This week you’re hearing from…me! I’ve worked on Convergence since 2002 (both as a team member on the Microsoft Business Solutions events team and as a vendor for Microsoft Dynamics) and have picked up my fair share of tips over the years from that work and visiting with Partners.

If you’d like to supply a Convergence tip for a future post, please contact Jenny@thepartnerchannel.com.

VAR Tips

1. Familiarize yourself with the session catalog. Concurrent sessions, interactive discussions, and hands-on labs are posted now, and reading up on the content is a great way for you to market the event to potential customer attendees as well as reach out to already registered attendees. Everybody loves a good recommendation and if you’re able to help a customer shape up their Convergence schedule, it’s a win-win situation for both of you.
2. Speaking of keeping customers in the loop – be sure to evangelize the event now so that customers can get there in April. You’ll find a whole load of marketing information for you to send out to your customers on PartnerSource.
3. Attend the Virtual Partner Briefing on April 22. For the first time, the Partner Briefing will be held as a virtual event prior to Convergence. Your entire team is welcome to attend and you can learn more on PartnerSource.
4. Check out the Sponsor/Exhibitor listing prior to Convergence. Doing so will allow you to be a resource to your customers as they plan their trips to the expo. The floor can be intimidating (in a good way!) with so many booths and doing some leg work ahead of time will provide a meaningful “shopping” experience for your customers.
5. Actually attend the event. It’s a long week and there are some great evening festivities, but your presence will be missed during the day if you’re not around.

ISV Tips

If you’re an event sponsor or exhibitor, here are a few “must do’s”:

1. Treat the event staff well. I’m not just saying that because I’ve been on receiving end of a short temper (which I have), but treating others as you’d like to be treated goes so far on the expo floor. You never know when your booth is going to get stuck in Nebraska or your internet line will go down for hours. If you build up a good working relationship with the expo team of Alexis, Marci, Ruth, Roger, and the Freeman folks you have the opportunity to reap the benefits later on.
2. Treat your team well. If you have the manpower, schedule breaks and make sure your team is fed and watered during the expo’s open hours. A happy team means smiling faces which translates to better networking opportunities on the show floor.
3. Splurge on a carpet pad or good show shoes. You won’t regret either (or both) after standing for hours on end.
4. Don’t hide in the back of your booth. You’re going to get tired, you’re going to get hungry, and you’re going to get a little burned out. Even though you might have been sporting perma-grin for the last 5 hours, the people walking by your booth are likely seeing you for the first time. Seeing you sitting in the back of your booth, chowing down, or looking bored doesn’t offer a very good first impression.
5. Finally, be sure to have at least 5 pairs of eyes on your marketing and booth materials before you approve the final print run. There’s nothing more unfortunate than a typo at an expo. Especially when it’s on your booth’s wall.

Want to see past installments of the Convergence Tip of the Week Festival? Click here!