25 Big Easy Scenes From XChange

Over 200 solution provider executives gathered for Solution Provider XChange '09, held March 8 to March 11 in New Orleans. The event, hosted by Everything Channel, the parent company of Channelweb.com, brings VARs and integrators together with channel-friendly vendors so they can find new technologies, network with each other and build strong business relationships.





One of the first sights to greet them was Jennifer Kuch, community coordinator at ConnectWise, as she tried to steer solution providers into the service automation vendor's demo room.

Digium's Steve Jakab mans the VoIP vendor's demo room. The open-source vendor showed off Switchvox SMB 4.0, the latest version of its open-source IP telephony platform.

Rob Stroud of Research In Motion gives a close-up view of the BlackBerry Storm, one of the vendor's latest smartphones.

Paul Herbka, vice president of solution provider South Seas, gets a technology demonstration from CA's Kevin Bahr.

Fortinet gave solution providers the star treatment in its demo room, where Christine Braud, director of channel marketing for the security vendor, led partners down a Walk of Fame.

Jeffrey Goldberg (left), president of solution provider Washington Computer Service, chats up Eaton's Brooke Lang (center) and Kristy Cornell in the vendor's demo room.

Belkin took a colorful approach to attracting visitors to its booth at the Solution Pavilion exhibition floor.

Channelweb.com News Editor Steve Burke hands out beads to conference attendees, including Steven Bright (left), CEO of solution provider FidelityMax, as he tries to rustle up solution providers for a workshop on finding and retaining the best IT talent.

Channelweb.com's Steve Burke and Jennifer Follett channel a little Mardi Gras spirit as they lead a workshop on finding and retaining the best IT talent.

Solution providers brainstorm ideas for hiring, compensating and keeping a full staff of sales and technical experts.

Channelweb.com Technical Editor Samara Lynn leads a session that delved into opportunities for solution providers around virtualization.

Conference attendees took in a technology session on desktop virtualization.

McAfee's Santino Salyards turned the spotlight on the security vendor's latest offerings.

Lee Anderson, IT manager at solution provider Enjara Business Solutions, sat down to chat with Stratus Technologies' Christopher Burns.

A panel of midmarket CIOs shared insight on how solution providers can improve customer relationships. From left to right: Ross Bagley, Consolidated Systems; Ronald Caruana, Hillsborough Community College; Tom Dunnigan, South Carolina Student Loan and Steve Kraus, Olan Mills.

Everything Channel Senior Vice President and Editorial Director Robert DeMarzo and other conference attendees attend a general session featuring a panel of midmarket CIOs.

Adalio Sanchez, general manager, System x, for IBM's Systems & Technology Group, led a World Premiere session in which he told partners how the technology vendor plans to simplify its hardware incentives programs.

Adrian Jones, vice president and general manager of the Americas Solution Partners Organization at Hewlett-Packard speaks during a World Premiere session, where he spotlighted the vendor's recent launch of a zero-percent financing program.

Kaspersky Lab's Ruben Garcia lures solution providers to the security vendor's booth with promises of free swag.

Shannon Day, director of Microsoft's Software Plus Services program in the U.S., led a keynote session that focused on opportunities for VARs and integrators to sell the vendor's suite of online business applications.

Coyote Point's Kat Marquez shows off a fluffy friend at the vendor's booth in the Solutions Pavilion.

Deepak Pal (right), CTO and vice president of solution provider LanTech, chats up Jim Ringham, marketing director at Kerio Technologies.

MarketStar's Randy Bernstein shows off his sign to the Fortinet "candy girls" at the Solutions Pavilion show floor.

Panasonic's Stoney White and Shantell Black demonstrate the vendor's Toughbook H1, a rugged device for the healthcare market.

Everything Channel unveiled the winners of its 2009 CRN Channel Champions awards. For a closer look at the victors, click here.