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Hi all,

So I’m no spring chicken when it comes to service provider conferences (Xchange and Ingram Micro)- prior to my current position, I owned and operated a MSP for quite some time, and before that I worked as an engineer for other ITSPs. I’m considering attending Spiceworld 2018 this fall, but this would be my first time attending an IT conference as a “customer / end-user”. My question is, to those whom have been to Spiceworld in the past, would it be worth it? Are the breakout sessions useful or is it just a huge sales pitch? Does it ever feel that they are killing time to fill in gaps?

Any feedback on Spiceworld would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

Sam

34 Spice ups
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The short answer is Yes its worth it, now if you live in another country and have to jump through a few hoops the cost might not make it worth while.

3 Spice ups
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The things to look at is the longer you wait the more it will cost, Hotels, Tickets and such. You really can get alot out of Spiceworld, it depends on what you put into it time wise.

The first year I went I was able to speak to three different vendors regarding Security software. When I came back I then created a proposal for my supervisors based on the information I had learned at Spiceworld.

We then implemented that solution, the time at Spiceworld really helped me out.

2 Spice ups
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This will be my third Spiceworld and for me I have found it very informative and worthwhile. The sessions have not been sales pitches, the vendor showcase of course has sales people but what has made it unique compared to other shows I have been to is the vendor booths are staff by a lot of engineers who know the tech.

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2018 will be my 3rd Spiceworld to attend. EVERY year we have taken away something that we later implement in our business environment! Just the chance to compare notes with thousands of other techs “just like me” is worth it by itself! Just make sure that you go to break out sessions that are relevant to your company’s needs or plans. Another bonus is that you never have to but t-shirts again!

5 Spice ups
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Spiceworld itself is totally not a sales pitch but you will receive many after the conference. It was good to get to speak with real engineers and not salespeople about topics you want to address. Also, the Spiceworks Team treats you like royalty compared to other conferences (from my experience that is) and it was a pleasure to meet staff and fellow Spiceheads. For a bunch of IT people (stereotyping a little here) in one location, there was little ego and lots of information sharing.

5 Spice ups
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The best feature of SpiceWorld, and is the reason why I pay my own way, is the networking with other IT pros from the community.

Yes, there are plenty of sales pitches, especially if you want the good swag from the vendors, but you usually get a chance to talk to non sales tech people, who can actually tell you about the product, and maybe any forthcoming updates.

12 Spice ups
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Last year was my first time attending Spiceworld and I felt like it was worth the time and money. While there are some sales pitches, the breakout sessions are really informative and there were a lot of great demos. It was also really good to talk to other IT professionals. We found some people that could help us with some issues we were facing and vice versa. We bought our tickets for this year’s Spiceworld the day after we got back from the last one. Another tip is that if you are attending, you’ll want to pack light because you’ll walk away with a ton of swag.

5 Spice ups
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I attend big conferences - Microsoft, Dreamforce, etc. and still find/make time for Spiceworld every year. It is definitely worth the trip.

I don’t get as much from the sessions anymore, so networking with IT pros is the most valuable takeaway.

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As is the case with most conferences, what you get out of it depends on what you put into it. You can travel to Austin, see the sights and enjoy the party. Or you can get in depth info from experts on dozens of products, acquire the opinions of many IT pros regarding your upcoming projects and establish some very satisfying relationships with your peers.

The sales pitches in the breakout sessions are limited to a few sessions and they are clearly identified as “vendor presentations”. While a bit more sales oriented, you will still find those to be very informative.

However, the bulk of the sessions are by IT Pros and for IT Pros. They are a great mix of topics from people who have lived IT.

As someone who has attended all of the SpiceWorld Austin conferences, I can tell you that it’s one of the most affordable conferences and the ROI is very high. Give it a shot - I think you will be pleased.

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Absolutely!!!

The breakout sessions are extremely useful. There are many sponsored breakouts, but even those usually provide useful industry information.

But, I agree with other posters ont his thread that the real value is in the networking with other IT Professionals.

See you there!

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This will be my third year of flying to Austin from the UK on my own money. Does that answer your question? :wink:
Seriously, go. It’s a great combination of learning and fun, with the added bonus of a shitload of swag.

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Wow, flying from the UK to Austin on your dime is quite the testimonial. Thanks for your input.

@swearyprincess

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I’ve always found that with most conferences that half of the value is networking with peers. I have been to one or two where it has been a complete waste because the content was horrible and there weren’t a lot of people I could have considered peers (mostly SLED people).

@itguytk

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I have been to plenty of events and you always run into someone at a booth that has no clue what they’re talking about, but most those were events specific to MSPs/ITSPs not IT Pros (or engineers). At those conferences the people who man the booth are called “channel engagement representatives” and are typically attractive women in tight polo shirts. lol - Now, I don’t mind that here and there, but what bugged me is when I was genuinely interested in a vendor’s offerings and the person “engaging me” is there to simply bat her eyes and her answer to pretty much every technical question is “Why don’t you give me your card and I’ll have a sales engineer reach out to you.”

@forman

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Yeah I have been to conferences like those as well, Spiceworld is very different in that most of the vendors can answer your questions and speak about the tech. I have even had two that straight up told me that they would love to sell what I thought I needed to me but that they thought another product from a different vendor would be a better fit.

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The XChange (The Channel Co) events that I’ve been to are for IT executives, so all those are completely paid (including room and travel) for by The Channel Co. and typically are held at a 4 to 5 star hotel / resort- so “like royalty” is relative for sure, but I understand what you mean. Even being treated “like royalty” there, you’re are REQUIRED to attend breakout sessions (even if it only closely resembled something my business was doing).

But in regard to the ego involved, that is surprising- I’m sure there are people there measuring d***s, but I’d rather make connections than waste my time seeing who can piss the furthest. lol

Thanks for your input.

@ericwojciechowski

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In my experience, some times its fun to talk to the sales people. Especially when they are trying very hard to make a sale they will buy dinner. lol

@ivan

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If you could summarize it into the top 3 reasons to go, what would they be?

@glenn-p

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I’ve been to… eight? nine? Spiceworld events, and only once have I seen a booth babe - and she got completely ignored because everyone wanted to talk to the techie dude with her. The company also got a lot of negative feedback for it.

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