HP Schedules Virtual Reinvent Partner Event For September

HP Inc. will hold its virtual Reinvent partner event on Sept. 16 to tackle topics ranging from partner growth to the future of sales to societal transformation.

The virtual event will include executive keynotes, Q&A and numerous on-demand sessions, the Palo Alto, Calif.-based company said.

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Reinvent will be hosted by executives including HP CEO Enrique Lores and Chief Commercial Officer Christoph Schell, and the company said it plans to launch a number of new products and services in connection with the event.

“We’re looking forward to bringing our vast partner ecosystem together to engage directly with HP leadership and some of today’s leading CEOs and thought leaders as we explore the forces top-of-mind for business leaders today -- including racial and gender equality, capitalism, socio-economics, the cyber threat pandemic and sales strategies for the new normal,” Schell said in a statement.

Originally scheduled as an in-person conference in late March, Reinvent was postponed as one of countless tech events impacted by COVID-19.

Juan Fernandez, vice president of managed IT services at Oklahoma City, Okla.-based ImageNet Consulting, is a past attendee of Reinvent and said he expects HP will set a high bar for virtual partner conferences.

“I’m thinking HP is going to pull out all the stops for their event--that would be my hope,” Fernandez said. “They have a chance to engage in a special way. I’m interested to see what they’re going to do.”

Reinvent comes as HP is gearing up to launch its new partner program, HP Amplify, on Nov. 1. Amplify will feature a revamped compensation structure and a bigger focus on rewarding partners that can offer services, collaborate around data and bring a strong digital presence.

The virtual Reinvent also comes after an unprecedented year for the PC and printer giant, which has included HP battling a hostile takeover bid from Xerox, meeting the surge in demand for PCs and working to support channel partners.

“What we are doing is we are staying very close to our partners,” Lores said in an interview with CRN in late March. ”As you know, partners are the lifeblood of HP. And we are making an incredible effort to stay close to them, to understand what their needs are, and to see how we can support them ... We want to support them in any way they need.”

For the virtual Reinvent conference, session topics will include The CEO Agenda, Reinventing Capitalism, Growth through Digital, Future of Work, Future of Sales, Selling with Services, Partner Sales Strategies, The Cyber Threat Pandemic, Print Strategy and Personal Systems Strategy. The on-demand sessions will be “aimed at arming partners for navigating the challenges of the new normal and driving continued growth in 2020 and beyond,” HP said.