The 3^rd Annual GPUG Amplify conference took place last week and it was the 3^rd year we have participated and for so many reasons this may have been the best year, yet!  Of course, the previous two years, being only miles from our office, had positive points, but this last week’s event was amazing!

Perhaps because I knew registration was lower this year than in the past and the fact that only one of our customers were making the trek out to Chicago, I was a little cynical (or wary) about how the event was going to be but in retrospect, I think that is what made the event so invaluable.

As many people know, I am all about COMMUNITY and PARTNERING.  Confirmed in front of a room of almost 50 partners, during my Partner Exchange presentation “Why Engaging with Microsoft & Other Microsoft Partners Now Makes More Sense Than Ever” the Dynamics community as a whole, and the GP community in itself, is a strong, close community and one that people should leverage and thrive in.  This message was also delivered in the 2^nd session I was kindly invited to participate in by Abra Gilman, “Partner/ISV Relationships Making Smooth Music Together”.

The feedback online and in person from the sessions were positive.  People stopped me in the halls and break out areas all week to talk about how partnering can work and how amazing this community is.  This type of feedback in itself made the event worth the investment.

 

The entire event was about learning, networking, and growing the business myself and as a professional.  This is what was happening from the moment I was on the stage during the Keynote of the Partner Exchange sharing about the Channel Marketing Alliance, to the dinners with partners and customers, through the 16 sessions I attended, the many ISV booths I spent time at, and the hallway conversations that took place.

The fact that there were fewer than 400 people (not confirmed yet) including the top partners (VARs), the best ISVs and committed customers, made this event very special.  I was able to spend time with each group (Partners, ISVs, Customers, DCI Staff) more strategically at Amplify, than ever before at other conferences.  Fewer distractions and a smaller crowd allowed us to all be more focused, transparent, and authentic.  I know that from my client’s feedback of their new proposed projects, the partnerships we established, the new ISV products we will begin to offer, and the overall visibility BCS gained at the conference…this event’s investment will definitely pay off!

Bond Consulting Services, a committed Dynamics partner, is happy to support GPUG Amplify as it continues to find its identity!  We look forward to attending the next one!