Atlanta – ASCII Edge – The MSP Conference

ASCII Edge

ASCII EDGE

THE MSP CONFERENCE 2023 ATLANTA

MAR 22 & 23 - ATLANTA, GA

FRESH CONTENT FOR GROWING MSPs

20+ BUSINESS STRATEGY SESSIONS

Days

Hours

Minutes

Seconds

Keynote

"How AI is Disrupting Industries and How it Will Change the MSP Industry"

Making national news, now ex-Google engineer, Blake Lemoine saw first-hand the cutting edge of AI and where it will lead. As AI disrupts industries, it remains an open question how much the daily life of IT professionals will change in the coming years as a result of artificial intelligence. New tools for artistic creation, network planning, customer service and even assistants for writing code are becoming available and offer broad sweeping promises of productivity increases through automation and big data analysis. We’ll separate fact from fiction, highlighting both the incredibly impressive advances being made in some areas as well as the areas in which the promises of automation are likely to be underwhelming. Armed with a little understanding of how to leverage these technologies they will provide many opportunities for growth and prosperity.

for MSPs

Register today

Fresh Content

Content focuses on helping MSPs build a better business and realize any revenue opportunities they may be missing

Discover Opportunities

Meet with over 30 technology providers in a business setting geared to help move your business forward

Expand Your Network

Come together and learn best practices while networking and discovering new revenue streams

Interactive

See how you compare with your peers, as we poll the audience live on key business indicators

For MSPs

Our events are open to all managed service providers, (MSPs), who manage SMBs in North America

Perks

Grab a headshot from our professional photography gratis plus win a chance at over $10K worth of prizes

Speakers

Featured MSP Speakers & Industry Sessions

Brian Johnson

CEO, AVC Technology

MSP Session: “Growth Through Process – Fundamental Building Blocks MSPs Need to Achieve Repeatable Growth YoY"

Ken Wong

Founder & CEO, DragonTek International

MSP Session: “Winning Business Leveraging the Security Conversation"

David Stinner

Founder & President, US itek

MSP Session: “A Blueprint to Solve Talent & Hiring Challenges at 25% of the Salaries Your Competitors are Paying”

Keynote

"Creating Superfans: How To Turn Your Customers Into Lifelong Advocates"

Entrepreneur, keynote speaker, and fan-engagement guru Brittany Hodak shares the proprietary five-step SUPER Fan System she developed running successful campaigns and products for globally known brands including Walmart, Disney, Amazon, Katy Perry, the Boston Red Sox, and more. With her trademark mix of humor and sharp business insights, she combines entertaining stories from her years of working with major stars like Dolly Parton and KISS with case studies of familiar brands and companies to illustrate the effective and easy-to-master system for transforming customers into passionate advocates of your brand.

11:00 – 11:45 AM

Located in

Grand Ballroom CDE

Badge Pick-Up & Lunch

Start networking over lunch with MSP peers from all over the region

11:45 AM – 12:05 PM

Jessie Devine

VP, Channel Development

Welcome to ASCII Edge - the MSP Conference

Day 1 kick-off as we discuss our new format and audience interaction

12:05 – 12:20 PM

Eric Pinto

Senior Director – Channel & Product Strategy

[Technical] "Opening Doors & Revenue through Compliance Risk Analysis"

presented by SOCSoter

12:20 – 12:40 PM

Justin Cook

Sr. Account Executive

[Technical] Evolve Your Security, Outwit Your Adversaries

Attackers are always evolving their offense and finding new vulnerabilities to exploit. But when you decide to fight back and play their game—the hunt evolves. Join Huntress in this session as we explore how you can turn the tables on today’s hackers. We’ll talk about the important role of endpoint detection and response, the value of cyber experts as your eyes and ears, and how Huntress delivers managed cybersecurity without the impossible cost, expertise and personnel burdens created by other platforms.

12:40 – 1:00 PM

James Gartner

Cloud Development Manager

[Marketing] Strategies to Best Package Services to Accommodate Future Needs

presented by D&H

1:00 – 1:25 PM

Ken Wong

Founder & CEO

Peer Session “Winning Business Leveraging the Security Conversation"

presented by DragonTek

1:25 – 1:45 PM

Joseph Landes

CRO

Building the Modern Cloud MSP

The rapid pace of technology and evolving end user computing needs are significantly impacting the MSP landscape — where some are thriving, and others are struggling to keep up. Learn how any MSP can modernize, automate, secure and cost-optimize their existing practice using native Microsoft technologies including Azure, Intune, Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD), and Windows 365.

1:45 – 2:05 PM

Michael Crean

CEO

[Leadership] "What Organizational Maturity Means Today: Essential Practices and Skills"

Organizations large and small struggle to understand what “maturity” means in terms of IT and security operations. In this session, we’ll discuss some case studies about organizations that have varied levels of maturity. This isn’t about CMMC or CMMI, but more of a conversation about steps organizations need to take to implement policy-based and useful architectures and procedures.

presented by Solutions Granted

2:05 – 2:35 PM

Located in

Grand Ballroom Foyer

Break & Networking Time

Refuel time

2:35 – 3:00 PM

Interactive

Industry Panel

"Quiet Quitting - How to Inspire, Motivate and Keep Staff"

Industry executives from Carbon Systems, LifeCycle Inisghts, and ScalePad talk real-world strategies.

3:00 – 3:20 PM

J. Colin Petersen

Founder & CEO

[Operations] "The Secret to Recruiting, Hiring, Training, and KEEPING Great Level 1 Technicians"

“MSP’s all experience similar frustrations hiring L1 tech’s. They want too much money, they have trouble Googling simple error codes, and just as they get their “sea legs,” they end up quitting. While you might think you know why they quit, what matters is knowing the real reasons why, or why you can’t seem to find good ones in the first place, and what you should do to mitigate that. In this session, you’ll learn the secrets I’ve used myself to hire great L1 techs who love what they do.” presented by HelpDesk.Tech

3:20 – 3:30 PM

Located in

Grand Ballroom Foyer

Business Card Exchange

Get your networking vibe on

3:30 – 3:50 PM

Al Alper

Founder & CEO

[Sales] How To STAND OUT From Your Competition

Let’s face it, to a layman all IT companies are the same. It’s why “traditional” marketing is all about timing; they hurt (a.k.a. their network crashed, or their IT guy isn’t responding, or…) and you happen to be there when they need it fixed. But chance encounters like that are few and far between. So how can you make it so that it’s YOU they think of when they need help instead of relying on a chance encounter? In this session, we’ll learn how to create and build trust in the minds of your prospects, so that YOU are the go to person when they need help. presented by CyberGuard360

3:50 – 4:10 PM

Taylor Haag

Inside Sales Manager

[Sales] Unlocking Hidden Revenue: How to Sell Cybersecurity Your Customers and Prospects Need But Don't Want to Pay For

presented by Mailprotector

4:10 – 4:30 PM

Jennifer Pierce

Security Advisor and Partner Success Manager

[Technical] The Secret to Creating a Sales Process that Wins New Business while Building a Consultative Relationship

Imagine being handed a sales process and strategy that
just worked. Something you could use without having to research, learn, test,
and improve? A process that works to get executives on board and investing in
the security solutions you know they desperately need. I have that process,
and, in this session, I will share my secrets to using third-party security
assessments to change the way you connect with executives -imagine 83% close
rates. I will also give you a formula to packaging your security stack that
will save you time. Plus, learn the one call you need to make this quarter to reinforce your position as a highly valued consultant. We will even give you a list of CEO’s top 10 objections to investing in security solutions and how to overcome them.

4:30 – 4:55 PM

Brian Johnson

CEO, AVC Technology

Peer Session: “Growth Through Process – Fundamental Building Blocks MSPs Need to Achieve Repeatable Growth YoY"

In today’s MSP marketplace if you’re not growing you are losing market share. Growth can solve a lot of problems but is not always easy to achieve in a planned and systematic manner. In this session, Brian Johnson, CEO of AVC Technology will share lessons learned as he reveals key strategies and mistakes to avoid in achieving consistent and aggressive YoY growth. Learn what key methodologies to put into place as well specific KPIs to monitor the health and trajectory of your MSP practice.

4:55 – 5:05 PM

Chris Visage

Channel Account Executive

[Marketing] Navigating Managed Security: How to Accelerate Revenue and Deliver Security Outcomes

In a vast landscape of MDR services, it can be challenging for MSPs to determine which vendor is best for them. Join this session with Sophos for tips on navigating the selection process to accelerate revenue and deliver better security outcomes.

5:05 – 5:30 PM

Located in

Grand Ballroom CDE

Day 1 Wrap Up, Voting & Vendor Networking

More networking and time to meet with our great sponsors

5:30 – 6:30 PM

Located in

Woodruff

ASCII Member Closed-Door Meeting

Private peer meeting of ASCII Members

6:30 – 8:30 PM

Located in

Grand Ballroom Foyer

Evening Networking Reception

Enjoy food and drink as continue to network

8:30 – 9:15 AM

Collin Ellis

Senior Solutions Engineer

[Technical Training] Touring the Dark Web

Do you really know how much of your valuable information is available on the dark web? Join Collin, Solutions Engineer to learn how to access the dark web and tools to assist in getting to the marketplaces and forum. See just how easy it is for attackers to get malicious code and sensitive information to use against you and your business.

9:00 – 9:30 AM

Located in

Grand Ballroom CDE

Badge Pick-Up, Breakfast & Networking

Start networking over breakfast with MSP peers from all over the region

9:30 – 9:40 AM

Jerry Koutavas

President

ASCII Edge Welcome - Day 2 Kickoff

Day 2 kick-off as we discuss our new format and audience interaction

9:40 – 10:25 AM

Brittany Hodak

Keynote Speaker

"Creating Superfans: How To Turn Your Customers Into Lifelong Advocates"

10:25 – 10:45 AM

Sean Lardo

Connectwise Evangelist

Return on Relationship: How to Develop Strong Business Connections"

81% of consumers trust the advice of family and friends over business; more than 50% of MSPs don’t have a process to facilitate strong business relationships for long term growth. All conversations that result in relationships start with a simple, “how are you?” Join ConnectWise Evangelist Sean Lardo as he reviews steps to help you build long-lasting business relationships that drive sales and retention.

10:45 – 11:05 AM

Renee McCloden

VP of Sales

[Operations] “The Next Big Shift For MSP’s in the Future and what that looks like with True Automation”

True automation is the next logical step for MSPs. As we look to the future, we must first look at the hurdles we face today and create products and solutions that directly address those hurdles now. Building future strategies and solutions so that the MSP is not just existing but growing regardless of the current state. Utilizing solutions and products that have integrated automation at the most basic levels. Pia is just that. Created from an MSP for MSPs to increase efficiency and profitability through the reduction of labor. Pia brings to you automation for the future of MSPs today! Presented by Pia

11:05 – 11:25 AM

Located in

Grand Ballroom CDE

Business Card Exchange

Networking time, grab some business cards and start networking

11:25 – 11:45 AM

Larry Garcia & Ethan Crosson

Account Manager

[Sales] "Sales Funnel Strategies to Drive Engagement"

Sales is a process for which there are well-established best practices. From the start at the wide-end top of the funnel you must demonstrate over and over to every potential customer that you clearly understand their need and give evidence that you provide the best solution. This session helps layout a strategy to close more business.

presented by Zorus

11:45 – 12:05 PM

Miles Walker

Director, Channel Development

[Operations] Datto’s Global State of the MSP Report: What the survey means for you.

“Datto’s Global State of the MSP Report resulted in some really interesting statistics. Competition, revenue growth and new client acquisition ruled as the top challenges facing MSPs, with profitability and improving operational efficiencies coming in right behind them. Learn how you can apply these statistics to your 2023 business plan and ways Kaseya is applying the findings to our roadmap moving forward.”

12:05 – 12:25 PM

Gareth Case

CMO

Producing Effective Marketing Campaigns and How to Track Them

Maximizing your return on marketing investments is crucial for any MSP. Redstor is here to share expert insights on how to leverage vendor resources and dollars, accurately track ROI, and stay ahead of the curve in the constantly evolving field of tech marketing – whether you have dedicated resources or not!

12:25 – 12:40 PM

Kayla Staebell

Manager of Channel Events

Accelerate Your MSP Growth Journey: From Establishment to Enhancement

No matter which stage of your MSP growth journey you’re in – Establishment, Enablement, Expansion, or Enhancement – Pax8 Academy can help.

Whether your entire organization reports to you (the Establishment phase), or you’ve got a more thoroughly built-out leadership structure and want to take your business even further (Enhancement), you’ll learn how to grow your business, increase efficiency, and reduce your risk in 2023. Join us to learn key insights and get the knowledge to move your business forward.

12:40 – 12:59 PM

Lynn Williams

Director, Community & Strategic Partnerships

"Industry Communities, Where to Start"

presented by ASCII Group

12:50 – 2:50 PM

Located in

Grand Ballroom AB

Solutions Pavilion

2:50 – 3:15 PM

Industry Panel

Interactive

Security Panel

Industry Expert Panel with Axcient, OpenText, and Zyxel

3:15 – 3:30 PM

Jimmy Hatzell

VP of Revenue

Live-Hacking Demo - How The World Has Changed- Modern Methods of Hacking

Tools like ChatGPT are creating a new generation of AI Cybercriminals that are tasking AI to script code similar to ransomware or even decode hashed passwords – no programming skills required. Join Quickpass Cybersecurity, as we explore ChatGPT and potential AI powered attacks on the MSP community, along with how to get protected from them.

3:30 – 3:5 PM

Ted Roller

Channel Chief

[Operations] Unlock Client Budget: Visibility is Everything

Most MSPs think the secret to growth is adding more clients, which makes sense, right? Not exactly. More clients mean more meetings, more work, and more operational issues. More wallet share per client creates the same revenue lift without all the headaches. When you solve your client’s people and planning problems in addition to their technology problems, your revenue will increase while your headaches actually decrease. Learn how to open up more wallet share per client and gain the visibility required for long term opportunities to further drive your MSP to new heights.

3:45 – 4:05 PM

David Stinner

Founder & CEO

Peer Session "A Blueprint to Solve Talent & Hiring Challenges at 25% the Salaries Your Competitors are Paying"

If you are struggling with staff quiet quitting, leaving for a better job during the great resignation, or your staff asking for more money than you can afford, this session is for you. Did you ever say you cannot find the right staff? Do you have staff that is lackluster or doesn’t show up for work? Do you need admin support staff for billing, marketing but don’t know where to start? Do you need more technical staff but cant afford more people? What if you could do it for 25% of what you think it will cost. In this educational session you are going to learn the Top 10 Proven Things to address all these topics and more, discussed by an MSP who solved these problems.

4:05 – 4:20 PM

Ryan Cloutier

President

[Operations] Minimizing Risks with Virtual Vendor Risk Management as a Service (VVRMaaS)

In this engaging session SecurityStudio’s President Ryan Cloutier will talk about what MSP’s need to do to provide protection against vendor-caused cyber-attacks and cybercrime. Ryan will discuss the fundamentals of vendor management, how to reduce your client vendor risk immediately, and how to be in a better position to respond and react to vendor cyberattacks when they happen. Ryan will talk you through where to start and how to effectively manage vendors for maximum impact and risk reduction. presented by Security Studio

4:20 – 4:35 PM

Julie Marvelli

Channel Executive

[Sales] How to Best Position & Market Finance Options to Close More Deals

Learn key marketing techniques and strategies financial firms use to help more clients sign on the dotted line. Creating a quote is only part of the equation, by layering into the discussion the flexibility and opportunity to help clients manage their cash flow only increases your chances of closing that client and creates more distance from your competition.

4:35 – 4:50 PM

Located in

Grand Ballroom CDE

Vote - Afternoon Break & Networking

Vote

4:50 – 5:35 PM

Blake Lemoine

Keynote Speaker

"How AI is Disrupting Industries and How it Will Change the MSP Industry"

5:35 – 6:00 PM

Awards & Prizes

Good Luck Everyone!

Closing Award Ceremony & Giveaway

Event wrap up ceremony with prize drawings

Agenda

Atlanta, Georgia
March 22 & 23, 2023

Westin Atlanta Buckhead
3391 Peachtree Road, N.E. , Atlanta, GA 30326

Official Sponsors

Diamond Sponsors

Platinum Sponsors

Gold Sponsors

Silver Sponsors

Bronze Sponsors

Start Up Sponsors Including ConnectWise PitchIT Applicants

Meal & Tech Primer Sponsors

Media Sponsors

testimonial

"The people I meet, along with the training and leadership that ASCII provides at these events is invaluable. I definitely recommend attending the events…kudos to everyone at ASCII."

"The ASCII events are a great way to meet likeminded peers who want to network and grow their business. Through these events I have made new connections with many IT professionals, vendors, and manufacturers. Additionally, the content I’ve learned from these events has helped me accelerate my business to the next level! "

"ASCII’s events allow us access to current and new vendors, products, and services. Over the years the numerous informative speakers at the events have conveyed what is important to our industry and provided real solutions and opportunities!"

ASCII Edge

ASCII EDGE

THE MSP CONFERENCE 2023 ATLANTA

MAR 22 & 23 - ATLANTA, GA

FRESH CONTENT FOR GROWING MSPs

20+ BUSINESS STRATEGY SESSIONS

Keynote

"How AI is Disrupting Industries and How it Will Change the MSP Industry"

for MSPs

Register today

Fresh Content

Discover Opportunities

Expand Your Network

Interactive

For MSPs

Perks

Speakers

Featured MSP Speakers & Industry Sessions

Brian Johnson

Ken Wong

David Stinner

Keynote

"Creating Superfans: How To Turn Your Customers Into Lifelong Advocates"

Wednesday Mar 22, 2023

Thursday Mar 23, 2023

Located in

Badge Pick-Up & Lunch

Jessie Devine

Welcome to ASCII Edge - the MSP Conference

Eric Pinto

[Technical] "Opening Doors & Revenue through Compliance Risk Analysis"

Justin Cook

[Technical] Evolve Your Security, Outwit Your Adversaries

James Gartner

[Marketing] Strategies to Best Package Services to Accommodate Future Needs

Ken Wong

Peer Session “Winning Business Leveraging the Security Conversation"

Joseph Landes

Building the Modern Cloud MSP

Michael Crean

[Leadership] "What Organizational Maturity Means Today: Essential Practices and Skills"

Located in

Break & Networking Time

Interactive

"Quiet Quitting - How to Inspire, Motivate and Keep Staff"

J. Colin Petersen

[Operations] "The Secret to Recruiting, Hiring, Training, and KEEPING Great Level 1 Technicians"

Located in

Business Card Exchange

Al Alper

[Sales] How To STAND OUT From Your Competition

Taylor Haag

[Sales] Unlocking Hidden Revenue: How to Sell Cybersecurity Your Customers and Prospects Need But Don't Want to Pay For

Jennifer Pierce

[Technical] The Secret to Creating a Sales Process that Wins New Business while Building a Consultative Relationship

Brian Johnson

Peer Session: “Growth Through Process – Fundamental Building Blocks MSPs Need to Achieve Repeatable Growth YoY"

Chris Visage

[Marketing] Navigating Managed Security: How to Accelerate Revenue and Deliver Security Outcomes

Located in

Day 1 Wrap Up, Voting & Vendor Networking

Located in

ASCII Member Closed-Door Meeting

Located in

Evening Networking Reception

Agenda

Atlanta, Georgia March 22 & 23, 2023

Westin Atlanta Buckhead 3391 Peachtree Road, N.E. , Atlanta, GA 30326

Sponsors

Official Sponsors

Diamond Sponsors

Platinum Sponsors

Gold Sponsors

Silver Sponsors

Bronze Sponsors

Start Up Sponsors Including ConnectWise PitchIT Applicants

Meal & Tech Primer Sponsors

Media Sponsors

testimonial

EXPERIENCE THE FUN AND CAMARADERIE AS WE COME TOGETHER AS AN INDUSTRY

Wednesday
Mar 22, 2023

Thursday
Mar 23, 2023

Atlanta, Georgia
March 22 & 23, 2023

Westin Atlanta Buckhead
3391 Peachtree Road, N.E. , Atlanta, GA 30326