PrintIT Reseller - issue 64

PRINT IT RESELLER.UK CONFERENCE 33 The SYNAXON UK conference was a really good event for us. We got to speak to a lot of members, and it was a very positive and productive couple of days SYNAXON UK to date and adds to and builds on that very solid foundation. We have a great group of members and with the additional heads that we are now bringing in across the group, members are going to see a significant ramping- up of the service and support we offer them.” As the resources to support them become available, the group will also be looking for new members. Barron added: “As we demonstrated at the conference, we have a great deal to offer our members now and yes, we will certainly be looking to bring more members on-board over the next few months. It’s vitally important though that we look after the current members first and that we make sure they are benefiting in every way they can from being part of SYNAXON UK.” SYNAXON UK used the conference to introduce the management team behind the key programmes and services, all of which will or already do have dedicated people working on the ground in the UK. It also ran an extensive series of workshops, which enabled members to hear about the new services in more depth. Customer insights Other highlights of this year’s conference included a fascinating insight from Tim Suhling, VP Global Business Intelligence of headline sponsor, Ingram Micro, on how the distributor is using advanced data analytics to drive more insights for resellers and thus assist them with customer retention and development. An extensive exhibition area saw demonstrations of some of the latest technologies and services on the market from the likes of Databeat, Terra, Continuum, DMSL, F-Secure, Microsoft and Tech Data. Commenting on the event, John Carter, Managing Director of connectivity specialist distributor, DMSL, said the conference had been very successful. “It was another great event for us and for SYNAXON UK. We talked to a lot of current and potential partners. With the full-fibre roll-out, 5G coming and connectivity becoming more important as businesses adopt cloud services, we need to work with as many of the group’s members as we can. There are some exciting times ahead, I think,” he said. Suppliers were pleased with the turn- out and the results. Rebecca Benzie, Head of Sales SMB at Ingram Micro UK said: “The SYNAXON UK conference was a really good event for us. We got to speak to a lot of members, and it was a very positive and productive couple of days. We are excited about the investment plans and we’re really looking forward to working with the expanded team over the coming year.” Other notable exhibitors included Avast, Target Components, Epson, Dell and Ninja. In total, 30 supplier companies took part and around 200 delegates from member companies attended the keynotes and workshops. Thriving and inspirational The riches-to-rags and back-to-riches entrepreneur, Gerald Ratner gave a hugely entertaining speech to members in the afternoon of the first day, which was followed by the evening gala dinner. This was sponsored by AMD, which continues to make a splash in the market with its Ryzen family of processors. Jay Spicer, Commercial Channel Manager for Northern Europe, was there to present the awards, which went to the following top-performing member and supplier partners: n Distributor of the Year – Ingram Micro n Vendor of the Year – AMD n Specialist Service Supplier of the Year – DMSL n SynMSP Member of the Year – AML Midlands Limited n EGIS Member of the Year – The Computer Shop n Member of the Year – Kogo n Special Recognition Award – the SynMSP Advisory Board Spicer said that the whole conference and the awards had been a tremendous success. “To me, this event typifies everything that is good about the channel. There is a great atmosphere and the spirit is really positive. It’s great to be a part of something as thriving and inspirational as this, that really reflects the vibrant nature of our industry. Everyone has got a lot out of it. We’ll definitely be back – I think everyone will.” www.synaxon.co.uk SYNAXON UK’s new recruits (so far) Amongst the new additions introduced to members at the 2019 Member Conference were Tony Dell, who has joined as Strategic Buyer and will be managing the group’s distribution agreements. Dell has previously worked as Purchasing Manager at both VIP Computers and Anixter. Mario Scarpa has joined SYNAXON UK as its new EGIS Support Executive and evangelist for the online purchasing system; Natasha Judge and Terry Hall have both joined as Channel Business Development Managers; Robin Martin has been brought in as Special Bids Support and new Central Purchasing Programme Manager; and Alison McMahon has joined to head the SYNAXON UK Academy, which will provide certification training and enablement services to members.