CompTIA announced today that its annual Breakaway event is undergoing a new name and identity change. The industry trade association says that the conference, which will now be known as ChannelCon, will build upon the current Breakaway legacy with additional education, training and networking opportunities. The inaugural CompTIA ChannelCon is scheduled for July 29-31 at the Peabody Orlando Hotel in Orlando, Fla.
“Our premier event, known for many years as Breakaway, now has a name that truly reflects its scope,” said Kelly Ricker, senior vice president, events and education, CompTIA. “The quality of the meetings, partnership opportunities, hot topic sessions and channel-neutral training make ChannelCon an unparalleled experience in the IT industry.”
The format and content of CompTIA’s Breakaway conference has changed significantly over the last several years, shifting from an event that emphasized lead generation to a conference centered on business education and networking opportunities.
In 2010, CompTIA shifted Breakaway from a hosted industry event to an un-hosted model, where attendees chose to make their own investments to participate. The following year, a vendor-neutral channel training and education platform was added to the conference.
The introduction of CompTIA’s member communities also raised the activity and engagement levels at the event, allowing vendors, distributors and solution providers to sit at the same table to discuss best practices, address issues facing their businesses and develop initiatives to grow the IT industry.
Ricker added that the goal of ChannelCon will be to “bring together the best cross section of the industry: solution providers, vendors, distributors, analysts, media, tech associations and other channel organizations.”
The ChannelCon event will keep with the spirit of CompTIA’s annual Breakaway event with education and training opportunities, as well as a vendor fair and access to key channel executives.
Other planned activities include:
--Workshops on CompTIA trustmarks, the business-level credentials for IT businesses that adheres to the industry's best practices.
--CompTIA Executive Certificate programs, which provide busy IT professionals the opportunity to expand their knowledge and skill sets in areas such as cloud computing and mobile technologies.
--E-learning Capstone Sessions, the final piece to completing an e-learning Executive Certificate.
--Keynotes speeches and panel discussions featuring top leaders in the business and IT arenas.
--The “Unconference Lunch”, an opportunity for attendees to drive the conference agenda.
--Private events for exhibitors.
--Best of CompTIA ChannelCon Awards.
--Registration for CompTIA ChannelCon will open in mid-March. For more information and updates, visit CompTIA Events.
SMB Nation will continue to follow this news item…stay tuned for more on this, featuring a discussion with Kelly Ricker, CompTIA’s senior vice president, events and education.
