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2011 Business Optimization Summit

FULL AGENDA

Wednesday, November 2, 2011 / Arrival Day
11:00 am - 6:00 pm Registration
6:00 - 7:00 pm Welcome Reception
7:00 pm... Sponsor Dinners
   
Thursday, November 3, 2011 / First Day of Sessions
7:45 am - 4:00 pm Registration
7:45 - 8:30 am Networking Breakfast
8:30 - 8:40 am Welcome Comments & Keynote Introduction
* Albert Guffanti, Publisher, VSR
8:40 - 9:30 am Opening Keynote

How to be a Thought Leader and Why It's Important (being the smartest person in the room)

Speaker: Jeff Yelton, President, Scansource POS

The sales paradigm has shifted, which makes being the smartest person in the room - the thought-leader - more critical than ever. In this year's opening keynote Scansource POS president Jeff Yelton details what you need to know to be that thought-leader, to understand your client's overall needs, and most of all, why you should care.
9:35 - 10:25 am General Session #1

Captalizing on Mobility

Speaker: Greg Buzek, President, IHL Consulting

Tablets and smartphones of all shapes and sizes have changed the way people work, shop, and communicate. This session will discuss how tablets and apps are changing the retail experience, as well as new trends in rugged mobile computers.
10:25 - 11:00 am Networking Break
11:00 - 11:45 am General Session #2

Case Study: Data Analytics

Speakers:
1) Kurt Bilafer, Global Vice President, Business Analytics - Ecosystem & Channel Partners, SAP
2) Marty Carney, Chief Executive Officer, WCI Consulting

As technology continues to advance, the amount of data that your customers gather about their end-users expands exponentially. All that data is wasted if your clients don't have a solution in place to help analyze, scrub and use that information to better serve their customers.
11:50 am - 12:30 pm General Session #3

Solutions First Council: Industry Update

Session Host:  George Koroneos, Editor, Vertical Systems Reseller

Panelists:
1) Todd Baggett, President/COO, RedLine Solutions
2) Tom Beusch, CEO, Miles Technologies Inc.
3) Michael Stryczek, CEO, American Barcode & RFID

Moderated by VSR editor George Koroneos, this Solutions First Council panel discussion will document how leading solution providers have adopted new business models to not only succeed through these trying economic times, but also flourish. Through real-world examples and best practices you will gain insights into the journey and how you can follow suit.
12:30 - 1:45 pm Networking Luncheon with Topic Tables
1:45 - 3:10 pm General Session #4

Business Building: Speed Networking

Facilitators:
1) John Wilkinson, Thoughtwav Inc.
2) Jacqueline Franklin, Routes2Market Inc.

Our seasoned partnering experts will pair attendees based on their profiles and partnering objectives for the purpose of relationship building, with an eye on successfully building new networking connections and collaborations.
3:15 - 4:00 pm General Session #5

New Tech Innovations

Host/Moderator: George Koroneos, Editor,
Vertical Systems Reseller

Panelists:
1) Chris DiReda, National Sales Director, U.S. MPS Sales, OKI Data Americas
2) Henry Helgeson, President & Co-CEO, Merchant Warehouse
3) Marc Rachiele, Director, Vendor Management & Marketing, Ingram Micro Inc.
4) Jeff Yelton, President, Scansource POS

Want to learn about the latest and greatest tools coming down the pike that will complement your solution? Our panel of tech gurus chats up the latest advancements in hardware and software across all verticals.
5:00 - 6:00 pm Cocktail Reception
   
Friday, November 4, 2011 / Closing Day 
7:45 am - 11:25 am Registration
7:45 - 8:30 am Networking Breakfast
8:30 - 8:35 am Day Two Opening Comments & Session Introduction
* Albert Guffanti, Publisher, VSR
8:35 - 9:20 am Day Two Keynote

Cloud & Hosted Applications

Speaker: Carolyn April, Director, Industry Analysis, CompTIA

More than just a buzzword, cloud computing is shifting the way solution providers deliver and manage their customers' systems. This session will focus on how VARs can add cloud offerings in their product portfolio, what technologies make the most sense to shift to a hosted form, and how to educate customers about cloud computing.
9:25 - 10:15 am General Session #6

Financial Resources: Accessing Capital, Investors & Partners

Speaker: Tim Lowe, Director/Consulting, Amazon Consulting

The recession is in the rearview mirror, but it's still challenging to get the funds needed to move your company to the next level. This session will focus on new opportunities for financial support and where solution providers can look for additional capital.
10:15 - 10:30 am Networking Break
10:30 - 11:20 am General Session #7

ISV/VAR Collaboration

Speakers:
1) Scott Matthews, CEO, MG Digital Media Networks LLC
2) Don Pierson, Founder, President & COO, Flypaper Studio, Inc.
In our closing session the conversation will be about partnerships and some of the new ways ISVs and resellers can work together, especially with some of the new technologies coming into our world, including tablets, apps, digital displays, etc.  
11:20 - 11:25 am Summit Closing Comments
* Albert Guffanti, Publisher, VSR