CompTIA Breakaway 2009 Event Agenda

Pre-Conference Workshop
CompTIA A+® Training (Part 1)
Must be pre-registered to attend

Do you feel like injecting new life into the delivery of your A+ course? Would you like to get some fresh ideas for lessons and labs? Author Jean Andrews and a panel of experienced teachers will share with you some of their course labs and discuss best practices. Hardware, software and customer service skills will be reviewed.

Pre-Conference Workshop
CompTIA Network+® Training (Part 1)
Must be pre-registered to attend

The new Network+2009 exam was released in January, are you ready to incorporate the changes into your course to keep your passing rates high? Author Mike Meyers will share with you what you need to know about the 2009 test revision. A panel of teachers will join Mike to discuss new labs, projects and classroom best practices.

Group 1 Transportation Leaves the Mirage for the Creating Futures Golf Classic

Departs from Mirage North Transportation Lobby
Must be pre-registered to participate

Group 2 and Group 3 Transportation Leaves the Mirage for the Creating Futures Golf Classic

Departs from Mirage North Transportation Lobby
Must be pre-registered to participate

Creating Futures Golf Clinic with Ian Baker-Finch
Clinic participation limited to Group 1 golfers

Creating Futures Golf Classic Shotgun Rounds Begin

Pre-Conference Workshop
CompTIA A+® Training (Part 2)
Must be pre-registered to attend

Do you feel like injecting new life into the delivery of your A+ course? Would you like to get some fresh ideas for lessons and labs? Author Jean Andrews and a panel of experienced teachers will share with you some of their course labs and discuss best practices. Hardware, software and customer service skills will be reviewed.

Pre-Conference Workshop
CompTIA Network+® Training (Part 2)
Must be pre-registered to attend

The new Network+2009 exam was released in January, are you ready to incorporate the changes into your course to keep your passing rates high? Author Mike Meyers will share with you what you need to know about the 2009 test revision. A panel of teachers will join Mike to discuss new labs, projects and classroom best practices.

12:00 pm -6:00 pm

CompTIA A+® CAC Meeting
Invitation Only

Creating Futures Golf Awards Reception
Must be pre-registered to participate

Groups 1, 2, and 3 Transportation Leaves the Creating Futures Golf Classic for the Mirage

Hosted VAR Orientation
Invitation Only for Hosted VARs

Featured Sponsor Presentation - Motorola
Open to all registered VARs

Featured Sponsor Presentation - McAfee
Open to all registered VARs

Educational Foundation Board Meeting
Invitation Only

VAR Welcome Reception
Open to all registered VARs

CompTIA Board of Directors Dinner
Invitation Only

E2C (Education to Careers) Advisory Committee Dinner
Invitation Only

CompTIA Hospitality Suite
Open to all Breakaway attendees

7:30 am - 8:00 am

VAR Breakfast
Open to all registered VARs

8:00 am - 8:45 am

Featured Sponsor Presentation - Xerox
Open to all registered VARs

8:00 am - 1:30 pm

CompTIA Services and Managed Services Executive Forum
Invitation Only

8:30 am - 2:00 pm

CompTIA Board of Directors Meeting
Invitation Only

9:00 am - 10:00 am

Executive Briefings
Open to all registered VARs

Pre-Conference Workshop
CompTIA A+® Training (Part 3)
Must be pre-registered to attend

Do you feel like injecting new life into the delivery of your A+ course? Would you like to get some fresh ideas for lessons and labs? Author Jean Andrews and a panel of experienced teachers will share with you some of their course labs and discuss best practices. Hardware, software and customer service skills will be reviewed.

Pre-Conference Workshop
CompTIA Network+® Training (Part 3)
Must be pre-registered to attend

The new Network+2009 exam was released in January, are you ready to incorporate the changes into your course to keep your passing rates high? Author Mike Meyers will share with you what you need to know about the 2009 test revision. A panel of teachers will join Mike to discuss new labs, projects and classroom best practices.

10:15 am - 12:45 pm

Peer-to-Peer Reseller Discussion Groups
Open to all registered VARs

New at Breakaway! Participate in a small group setting with other business leaders who can provide you with input and advice to help you succeed. You’ll share your experience and expertise in return. This is an opportunity to capture great ideas and best practices that will make an immediate impact on your business. You’ll be matched with executives from similar sized companies and assigned facilitators to keep the discussion flowing and on-point. Select two topics from this list of timely issues:

• Strategies to develop new opportunities in the SMB market
• Best practices in protecting your existing customer base
• Breaking into new vertical markets
• Getting more and better end-user leads to enable growth
• Building effective partnering relationships with other resellers
• Surviving the recession by cutting costs without affecting customer service levels
  

Discussion Group Facilitators:

• Carolyn April, Editor, Channel Insider
• Rod Baptie, President, Baptie and Company
• Maria Battaglia, Senior Vice President, Marketing, OnForce
• Gennifer Biggs, Network Security and Storage Technologies Editor, Business Solutions
• Bill Brandt, Managing Partner, SWOT Management Group, Inc. 
• Susan Callahan, CMO, Mobile Armor
• Jake Carroll, Vice President of Channel Sales, Autotask
• Paul Cronin, CEO, 1nService
• Paul Dippell, Founder and CEO, Service Leadership, Inc. 
• James Drohan, President, Vernon Technology Solutions
• Kent Erickson, CEO, Pointivity
• James Foxall, Senior Vice President, Tigerpaw Software
• Michael Garland, Senior Vice President Channels, Siemens Enterprise Communications
• Gregg Kalman, MSSI Vice President of North American Channels, Wireless Networking Solutions, Motorola 
• Jeff Lampe, Director of Marketing, Arrow ECS
• Shari Marion-Hoff, CEO, Hawkeye
• Kerry McDonough, Director, Small Business Sales/Channels, Cisco Systems, Inc.
• Matt Murphy, Director of Professional Services, The I.T. Pros
• Rauline Ochs, Former Senior Vice President, Alliances and Channels, Oracle Coproration 
• Joe Panettieri, Co-Founder and Executive VP / Editorial Director, Nine Lives Media Inc.
• Dave Petty, Vice President Channels, Guidance Software
• Duncan Potter, CMO, Westcon Group
• Frank Raimondi, Executive Director, NASBA
• Marty Reader, Executive Vice President, Field Solutions
• Craig Schlagbaum, Vice President Indirect Channels, Level 3 
• Stuart Selbst, Director of Partner Training and Development, Virtual Administrator
• MJ Shoer, President & Virtual Chief Technology Officer, Jenaly Technology Group, Inc.
• Erick Simpson, Vice President / CIO, MSP University
• Beth Vanni, Director, Market Intelligence, Amazon Consulting, LLC
• Lawrence Walsh, Vice President and Group Publisher, Channel Insider
• Dan Wensley, Vice President, Partner Services, Level Platforms
• Tricia Wurts, President, Wurts and Associates 

1:00 pm - 1:30 pm

VAR Luncheon
Open to all registered VARs

1:30 pm - 2:15 pm

Featured Sponsor Presentation - Autotask
Open to all registered VARs

Breakaway Opening Session
Open to all Breakaway attendees

State of the Industry
Todd Thibodeaux, President and CEO, CompTIA

Opening Keynote
Patrick Lencioni, President, The Table Group, Inc.

Lencioni, author of The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, will deliver Breakaway's opening address. Lencioni is among the most in-demand business speakers and will share his insights on leadership, management and teamwork and will address how executives need to prepare their teams now to make the most of the economic recovery. Lencioni is the author of eight best-selling books with more than 2.5 million copies sold. After seven years in print, his book The Five Dysfunctions of a Team continues to be a fixture on national best-seller lists. Lencioni has spoken and consulted with a broad and diverse group of clients, including Fortune 500 companies, professional sports organizations, the military, non-profits, schools and charities. He is founder and president of The Table Group, Inc., a firm dedicated to providing organizations with ideas, products and services that improve teamwork, clarity and employee engagement.

4:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Breakaway Technology Vendor Fair and Welcome Reception
Open to all Breakaway attendees

Welcome Reception Sponsored by ConnectWise

9:00 pm - 12:00 am

CompTIA Hospitality Suite
Open to all Breakaway attendees

8:00 am - 9:30 am

Creating Futures Awards Breakfast
Invitation Only

8:00 am - 9:00 am

Conference Breakfast
Open to all Breakaway attendees

E2C (Education to Careers) Industry Awards Breakfast
Open to E2C attendees

Power Panel: Channel Execs Predict the Future
Powered by TheVARguy

Open to all Breakaway attendees

Learn what leading vendors think is hot, happening and coming down the pike: cloud computing, Green IT, Health IT, security, storage and much more.

Moderator: Joe Panettieri, Co-Founder and Executive VP / Editorial Director, Nine Lives Media Inc.

Panelists:

• Stephen Cho, Director, Google Apps Channels
• Roger Egan, Vice President of North American Channels, Red Hat, Inc.
• Kerry McDonough, Director, Small Business Sales/Channels, Cisco Systems, Inc.

E2C (Education to Careers) Opening Session
Open to E2C attendees

CompTIA Learning Advisory Council Meeting
Invitation Only

E2C (Education to Careers)
Sharing Best Practices - Secondary Group
Open to E2C attendees

Find out what your colleagues are doing in their schools.

E2C (Education to Careers)
Sharing Best Practices - Post Secondary Group
Open to E2C attendees

Find out what your colleagues are doing in their schools.

Presenter: Karl Dietrich, Lansing Community College

Breakout: Stay Profitable in Tough Times - Move to a Managed Services Model!
Powered by the MSPmentor

Open to all Breakaway attendees

Managed Services Providers are riding the economic storm with little impact. Are you ready to make the leap and move your business to a managed services model? Learn how to avoid common pitfalls transitioning VARs often make. In this session you'll prepare to pick up new clients and evaluate which of your old clients are ready to make the transition with you.

Moderator: Joe Panettieri, Co-Founder and Executive VP / Editorial Director, Nine Lives Media Inc.

Panelists:

• Gerald Blackie, CEO, Kaseya
• Ron Cook, Chairman, Connecting Point Technology Center
• Justin Crotty, Services Vice President, Ingram Micro Seismic
• Michael Proper, CEO, Clear, Corp. 
• Sheldon Waters, President and CEO, itControl Solutions

Breakout: Finding Opportunities in the Evolving Security Matrix
Powered by the CompTIA Services & Support Executive Forum and Channel Insider

Open to all Breakaway attendees

Current research suggests IT security needs continue to grow and, as IT Security evolves, the matrix of threats and solutions keeps moving.  How do you properly evaluate and find the best solutions and business opportunities in IT Security?  Where are the growth areas?  Who should you partner with to help you maximize your business opportunities in IT Security?  How do you differentiate your IT Security offerings and show your customers that you have validated security practices and employ the right skills?  Learn the best ways to build a quality IT Security practice to secure your customer and your own business.

Moderator: Larry Walsh, Vice President and Group Publisher, Channel Insider

Panelists:

• Sandra Ashworth, Global Director of Channel Relations and Warranty, Unisys Corporation
• Paul M. Cronin, CEO, 1nService
• MJ Shoer, President & Virtual Chief Technology Officer, Jenaly Technology Group, Inc.
• Patrick Wilson, President, Vital Signs Technology, Inc.

Workshop: Strategic Business Planning (Part 1)
Powered by Channel Pro

Open to all Breakaway attendees

Are you a tech whiz who's struggling with the management of your business? When was the last time you updated your business plan? (Do you HAVE a business plan?!) The Breakaway Strategic Planning Workshop is for those who've built a good business, but are still in a reactionary, break/fix mode of business management. This workshop will teach you to deal with your business proactively and strategically.

Part One concentrates on people and strategy, organized around a One-Page Strategic Plan document. Topics include hiring, goal setting, differentiating yourself from your competition and driving alignment and performance within your company.

Presenter: Verne Harnish, Founder and CEO, Gazelles

10:00 am - 12:00 pm

The Stimulus Package and VAR Opportunities / Small Business Issues Policy Council Meeting

Open to all Breakaway attendees

“What’s so stimulating about the Stimulus Package?  Lamar Whitman and Mike Wendy outline what’s in the Stimulus bill for CompTIA’s Small Business Issues Policy Council.

10:00 am - 12:00 pm

CompTIA PDI+™ CAC Meeting
Invitation Only

CompTIA Program Development Committee Meeting
Invitation Only

11:00 am - 11:30 am

Breakout: Can a VAR Make Money in a SaaS World? And Other Nagging Questions...
Powered by Business Solutions

Open to all Breakaway attendees

There are a number of technologies and services that stand to benefit your customers, but do you know how to make them work AND make money on them? Get answers to these nagging questions and more:

• How can you work SaaS into your offerings?
• What is a cost effective way to scale new technologies for smaller clients?
• How do you manage mobility? Virtualization?

Moderator: Gennifer Biggs, Network Security & Storage Technologies Editor, Business Solutions

Panelists:

• Jake Carroll, Vice President of Channel Sales, Autotask
• BJ Farmer, President and CEO, CITOC
• Frank Gurnee, Vice President VAR Channel Sales, ARRC Technology 
• Abraham Sultan, Vice President of Engineering, Co-founder, Apprenda, Inc.
• Dan Wensley, Vice President of Partner Services, Level Platforms

Vendor-Exclusive Session!

What's the Real ROI on Channel Training & Certification?  A Three-Way Perspective
Join Amazon Consulting and Channel Insider for a Review of New Channel Research
 
If you are evaluating whether channel training and certification programs are making your partners more effective, attend this vendor-only session. You will get the latest research findings and expert commentary on the state of certification and accreditation programs from three vantage points:  end user, partner and vendor.   See where vendor assumptions about channel partner investments and end user preferences are mis-aligned with certification program structures. Take this opportunity to consider how to make your channel certification program really compelling and your certified partners more effective.    

What you will learn:

• What are the most important criteria for end-users in selecting a solution provider?
• What technical or industry certification skills do end-users value most?
• What are partners' most valued elements in vendor certification programs
• What is the most important benefit vendors offer partners?
• What are the performance metrics vendors vs. partners track to measure ROI around their channel certification investment?

Presenters:

• Larry Walsh, VP and Group Publisher – ChannelInsider
• Beth Vanni – Director, Market Intelligence – Amazon Consulting

E2C (Education to Careers)
Something for Nothing
Open to E2C attendees

In these budget-conscious times, free tools are always a welcome sight.  In the IT world there are many available, from open source software to informative websites to useful utilities.  But where do you find them, and how do you use them in the classroom?  This session focuses on some of the best free tools available, with discussion time to share things you've found.

Presenter: Michael Meyers, Total Seminar

Lunch Program: VAR Success Stories and Lessons Learned
Powered by HTG Peer Groups

Open to all Breakaway attendees

Through a series of interviews you'll learn from small, mid and enterprise level VARs who've been around the block and back again. Hear what they did right along the way, what pitfalls they wish they'd avoided, and how they're preparing their companies for economic recovery.

Moderator: Arlin Sorensen, CEO, Heartland Technology Solutions and CEO, HTG Peer Groups

Panelists:

• Jeff Anderson, President, Bulletproof InfoTech
• Mickey Bland, Vice President Sales, Insight
• Paul M. Cronin, Senior Vice President, Atrion

E2C (Education to Careers)
Year of the Game
Open to E2C attendees

Teach students to use various operating systems and integrate research and gaming into a fun and productive lesson set.

Presenter: Brian Patt, Pennsylvania State University - Shenango

E2C (Education to Careers)
New skills that a teacher should be training right now!
Open to E2C attendees

CompTIA RFID+™, VoIP (CompTIA Convergence+™)

Presenter: Clyde Cox, College of DuPage

2:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Breakaway Technology Vendor Fair and Afternoon Reception
Open to all Breakaway attendees

Afternoon Reception Sponsored by SYNNEX

E2C (Education to Careers)
What's Hot Now in a Cold Job Market?
Open to E2C attendees

In a tight job market, specialized skills can help students find and obtain well-paying positions.  But which certifications are in demand right now?  Hear what industry leaders are saying about the specific skills they're looking for this year, and what they expect will be in demand in the future.

Presenter: Karl Dietrich, Lansing Community College

E2C (Education to Careers)
Quick Change Artist
Open to E2C attendees

Imaging, Setup and Virtual Tools for your Lab

Presenter: Hermine Turner, Focus: HOPE

E2C (Education to Careers)
Round Table Sessions
Open to E2C attendees

• Resources/Methods to Better Prepare Students (Ken Toth, Ottawa Area Careerline Tech Center)
• Creating a Self-Sustaining Educational Partnership: A+/Network+ high school program makes use of a non-profit incorporated foundation (IRS 501 (c) (3) approved), The Montgomery County Students Information Technology Foundation, Inc (ITF) (John Brewer, Thomas Edison High School of Technology)
• Using Moodle, Podcast, Blogs, or other technologies to effectively teach students - Learn how to use Moodle, Podcast, Blogs, or other technologies to supercharge your classroom learning environment. (Robin Fred, The Centers for Quality Teaching and Learning)
• Customer Service Skills – role playing that can be shared (Kelly Campbell, Ozarks Technical Community College)

Invitation Only

Invitation Only

Presenter: James D. Earl, Executive Director, Technological Crime Advisory Board, Office of the Attorney General (State of Nevada)

Invitation Only

Open to all Breakaway attendees

7:00 pm - 7:30 pm

Breakaway Awards Reception
Open to all Breakaway attendees

Sponsored by Intronis Technologies

7:30 pm- 9:00 pm

Awards Dinner
Open to all Breakaway attendees

Sponsored by ScanSource

Honor the best and brightest of Breakaway 2009 at the annual awards dinner. Join us for a night of good food, friends and colleagues and - new this year - a featured speaker.

Dinner Keynote
The Honorable Darrell Issa, U.S. Representative from California's 49th Congressional District, and Larry Irving, president of Irving Information Group and co-chair of the Internet Innovation Alliance, will be the featured speakers during the Breakaway 2009 Awards Dinner. They will engage in a lively Q&A on cyber security and key technology policy issues impacting the IT industry, drawing from their impressive and distinguished careers.

9:00 pm - 10:30 pm

Breakaway Party
Open to all Breakaway attendees

Sponsored by Zenith InfoTech

10:30 pm - 12:00 am

CompTIA Hospitality Suite
Open to all Breakaway attendees

8:00 am - 9:00 am

Conference Breakfast
Open to all Breakaway attendees

8:00 am - 9:30 am

Educational Foundation Leadership Council Meeting
Invitation Only

8:30 am - 10:00 am

E2C (Education to Careers)
The Twelve Coolest Technologies You've Never Heard Of
Open to E2C attendees

Everything imaginable to stimulate the creative thought process. Use this to inspire your students to dream big and think outside the box. The latest technologies in computer control, health, and sciences. Fun, exciting, and stimulating videos including a computer mouse controlled only by brain waves, virtual telepresence, computer controlled prosthetics, facial recognition, and more.

Presenter: Kelly Campbell, Ozarks Technical Community College

Workshop: Strategic Business Planning (Part 2)
Open to all Breakaway attendees

Part Two of the business workshop centers on execution, organized around the highly regarded one-page Rockefeller Habits checklist. Topics include: metrics that drive your business, organizational structure and essential habits to efficiently manage your business.

Presenter: Verne Harnish, Founder and CEO, Gazelles

Breakout: Selling to Today’s Business Driven End User
Open to all Breakaway attendees

An IT reseller’s life is no longer simply about installing technology or providing service and support.  Today’s successful reseller positions technology as an enabler for business.   Resellers must provide the end user with business-driven solutions, address business pain points and provide insight on how technology can assist in growing end users’ businesses.  It’s time for IT resellers to fine tune their consulting and advisory skills.  Wurts & Associates, Inc., for CompTIA, researched how today’s most successful resellers approach the end user.  Based on findings, this session presents the steps to implementing a reseller consultative-based business architecture, related sales methodology and an associated white paper.  If you have, or are thinking of, implementing an MSP business model, a cloud-computing based practice, or want to move your business up from the SMB market segment to the mid-market, this session is a must.

Presenter: Tricia Wurts, President, Wurts & Associates

Breakout: Working Concrete ROI Methodology into Your Sales Pitch
Open to all Breakaway attendees

The days of selling to IT managers and CIOs who speak your language are few and far between. Now you're selling to the CFO and CEO who care about the financials first and foremost. You have to demonstrate not only ROI today, but sustainable ROI. Take advantage of the many available ROI tools and the method of incorporating the findings into a full-proof sales pitch.

Presenter: Bill Brandt, Managing Partner, SWOT Management Group, Inc.

10:00 am - 10:30 am

Speed Date Your Way to a Better Business
Open to all Breakaway attendees

Sign up for small group consultations with experts in up to four of the four key business areas listed below. This is fast-paced - you'll be assigned to four different 20-minute sessions - and a great, no-cost opportunity to get your specific questions answered. You'll have an opportunity to submit your questions in advance to keep things on the fast track.

• Accounting/Banking/Finance
  • Paul Dippell, Founder and CEO, Service Leadership, Inc.
  • Tim Porter, Financial Services Representative, Principal Financial
  • David Sommer, Chief Financial Officer, CompTIA
• HR
  • Terry Fitzwater, Principal, Fitzwater Leadership Consulting
  • Colleen Hughes, Senior Director, Human Resources, CompTIA
• Legal
  • David Alman, Much Shelist Denenberg Ament & Rubenstein P.C.
  • Daniel Liutikas, Esq., Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer, CompTIA
• Marketing/PR
  • Bob Dirkes, Director of Account Services, Tech Image
  • James A. Kernan, CEO, Kernan Consulting, Inc.
  • Ed Korenman, Vice President, Global Marketing & Communications, CompTIA
  • Kendra Lee, President, KLA Group

Best Practices for a GREEN IT Business
Powered by Recycling Today and the CompTIA Services & Support Executive Forum

Open to all Breakaway attendees

GREEN IT represents an unprecedented opportunity to create new sources of revenue in all aspects of the product lifecycle -- all while demonstrating corporate social responsibility and protecting the environment. Learn how to adapt your business to the changing regulations, leverage the processes, and use emerging technology for cost reductions and new sources of profit. Minimize carbon footprint for lower energy costs. Introduce new channels for reuse and resale through proper handling of products, parts, and materials. Learn more about these practices and how to get in on the GREEN IT phenomenon.

Presenters:

• Tim Herbert, Vice President, Research, CompTIA
• Carlos Kelvin, President, Cali Resources
• John Mehrmann, Vice President, Business Development, ZSL Inc.
• DeAnne Toto, Managing Editor, Recycling Today Media Group

E2C (Education to Careers)
CompTIA Certifications in the Classroom
Open to E2C attendees

Find answers to the following questions for CompTIA Security+™, CompTIA Server+™, CompTIA PDI+™ and CompTIA Convergence+™

• What IS that?
• What do I as an instructor need to know about it?
• What is the appropriate equipment needed to teach it?
• How in-depth should it be covered?

Presenters: Carol Balkcom and Sharon Tierney, CompTIA