succinct and strategic, delivered over two days from a live studio through a blend of interactive and on-demand sessions.
Anchored around local market research, day one will offer Customer Insights in relation to revised end-user investment priorities in 2021, backed by technology specific deep-dives and new-look partner requirements.
Key speakers include a live opening address from Jamil Qureshi, one of the world’s most foremost practitioners of performance enhancing psychology. This is in addition to analyst insights from Mark Iles delivering EDGE Research and Jay McBain of Forrester, supported by a powerful line-up of customers, spanning Standard Chartered, New Zealand Rugby and National Australia Bank (NAB), as well as Farmlands and Inland Revenue during the dedicated New Zealand Session.
Meanwhile, day two will focus on Partner Actions; offering step-by-step guidance on how to create customer opportunity, how to run a modern business and how to prepare for growth in the year ahead.
Following a live opening keynote from Robin Speculand - CEO of Bridges Business Consultancy and a world-renowned expert in strategy and implementation - speakers will also include Mark Iles delivering the second round of EDGE Research and an interactive M&A studio session featuring Sydney-based TMT Partners.
This is alongside unique observations from customers such as ANZ Bank, Johnson & Johnson and Watercare New Zealand, plus leadership expert Zoe Routh headlining the inaugural Women of EDGE.
Sessions will be allocated under Collaborate, Educate and Advance tracks, offering a blend of data-driven takeaways, educational breakouts and strategic peer-to-peer engagement.
The Theme:
As the market grapples with the continued economic impact of Covid-19, forward-thinking partners are building out strategies for future growth.
Avoiding the desire to hunker down and wait for the pandemic to pass, proactive plans are forming to capture emerging customer opportunities, in addition to shaping a modern business blueprint.
Yet the ecosystem remains paralysed by inaction as partners meander from one theory to the next, heightening the need for revised end-user investment priorities at local level. But knowledge is no longer power, rather potential power. Today, power lies in execution.
Echoing the words of Steve Jobs, “ideas are worth nothing unless executed, execution is worth millions”, EDGE 2020 will move beyond ideas and into execution, side-stepping the ‘why’ to outline the ‘how’ aspect of change.
Under the banner of Executional Excellence, EDGE 2020 will help partners:
- Assess revised customer investment priorities across A/NZ
- Outline key technology and business focus areas to initiate growth
- Explain how to balance transformational activities with day-to-day operations
- Outline how to convert vision into action through day one execution plans
- Create step-by-step guides to excel in business, technology, sales and marketing
