Registration
1:00pm—7:00pm MT
Pax8 Beyond 2023
Session Agenda Recap
Sunday June 11, 2023
International Partner Meet-Ups (Pax8 Partners Only)
5:00pm—6:00pm MT
Women in Tech Happy Hour
5:00pm—6:00pm MT
Welcome Reception
6:00pm—8:00pm MT
Monday June 12, 2023
Registration | Attendee Assistance
7:00am—6:00pm MT
Partner Attendee Breakfast (option to have breakfast with the Academy Team)
7:00am—8:00am MT
Pax8 Beyond 2023 Opening Remarks
8:30am—8:45am MT
Opening Keynote
8:45am—9:30am MT
Security Vendor Panel
9:30am—10:00am MT
Sponsor Keynote: AWS
10:15am—10:35am MT
Vendor Breakout Sessions Hosted by Diamond Sponsors
Pillr
Redstor
Trend Micro
Vade
11:00am—11:20am MT
Security Lab (Limit 150 attendees – First come, first served):
MSP partners will experience what it feels like when a data breach happens to them. Through myriad tabletop incidents, John Strand, Founder of Black Hills Information Security, will teach partners how to properly respond to threats, mitigate them, and communicate effectively with your client’s organizations and your own. In this half-day, we will be teaching core security concepts through the lens of the world-famous Backdoors & Breaches incident response card game. You will receive hands-on training to sharpen and hone your skills when it comes to Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR). We will walk through a number of challenges with the goal of teaching critical core security concepts, preparing you for worst-case scenarios. You will walk away with the essential tools you need to secure your business.
11:35am—3:30pm MT
Pax8 Breakout Sessions:
Ever wonder where you stack up on the business maturity scale on your journey to success? When you think back on how you got to where you are, the business decisions and strategies that provided you meaningful KPIs, what information or resources would have made the process easier? Or maybe you’re still in an earlier stage and working that out.
Take the long view in this powerful explanation of the MSP business journey with Rex Frank, VP of Academy and Ron Losefsky, Senior Executive Coach. Smile with recognition as he takes you through the stages of growth and development that are common to almost all MSPs; yes, there’s the growing pains and worry, but also the joy over small victories and breakthroughs that keeps you moving forward. And if you’re still figuring it out, you’ll find tips and suggestions to promote efficiency and success as you overcome challenges and refine your processes.
Build a culture of security within your MSP. In this session, Jonathan Mack, Senior Executive Coach and James LaVine, Executive Coach, will share proven strategies for developing and supporting a culture to keep security at the forefront of every employee’s mind. Discover the why, the who, and what actionable steps you can take now to safeguard your business from cyberthreats.
Documentation is what keeps the lights on. Arguably, there is nothing more important than ensuring the life of a ticket is accurately processed. When the system breaks down due to inefficient invoicing documentation, MSPs are at risk of wasting time, resources, and money. In this session, led by Rob Hird, Executive Coach and Chuck Rich, Executive Coach, we walk through key steps MSPs can take to prevent these daily headaches and deliver a streamlined invoicing procedure.
Boost your sales game by avoiding pitfalls and identifying key areas for improvement.
From delegating and scheduling time to focus on sales to networking and properly qualifying your prospects, Keith Marchiano, Executive Coach, will help you learn the strategies you need to build client relationships and drive business growth.
11:35am—12:05pm MT
Partner Attendee Luncheon sponsored by OpenText Cybersecurity
12:05pm—1:15pm MT
Pax8 Breakout Sessions:
This high-level discussion with David Schafran, Strategic Coach Director, will cover the process for a merger or acquisition, as well as potential deal structures and valuation methodologies. This is an ideal session for those new or semi-new to M&A.
Deliver projects on time and on budget with effective project planning. In this session, Josh Moree, PMP, Senior Executive Coach, will walk you through the steps of creating a successful project plan including scoping, planning, and execution.
Discover what goes into a successful project process, how to develop templates that support your business, and how to use these tools to excel.
Gain insights and best practices for streamlining operations from a panel of experts.
Moderated by Pax8 Director of Peer Initiatives, Chris Kaiser, esteemed panelists, Chuck Rich, Executive Coach, Paul Blake, Director of Services and Support at CyberStreams, and Ashley Harris, Executive Coach, will cover topics such as the latest tools and technology, critical components of automation, standardization, and documentation, and strategies for training employees, and building company culture.
Bring your questions and learn how to make your business operate at its best.
Marketing and prospecting are essential for driving business growth, but it’s not always easy to know which tactics will work best for your MSP.
From the deep knowledge and expertise of Keith Marchiano, Executive Coach, you’ll learn the top marketing and prospecting strategies used by top MSPs to bring in new clients and keep their sales efforts on track. You’ll walk away knowing how to create a marketing plan that delivers results and discover the key tactics you need to find and connect with potential customers.
1:30pm—2:00pm MT
Pax8 Breakout Sessions:
Master service agreements (MSAs) can be a key tool for outsourcing functions and securing specialized expertise, but it’s crucial to understand the legal realities surrounding these contracts.
Safeguard your company’s future. Adam Hannemann, Peer Group Facilitator, will guide you through the key considerations to keep in mind when reviewing your MSA. From potential pitfalls to opportunities for protection, you’ll get the knowledge and strategies you need to succeed.
Maximizing the profitability of your business depends on your understanding of the 4 levers of gross margin.
In this informative session, Ken Sponsler, Director of Academy Coaching and Brian Davies, Executive Coach, will guide you through engineer pay rate, billing rate, billable utilization, and fixed fees effective ratio – and show you how to use this insight to understand your gross service margin and its relationship with your profit and loss statement.
Gain insights and guidance on navigating a successful career in technical roles. In this exciting session led by Executive Coach, Nick Newell, you’ll be guided through the various career paths available to technical professionals and the proficiency levels required for success.
From your first day on the job to the heights you can reach by the end of your career, you’ll learn how to map out your path and set your 5-year plan in motion.
Companies with diverse workforces have greater access to the full spectrum of experiences and ideas. These unique perspectives, in turn, can result in original approaches to problem-solving, untapped creativity, and better opportunities for innovation.
Moderated by Pax8 CVP of Business Applications, Vicky Critchley, this panel discussion will explore how greater inclusivity drives business growth. Hear from vendors and partners who are blazing a trail through what has always been and shaping what the industry will be tomorrow, a year from now, and well into the future.
2:15pm—2:45pm MT
Pax8 Breakout Sessions:
Keep your business on track for success. As a business owner, you need to know the risks that threaten the stability and success of your company. From financial uncertainty to cybersecurity threats, there are dangers that you need to be prepared for.
Matt Lee, Security and Compliance Senior Director, and Dominic Kirby, Director of Cloud Services, will take you through specific strategies for mitigating the impact of these risks and helping to protect your business.
In this comprehensive panel, Rex Frank, VP of Academy will moderate, alongside coaches and partners as they discuss how to identify leadership potential in employees and candidates, nurture and develop leaders within your organization, and equip your teams with the right leaders to drive success.
Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from the experts and take your leadership skills to the next level.
Leadership is a skill, not a talent. With the right guidance, reflection, and instruction, you can hone your leadership skills.
Drawing on his decades of experience, Todd Schorle, Lead Executive Coach, will provide you with practical strategies for developing and refining your own leadership abilities so you can ensure a happier, more creative, more productive workforce. And so that you can realize better business growth.
Partners selling Dynamics 365 have the least churn and fastest growth of any partner in the Microsoft channel, so how can you tap into this growth opportunity? Through Pax8 and Bam Boom Cloud. Their unique positioning lowers the barrier of entry and guides you every step of the way.
In this session Pax Global GTM Solutions Director, Mat Batterbee, and Bam Boom Cloud’s Steve Brooks, Sr. Director of Business Applications, will show you how you can go to market with Dynamics 365 more easily than ever before. Now you can start offering Dynamics 365 to your customers without the effort of building a practice, but with all the benefits.
3:00pm—3:30pm MT
Rapid Fire Session: (Gold Sponsors)
3:50pm—4:10pm MT
Mainstage partner panel: Connection at Scale
4:10pm—5:10pm MT
Closing Remarks
4:50pm—5:00pm MT
Vendor Expo
5:15pm—8:00pm MT
Tuesday June 13, 2023
Registration | Attendee Assistance
7:00am—5:00pm MT
Partner Attendee Breakfast (featuring the Pax8 Academy team)
7:00am—8:00am MT
Panel: Incident Response
Clark Harshbarger, Director of Incident Response at CrowdStrike, moderates this panel led by IR thought leaders, MacKenzie Brown and Karl Bickmore, as well as Pax8 Senior Director of Security and Compliance, Matt Lee. These incident response panelists whose expertise centers on Digital Forensics and Incident Response (DFIR), will share their own experiences regarding MSP and SMB breaches. They will discuss how attackers gain access, as well as what services and capabilities you should be offering your end customers to combat those tactics.
7:00am—8:00am MT
Opening Remarks
8:30am—8:40am MT
Sponsor Keynote: SentinelOne
8:40am—9:00am MT
Keynote: Pax8 Innovation
9:00am—9:45am MT
Sponsor Keynote: Microsoft
9:45am—10:05am MT
Vendor Breakout Sessions Hosted by Platinum Sponsors
OpenText
Checkpoint
Dropsuite
CloudRadial
10:30am—10:50am MT
Pax8 Breakout Sessions:
Are you looking to grow and mature your business for maximum valuation?
In this exciting presentation, Rex Frank, VP of Academy, and David Schafran, Strategic Coaching Director, will walk you through a detailed 36-month plan and teach you to build your own customized version to achieve new heights and maximize the valuation of your business.
Whether you are a business owner, service executive, finance manager, or sales manager, you’ll find valuable insights and strategies to help you excel. Don’t miss this opportunity to unlock your potential and achieve maximum valuation for your business.
Understanding the threats to your business and your clients’ businesses is the first crucial step to mitigating them. The next is to develop a strong security practice. Matt Lee, Security and Compliance Senior Director, and Dominic Kirby, Director of Cloud Services will help you learn the basics of a control framework for both you and your clients’ businesses, and how to communicate what it is to them effectively. Aligning to Center for Internet Security (CIS) Controls v8 can increase your defensibility, confidence, and, ultimately, profit.
Led by the innovators of the Product team, this session will provide a demo of the Pax8 next-gen Marketplace. See how your MSP can leverage the data that Pax8 builds in its DNA to discover new opportunities for growth. Throughout this demo, the product team will showcase various tools partners can use to target, tailor, and curate precisely what their customers need.
A strong sales culture is essential for driving business growth and attracting new clients. But how do you get everyone in your organization on board with sales efforts?
In this interactive session, Jeremy Nelson, Sales Coaching Manager will show you how to motivate your team to work on sales in a positive and proactive manner. Whether you’re looking to boost your sales numbers or simply want to create a more cohesive and driven team, you’ll come away with the tools you need to succeed.
With a foot in the door, it’s time for attackers to land and expand, take ownership of the targets network and systems, and avoid detection. During this session, led by CEO of Blackpoint Cyber, Jon Murchison, you will learn the most common tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) that attackers exploit to gain persistence, escalate their privileges, bypass protections, and avoid detection in MSP and SMB environments.
11:05am—11:35am MT
Vendor Breakout Sessions Hosted by Platinum Sponsors
Acronis
IRONSCALES
Malwarebytes
ScalePad
11:50am—12:10pm MT
Partner Attendee Luncheon sponsored by SentinelOne
12:10pm—1:00pm MT
Vendor Expo
12:10pm—3:00pm MT
Pax8 Breakout Sessions:
Having a clear mission, vision, and values is crucial for driving business growth and attracting and retaining clients. But where do you start in developing and implementing these important components in your organization?
Brian Davies, Executive Coach, Chris Kaiser, Director of Peer Initiatives, and Zac Paulson, CEO at TrueIT will show you how to use the mission-vision-values model to accelerate growth in your business. By the end of this session, you’ll have a roadmap for leveraging this powerful tool to achieve success.
A failure to properly integrate a product into your stack could lead to abandonment. This common problem among MSPs can result in wasted time, effort, and resources. In this session, you’ll discover how ITSPs and vendors can transition from misalignment to optimally positioned by successfully integrating a solution into your stack.
Propel your business forward intentionally while eliminating daily distractions. In this session, Nick Newell, Executive Coach and Chris Wicks, Manager of Academy Coaching, will provide practical strategies and tools for overcoming distractions, so you can prioritize growth and transform your business.
Find and define your perfect client. As a busy MSP, you have limited time and budget for selling. In this session, you’ll learn how to evaluate client fit, define your marketing tactics, craft targeted messaging and branding, and generate consistent leads. With the guidance of Sales Coaching Manager, Jeremy Nelson, you’ll learn that when you work with the perfect client, you will be allocating your resources more efficiently and making a greater impact on your business.
Cybersecurity experts including Phyllis Lee, VP of Content Development at the Center for Internet Security, and Eric Woodard, CEO of Protek, will discuss CIS Critical Security Controls, the Community Defense Model (CDM), and the more recent Blueprint for Ransomware Defense. In this panel session, you will understand the importance of these guidelines, and how to implement them in your own business. You’ll come away with the knowledge you need to immediately align your service offerings with this essential cyber hygiene.
3:15pm—3:45pm MT
Pax8 Breakout Sessions:
In a world where competitive threats surround MSPs, how do you differentiate yourself? How do you secure your business and create an ideal environment for growth? You partner with the marketplace of the future. In this session, Pax8 Chief Strategy Officer, Ryan Walsh, will share the future-state of Pax8 and how you can gain an unfair advantage by harnessing its potential.
Gain expert insights on how to excel as a service manager from Todd Schorle, Lead Executive Coach. Through this session, you’ll learn what a typical day looks like, how to structure your time effectively, and how to develop a long-term plan for success.
Whether you’re just starting out as a service manager or looking to take your skills to the next level, we’ll help you plan your best path forward.
Don’t let operational mistakes hold you back. Join Stephanie Heflin, Manager of Academy Coaching, for a session on avoiding common operational mistakes that can disrupt your business. Discover the top 6 mistakes made by service providers and how to avoid these pitfalls in your own operations. You’ll be able to take proactive steps to ensure your business stays on track and gain the strategies you need to succeed.
Every day, businesses around the world are being told how critical security is. Yet too often, it’s not made a priority. MSPs are encountering this challenge with clients and looking for a way to break through. With guidance from Jeremy Nelson, Sales Coaching Manager and Matt Lee, Security and Compliance Senior Director, MSPs can learn the ins and outs of cyber insurance. This will be an opportunity for MSPs to shine as thought leaders and crack the code on security with their customers.
It’s time to get real about the legal, regulatory, financial, and reputational impacts of a breach. During this session, Eric Tilds, Managing Member of TechGC, will frame the impact of a security incident in clearly defined business terms, so that MSPs can immediately understand it, and put that knowledge into action.
4:00pm—4:30pm MT
A Conversation with Peyton Manning
4:45pm—5:00pm MT
Partner and Vendor Awards
5:00pm—5:30pm MT
Closing Remarks
5:30pm—5:40pm MT
Beyond 2023 Closing Party
7:30pm—10:00pm MT