Louis Bagdonas, senior program manager at Moovila, works with MSPs every day to review project processes and onboard them to Moovila project and resource management solutions. He has been a CompTIA Community member for nearly one year. Last year was his first time attending ChannelCon. Read about his experience and then register to attend ChannelCon 2024 July 30 - August 1 in Atlanta.

ChannelCon came at an incredible time for me. I was new to Moovila and new to the industry. Our company was new to the CompTIA Community as well. Just a few weeks before the event, I was asked to go. I went into ChannelCon without knowing very much about it. Of course, I hoped to learn a few new things, but that was about it, I had limited expectations.

I was blown away. From the very first breakfast I was having meaningful conversations with MSPs and other vendors. I immediately realized that everyone was open and willing to connect. Coming from another industry-one that played it close to the vest-this was quite a shock and made a strong impression.

To say I felt welcomed would be an understatement. Everyone in the CompTIA Community, from CEOs to engineers, was warm and open to discussions. I immediately felt like part of the community and was comfortable engaging. My best piece of advice to first-time ChannelCon attendees this year is to sit down at a table where you don't know anyone. That was what I did last year and there wasn't a single time where a good conversation didn't come out of it.

And while networking and making connections was a huge benefit of attending, the list of what I learned while at ChannelCon could be an entirely different blog post itself. The ChannelCon format provided many ways to interact. In addition to the networking opportunities, I visited vendor booths, watched presentations and participated in interactive sessions. ChannelCon gave me a great foundational understanding of the MSP industry that allowed me to better navigate the space. I can honestly say that without that foundation, I wouldn't have been able to adjust to this industry so quickly.

Of course, I'm going back to ChannelCon in 2024, and this time I have goals. The first takeaway I'm looking for this year is to make more connections and have more conversations. The ability to learn from your peers and customers firsthand, in person, is irreplaceable. Secondly, I want to see our company have more of a presence at ChannelCon. This year Moovila is planning to have a booth to be able to connect with existing and potential new customers.

The knowledge base and learning how the MSP industry works can be overwhelming-it was for me. The CompTIA Community and ChannelCon do an incredible job of making it feel manageable and helping to break down the learning curve. If you're considering going to ChannelCon for the first time, go. You won't regret it.