Why every Microsoft Partner *Must Attend* WPC in Toronto this year!
Let’s be real: budgets are tight, time is money and it’s easy to be cynical about attending any industry event, even a big one like WPC. So if you’re on the fence about attending the Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC) in Toronto this year or plan to skip it (eek!), let’s get you back into the “Yes, I will attend!” column with this post. Here are three massively compelling reasons why you must join in the excitement.
Networking
In this age of social media, email and virtual this-and-that, it’s easy to forget that there’s no substitute for good-old-fashioned face-time. Every year, we hear back from WPC participants talking about how they made invaluable contacts—like new customers and new partners—at WPC.
In our experience, it’s not necessarily the meetings you plan with people you already know, it’s the spontaneous meetings and friendly introductions you make that transform into new opportunities and business development. Keep in mind that over 15,000 business people from over 130 countries will be attending this year. That’s a huge networking opportunity!
Speakers
This year’s WPC boasts a who’s who list of speakers and attendees, including:
From Microsoft: Satya Nadella, CEO; Kevin Turner, COO; Toni Townes-Whitley, CVP, Worldwide Public Sector; David Smith, VP Worldwide SMB Sales; Julia White, General Manager Cloud Platform Product Management; Neil Jordan, GM Worldwide Health; Neil Holloway, CVP, Business Solutions; and Anthony Salcito, VP, Worldwide Education.
Plus:
Carol Roth – Creator of the Future File™ legacy planning system, billion-dollar dealmaker, media personality and bestselling author of The Entrepreneur Equation.
Kim Garst – CEO of Boom Social, social media thought-leader and personality, Forbes Top 10 Social Media Power Influencer, contributor and blogger (kimgarst.com).
B. Wood –President & CEO, Technology Services Industry Association, contributor and best-selling author of B4B, Consumption Economics and Complexity Avalanche.
And those are just the big-ticket speakers! There will be a ton of other presenters, exhibits and micro-events to check out.
Trend-spotting
We all know how fast the pace of tech business goes these days. But like it or not, staying on top of the latest innovations and movements shaping our industry is an essential part of what we do. And few of us have as much time as we’d like to research industry blogs, white papers, e-books and the like.
Attending WPC gives you a “crash course” on what’s current. In just a few days, you’ll get right up-to-speed on the platforms, practices, opportunities and challenges facing our industry. This knowledge is essential to driving your business to the next level.
Bonus reason: Fun!
Last but not least, WPC and Toronto offer a lot of fun, too. It’s not all business. Take it from us, there’s a lot of laughter at the event, courtesy of witty speakers, long-lost colleagues reuniting, outrageous promotions and similar things. You never really know exactly what to expect, except a good time.
And Toronto, the city, is a blast, too. As Canada’s largest city, Toronto pretty much offers almost everything you could want on any given night. From great restaurants and bars, to movies, theatre, live music, sports events, stand-up comedy, karaoke, shopping, board game cafes, sight-seeing and more—you can do it all. In fact, you can even go axe-throwing! (No kidding.)
So there you have it: a few great reasons to attend WPC. Remember the famous (and funny) words of Woody Allen: “80% of success is showing up!” Just by showing up, you’re creating new opportunities for you and your business.
For more details and to register, visit: https://partner.microsoft.com/en-CA/wpc/
