Westcon-Comstor

The Channel Value Evolution

14^th - 16^th March 2022

As we move to an increasingly software-centric business model, the “value-add” in the channel model is changing.

Join this thought-provoking technology channel event to understand and monetise the software markets, its drivers and disruptors to move into a future-proof software centric business model.

Agenda & Sponsors

Keynote Speakers

Virtual Treasure Hunt

Westcon Awards

Exploring the most relevant topics in the channel today

Enter the revenue loop with cloud-centric IT channel business

Channel resilience is good, channel prosperity is better. How you can achieve it by diversifying & integrating

Are you selling the way, your customers want to buy?

Focus on channel-unique value-add in software-centric markets

Gain a clear view on how the channel has to evolve to stay indispensible in a cloud-first world. Explore the business opportunities for channel partners that can embrace this change.

Channel leadership panels

Join our daily, interactive and unscripted panel discussion of channel leaders from our Platinum vendor sponsors, exploring the opportunities, risks and strategic importance of driving software solutions and aligning the channel business model to align to this new world.

The tools needed for cloud success

Reducing risk, enabling agility and accelerating the path to recurring revenues: learn how Westcon and our vendors help you to monetise cloud-centric IT and develop a future-proof go-to-market strategy.

⟨

Agenda Day 1 - 14th March
^{click to the right for the next day’s agenda}

Visit the sponsoring vendors' virtual booths for additional info, live chats and to join our virtual treasure hunt
10am GMT = 11am CET = 12am EET = 1pm TRT = 2pm UCT
Time (CET)	Topic	Speaker
11:00	Welcome and Westcon leadership vision	Rene Klein, Senior Vice President Westcon Europe
11:15	Keynote	Andreas Storz Research Analyst – Partnering Ecosystems at IDC
11:35	Panel Discussion: Enter the revenue loop with cloud-centric IT channel business	Channel leaders
.	Regional Partner Awards
12:20	Break
.	Regional Partner Awards
12:35	Technology vendor presentations: Solutions leveraging real life software & cloud scenarios Track 1: The SOC/NOC layer Track 2: The platform layer Track 3: The application layer Track 4: The user layer	Track 1: Anomali, AttackIQ, CrowdStrike, Ruckus Track 2: FireMon, Ivanti, Microsoft Track 3: Check Point, F5, Zscaler Track 4: Audiocodes, Infoblox, poly, Symantec
.	Regional Partner Awards
13:50	Distribution values to enable profitable software business	Speaker TBA, Westcon-Comstor
14:30	Event close

Agenda Day 2 - 15th March
^{click to the right for the next day’s agenda}

Visit the sponsoring vendors' virtual booths for additional info, live chats and to join our virtual treasure hunt
10am GMT = 11am CET = 12am EET = 1pm TRT = 2pm UCT
Time (CET)	Topic	Speaker
11:00	Welcome and Westcon leadership vision	David Grant, President and COO Westcon International
11:15	Keynote: How to thrive after crisis	Howard Yu One of the top three experts on corporate innovation in the world
11:35	Panel Discussion: Channel resilience is good, channel prosperity is better. How you can achieve it by diversifying & integrating	Channel leaders
.	Regional Partner Awards
12:20	Break
.	Regional Partner Awards
12:35	Technology vendor presentations Solutions supporting channel partners in building a secure pipeline for the future Track 1: Modernising the network - IoT & 5G Track 2: Removing technology silos with new relevant frameworks - SASE Track 3: Increasing wallet share with alliance build solutions	Track 1: Claroty, Juniper Networks, NETSCOUT Track 2: Extreme Networks, Palo Alto Networks, Symantec Track 3: Avaya, CrowdStrike, ribbon, Vectra, Zscaler
.	Regional Partner Awards
13:50	Distribution innovation to support a channel build around software solutions and recurring revenues	Dawn Fenton, Commercial Technology Director, Westcon
14:30	Event close

Agenda Day 3 - 16th March
^{click to the left for the previous day’s agenda}

Visit the sponsoring vendors' virtual booths for additional info, live chats and to join our virtual treasure hunt
10am GMT = 11am CET = 12am EET = 1pm TRT = 2pm UCT
Time (CET)	Topic	Speaker
11:00	Welcome and Westcon leadership vision	Rakesh Parbhoo, Global CTO & CEO SSA, Westcon-Comstor
11:15	Keynote: The race for relevance/ How the Blue Dot consumer culture is affecting B2B expectations (TBC)	Ken Hughes One of the world’s leading authorities on modern consumer and B2B culture
11:35	Panel Discussion: How can channel partners offer solutions in the way, that customers want to buy them?	Channel leaders
.	Regional Partner Awards
12:20	Break
.	Regional Partner Awards
12:35	Technology vendor presentations Vendor’s channel vision & practical support for partners to monetise changing buying behaviours Track 1: UC & Networking vendors Track 2: Security & NGS vendors	Track 1: Extreme Networks, Juniper, Mitel, Oracle, 8x8 Track 2: F5, Palo Alto Networks and Skybox
13:50	Westcon EMEA Partner of the Year Awards and conference take aways
14:30	Event close

Inspirational Keynote Speakers

Andreas Storz

Research Analyst – Partnering Ecosystems, IDC

Andreas Storz is a research analyst in the European Channels and Alliances program where he focuses on channel data. Prior to joining IDC, he worked as a data analyst at a media agency and a statistics instructor. Previous roles were in public affairs and corporate communication. Andreas holds advanced degrees in both Political and Communication Science, and is experienced in data analysis and visualization.

Howard Yu

One of the top three experts on corporate innovation in the world

Yu is professor of management and innovation in the prestigious IMD business school in Switzerland and is the director of the school’s school’s Center for Future Readiness. Professor Yu is the author of the award-winning bestseller “LEAP: How to Thrive in a World Where Everything Can Be Copied”. With a background in the banking industry in Hong Kong, he is regarded as one of the world’s experts on corporate innovation and explores what makes a company sustain growth where others can’t and how to move from a “future-proof” vision to execution.

Ken Hughes

One of the world’s leading authorities on modern consumer and B2B culture

Ken advises some of the biggest blue-chip organisations in the world on customer experience, omnichannel strategy, artificial intelligence, retail trends, digital transformation, the millennial and Gen Z consumer and the peer-to-peer economy. He is now acknowledged as being one of the world’s leading authorities on modern consumer and B2B culture. He explores how the consumer value changes we witness have now altered the landscape and expectations of the B2B environment, and how these values need to be reflected in B2B trading if any business is to win its race for relevance.

The Virtual Treasure Hunt

This event is full of opportunities to interact with the speakers, join in games and get tailored content. Our virtual treasure hunt offers all three! Jump into our exhibition area, visit our sponsors’ booths to browse additional content, request a follow-up call or have a live chat with the experts there and then. Collect badges for every interaction and increase your chances to win some spectacular prizes!

Live chats with the experts
Plethora of on-demand content
Join the treasure hunt and win either an iPhone 13 or Samsung Galaxy S21 5G

⟨

Westcon EMEA Partner Awards

From services execution to cloud success, reseller partners are on the front line of digital transformation. These awards recognise and reward the innovation, expertise and commitment you have shown to deliver customer success over the last 12 months. The bar has been raised considerably this year, and the winners are true heroes who have managed to forge a unique identity and deliver results in a highly competitive market.

Join us to find out if you’re a winner.

EMEA Security Partner Awards

EMEA UC & Networking Partner Awards

Africa Partner of the Year

DACH Partner of the Year

France Partner of the Year

Middle East Partner of the Year

Northern Europe Partner of the Year

Southern Africa Partner of the Year

Southern Europe Partner of the Year

UK & Ireland Partner of the Year

⟩

FAQs

1. Who would benefit from joining the event?

This event is aimed at leadership, sales, commercial engineers and marketing within the channel VAR community across EMEA.
1. How much does this event cost?

If you are a reseller this event is completely free.
2. How do I sign up for the event?

Fill in the form above and you will receive a save the date and link to join the event. For any further questions please contact [email protected]
3. Do I need to register for the breakout sessions?

No, you can pick which track you take on the day.
4. What can I do in the virtual booths?

All our presenting vendor sponsors as well as our Westcon Services teams will have a virtual booth for you to visit whenever you want to during each day’s presentations, breaks and for a hour after. In the booths you will be able to browse and download additional resources and most excitingly have a 1-on-1 live video chat to a vendor/ Westcon expert who will be hosting the booth.
5. How does the Virtual Treasure Hunt work?

Interact with the content and/or host in our virtual booths to collect badges. The more badges you collect, the higher your chances to win your choice of an iPhone 12 or Samsung Galaxy S20 5G during our big raffle.
6. Tell me more about IMAGINE | REALISED

IMAGINE | REALISED is our dedicated calendar of deep-dive channel sessions following IMAGINE. Do you want to explore one of the event topics further? Then register for the relevant follow-up dep-dive there and then. The full IMAGINE | REALISED calendar ,and registration page will be accessable throughout the entire main event.