A more diverse and focused lineup of exhibitors than ever before is expected
to grace Hall 9 of the
NEC Birmingham on 20
and 21 May for CRN Channel
Expo 2009.
More than 50 leading industry lights such as Ingram Micro, Emerson Network Power, Kaseya, Gigabyte, Dell, Intel and Xerox have already confirmed their presence on the stands.
Also on the exhibitors’ list this year is
Acronis,
which will be showcasing its data back-up and disaster recovery software, a
product category tipped to sell well this
year as businesses look for better and more cost-effective ways to manage their
IT infrastructure.
Kevin Moreau, UK and Ireland general manager at Acronis, said this is the first year the firm is exhibiting at Channel Expo.
“Our objectives are two-fold,” he said. “First, we aim to create more awareness of our back-up and recovery software offering. Second, we are seeking to increase both our retail and corporate IT partner base.”
Moreau said it needs more channel partners for its corporate back-up, recovery and migration portfolio.
“We believe the show will have a bigger presence than last year and will be more oriented towards the needs of channel resellers,” he said.
“The event is a great fit for us to reach out to IT resellers addressing the SME, mid-market audience, which is the perfect fit for our product set.”
Northern exposure
Acronis’ retail product line is becoming more important to the vendor’s UK
business. The company is seeking to accelerate the penetration of its consumer
products across retailers in the UK as well as an extension of its recent
distribution partnership with
GEM, added
Moreau.
Security is expected to be another bright spot in a generally tougher year.
Paul Brook, UK managing director of security software vendor Eset, said this year it will be launching the fourth generation of Eset Smart Security and Eset NOD32 Antivirus.
The applications feature about 50 enhancements, including some that target laptop users, such as a built-in automatic energy-saving battery mode.
Brook claimed Channel Expo provides the perfect forum for vendors and resellers to get together to discuss ideas and form new partnerships.
“It gives us the opportunity to meet up with many of our partners and plan ahead for another year,” said Brook.
“Networking is the most important aspect of Channel Expo. Meeting new resellers, catching up with partners and talking to rivals is all part of what makes it the definitive show for the IT channel.”
All walks of business
Delegates will hail from a diverse range of industry sectors and
businesses. Already, about 1,000 channel players from across the UK have
registered an interest in attending, with the show still over three months away.
Potential attendees include PC resellers, integrated solution providers and research institutions. The revamped programme and exhibitor lineup is expected to attract more visitors and delegates than last year’s 3,000.
Delegates will also enjoy the results of many months of hard work by the CRN team on the education programme.
We cannot reveal too much yet, but some inspirational keynotes have been
slotted in, including exciting success stories from the IT industry and a talk
by UK Trade
& Investment on expanding beyond the UK.
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