CLEARWATER, Fla., Nov. 13, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TechSelect, Tech Data Corporation's (Nasdaq:TECD) community of IT resellers supporting the technology solutions needs of small- to medium-sized businesses (SMBs), hosted its Fall TechSelect Partner Conference on November 7-10, 2012 at the El Conquistador Resort in Fajardo, Puerto Rico. Approximately 400 channel partners, including 235 U.S. and Canadian IT resellers, were in attendance to share profitable growth strategies, discuss the latest technologies in the IT channel and capitalize on exclusive networking opportunities.
"Tech Data's TechSelect Partner Conferences provide our SMB reseller members with invaluable opportunities to connect with some of the industry's top vendor partners on an individual basis and stay at the forefront on the latest trends and technologies that are shaping the channel," said Pete Peterson, senior vice president of U.S. Sales at Tech Data. "Our TechSelect community has grown to represent more than 18 percent of Tech Data's U.S. business, proving that these relationships and opportunities lead to continued profitable growth for our channel partners."
The Fall TechSelect Partner Conference featured expert-led and peer-to-peer sessions, training sessions with Tech Data's premier vendor partners on topics including BYOD, building a Cloud business, succeeding in vertical markets and maximizing sales meetings, and Discovery Workshops focused on relevant industry trends including fraud prevention, closing big-ticket deals and corporate social responsibility. Other highlights of the conference included the introduction of enhancements to accessTD, Tech Data's mobile application platform, as well as a Microsoft-led session showcasing Windows 8.
During the final general session of the conference, TechSelect recognized its outstanding and fastest-growing members, as voted on by Tech Data and its vendor partners, as well as the top vendor partners in the community, as voted by TechSelect members. Winners of the 2012 TechSelect Member and Vendor Achievement Awards are:
- Outstanding Member – Finger Lakes Technology Group
- Most Engaged New Member – Netlocity VA, Inc.
- Best Member Partner – Advanced Microelectronic (AME Group)
- Fastest-Growing Member – ProSys
- Most Engaged Member (Canada) – David Saele, Think Communications
- Most Engaged Vendor – Fujitsu
- Most Creative Vendor – Symantec
- Best Vendor Partnership – Cisco
The keynote speaker at the event was former Florida State University head football coach Bobby Bowden, who shared wit and wisdom from his 50-year career in leadership. To conclude the event, Tech Data hosted a Finale dinner on the resort's private Palomino Island featuring food, drinks, music and dancing on the beach.
Through TechSelect's Partner Conference charity fundraiser, the TechSelect community has historically partnered with charitable organizations in the host cities of its events to give back to the local communities. In light of the devastation recently caused by Hurricane Sandy, TechSelect chose the American Red Cross as its partner charity of choice for the Fall Partner Conference. Over the course of the conference, the TechSelect community raised over $10,000 for the American Red Cross. Funds are still being raised by TechSelect through November 23, when the community's total donation will be delivered.
"We had numerous TechSelect community members and Tech Data employees reach out to the TechSelect team about adjusting the focus of our charitable donation to those who were affected by Hurricane Sandy, which includes some of our own TechSelect resellers and their customers," said Allan Walters, president of the TechSelect Advisory Council and senior vice president at Saratoga Technologies. "TechSelect is very proud to support the relief efforts of the American Red Cross in the wake of Hurricane Sandy and we appreciate our members taking part to make a difference for those whose lives have been altered."
Next spring's TechSelect Partner Conference will be held in Toronto, Ontario in May 2013, while TechSelect University returns to Austin, Texas in August 2012. To learn more about TechSelect, go to www.techselect.com or call (800) 237-8931, ext. 84529. Follow TechSelect on Twitter at @TechSelect.
About Tech Data
Tech Data Corporation is one of the world's largest wholesale distributors of technology products, services and solutions. Its advanced logistics capabilities and value added services enable 125,000 resellers in more than 100 countries to efficiently and cost effectively support the diverse technology needs of end users. Tech Data generated $26.5 billion in net sales for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2012, and is ranked 109th on the Fortune 500®. To learn more, visit www.techdata.com.
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