Ingram gets set for Channel Expo 2007
Distributor highlights the size and importance of the UK's only dedicated channel exhibition
Support is snowballing for Channel Expo, the UK’s only dedicated channel exhibition. Last week, Ingram Micro sent a clear signal of its commitment to the event by pledging to showcase products from 30 vendors at the exhibition.
Bhavesh Patel, UK commercial director at Ingram Micro, said the two-day event – held at the Birmingham NEC on 28 and 29 March – offers the broadliner a chance to cement ties with VARs and win new business.
“We’re doing it on a bigger scale this year, with 50 per cent more vendors than 2006,” he said. “The key reason for this is to increase the touchpoint with resellers. Our business is done either electronically or over the phone, so it’s important to get out there and meet-and-greet customers to get them to understand what our values are.”
Patel named Intel, Seagate, Sony and Microsoft among the vendors that will be touting new products, services and promotions at Ingram Micro’s two-stand booth.
“What it allows resellers to do is visit the show, understand who’s who and what the latest products are,” he said. “It’s also a networking event. From my point of view, all of these things are very important.”
Patel would not disclose numbers, but revealed that the investment was a mixture of vendor marketing funds and Ingram’s own money.
Andy Penfold, UK marketing manager at Ingram Micro, said: “The key is the scale. We’re going to have a big presence there.”
The event, which is the only dedicated channel exhibition in the UK, will have educational seminars and vendor presentations.
Also, CRN is holding its exclusive Executive Forum, with top executives from vendors such as Hewlett-Packard, Fujitsu Siemens Computers, Oracle and Microsoft.
CRN is also holding round tables with all of the executives to give resellers that attend the event the opportunity to meet their channel managers face to face and discuss channel strategy and propositions.
To register to attend the event, or to attend the Executive Forum, please got to the web address below.