Cisco Partner Summit is the event of the year for the global Cisco channel community, and it gets mighty busy. Whether you’re attending the big show live in Boston, participating via Cisco Virtual Partner Summit, or just following along for news announcements, key messages and other important Cisco information, your attention span is only so great. You have a business to run, and we understand that.
One thing we hear quite often from Cisco partners is a request to better understand all the places Partner Summit information and social media activity will be available so you can prioritize your days and do as much social engagement as possible without diverting too much of your energy from the business you came to conduct. So as Partner Summit gets underway in just three weeks, here’s a list of social media destinations to pay attention to: Read More »
Cisco Partner Summit is just a few short weeks away, and we’d like to officially welcome you to the start of an exciting and action-packed season of Partner Summit content here on the Channels blog and all over Cisco.
If you read my blogs you know I believe that gamification tactics can be VERY effective when applied in a thoughtful manner. I wrote previously about the effectiveness of gamification tactics as applied to Cisco’s Global Sales Experience. We just wrapped up Virtual Partner Summit (VPS) and I want to share some amazing results that in my opinion were very much a result of the gamification tactics applied to the event.
Some of the event goals we considered when crafting the VPS achievement program were:
Increase attendees viewing duration
Increase the overall event and session level evaluations submission rate
Increase the interaction between attendees and Cisco
Drive attendees to consume not just our general session content but also our executive chats, geographic and technical session content
So what we did was create a badging program that introduced a tiered approach for the badges. Unlocking badges accumulated points for the attendees with the higher tier badges earning more points. Once an attendee had accumulated 250 points they were eligible for an iPad prize drawing. To start attendees off we awarded the “Welcome to VPS” badge which awarded 50 points upon first login. We then aligned badges to our goals so there were badges for watching different types of sessions for at least 15 minutes, submitting evaluations, and asking questions.
So what were the results? Below are some key statistics… Read More »
Networking. Learning. Fun. Our 16th annual Partner Summit in San Diego, California had it all, creating an energizing and forward-thinking environment for our global partners.
Our executives also had a lot to say in between keynotes and networking sessions with much of the focus on Cisco’s vision for the future and our strategy for getting there. The most important topic of conversation, however, was how much we value partners.
During the event, we captured some of Cisco executives’ top takeaways. Want to hear what’s top of mind for Rob Lloyd, EVP, Worldwide Operations; Keith Goodwin, SVP, Worldwide Partner Organization; and Nick, Earle, SVP, Worldwide Partner Organization? Then watch our video.
Keep reading for a full recap of what executives shared in the video. Read More »
The momentum continues on the final day of Partner Summit in San Diego, bringing Catalyst discounts, additional Jabber news, advice on going from good to great, and more—so keep reading for all the details and a link to a handy document that contains all the news.
In this afternoon’s General Session, Keith Goodwin, SVP of our Worldwide Partner organization, introduced author and social scientist Jim Collins who gave a fascinating presentation centered on the day’s theme of Leadership.
He addressed the question of why some companies thrive in uncertainty, even chaos, and why others do not. He also talked about what differentiates “good” from “great.” His answers were based on nine years of research, including six books, which have sold more than ten million copies worldwide.
“The ‘x’ factor and essence of great leadership is not personality,” said Jim. “The ‘x’ factor is humility, combined with a ferocious will.” He also noted that great leaders—and great companies—pick people better than themselves to be on their teams, are tenacious about confronting brutal facts and realities, ask more questions than make statements, and see themselves as being in service for a cause.
Ambassador Blogger Bonanza: Hear What Partners are Saying
A big thank you to our Partner Summit Partner Ambassador Bloggers for blogging throughout the week. This mighty group of bloggers from BCI, Compugen, Dimension Data, Force3, Logicalis, Presidio Networks, and Varrow shared their viewpoints throughout the event. Here are the most recent posts:
Meanwhile, want to get the details on a brand new incentive for Catalyst series switches? Or find out how you can install Jabber for Everyone for free? Keep reading for details.Read More »
