Listen to "A Recap of 2022 with Ingram Micro’s SMB Alliance Leadership" on Spreaker.
Ingram Micro's SMB Alliance empowers the growth of technology-focused solution providers, creates an invaluable community and offers unmatched resources.
2022 was a great year for the SMB Alliance, with a highly effective hybrid events calendar that brought members together from all over the world.
Host
Shelby Skrhak welcomes
Darren Gottesmann, executive director of U.S. SMB Sales and Partner Communities,
Kelly Sander, director of U.S. SMB Sales, and
Kellie Wischerath, senior SMB field sales manager, for an entertaining look at the past year and what 2023 holds:
- The growth of peer groups, vendor sponsorship and member engagement
- Developing exciting fresh content for next year
- Embracing hybrid culture
Building a powerful ecosystem
The SMB Alliance, founded by a visionary team at Ingram Micro, is dedicated to developing opportunities for small and medium IT businesses to mature and scale.
This year, they received amazing feedback from partners, vendors and members. “We’ve had the most sponsorship and engagement we’ve ever had in the community,” according to Kelly.
It’s sometimes difficult for SMB leaders to find the right peer group, especially one with this abundance of experience and resources, that offers both camaraderie and guidance.
They face unique challenges when it comes to technology. Budget and staff are limited and they’ve been hit harder by the IT talent shortage, yet adopting cloud capabilities and cutting-edge cybersecurity is crucial to success.
Ingram Micro’s SMB Alliance and its vendors and partners give these organizations a clear advantage with an outpouring of support and assistance.
Bringing fresh and new conversations
Darren acknowledges that the SMB Alliance leadership is “always trying to outdo ourselves,” and is massively enthusiastic about the innovative new content on the horizon for next year.
They’ll be welcoming presenters that delve into topics like body language, coaching, nutrition, conflict resolution, volunteerism and other aspects of a holistic approach to work/life balance.
It’s all about helping members and other participants in the community become better communicators.
More touchpoints
Darren states that, “everything in life has a relationship, and every healthy relationship has healthy communication.” While members were able to stay engaged virtually, they also welcome the return of in-person events.
The coming year will see a wide array of calls, “talking shops” and happenings such as the SMB Alliance Buffalo Unplugged—a chance to hobnob with vendors, partners and leadership and “explore one of the best-kept secret cities in the U.S.”
Digitally, members will have access to an enhanced platform in the SMB Alliance portal, an “unbelievable hub” for content, conversations, insights and information, that frees up more time for focusing on innovation.
As Shelby points out, “a hybrid approach is definitely the way forward. There are clear advantages to knowing how to work with teams that are spread out geographically, and everybody’s excited to be back in person.”
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