ASCII Cup Secrets — And More — Revealed

The ASCII Group, founded in 1984, is the oldest and largest group of independent information technology solution providers, integrators, managed service providers (MSPs), and value added resellers (VARs). Started by Alan Weinberger, ASCII originally consisted of 40 independent software retailers that decided to join together as a buying group and pay monthly fees to support their organization, in turn supporting each other and their programs for mutual benefit.

Today, ASCII consists of a supporting network of more than 2,000 MSPs and VARs worldwide and provides a portfolio of IT business-building services ranging from turnkey marketing campaigns to a highly utilized, peer-to-peer business referral and lead network.

In addition, ASCII helps solution providers focus their efforts on revenue generating activities, while providing key services to support operations, sales and marketing, and vendor management. In addition, solution providers gain additional benefits from the group at large in terms of product research, best practices, and sub-contracting opportunities — all through a national IT knowledge exchange with over 200,000 postings by fellow IT community members.

Since 2000, ASCII has held nine yearly Success Summits throughout the U.S. and Canada. This year, the final ASCII Success Summit will be held October 13 and 14 in Newport, R.I. and will feature the presentation of the ASCII Cup. What is the ASCII Cup? According to ASCII’s website:

“No one really knows how it began. Some say the cup was discovered after packing up the last box at the final Comdex show. Still others believe the cup was originally discovered in the secret tunnels under a certain campus in Redmond. Regardless of its origins, the cup has power. For those who are bestowed to guard it — prosper from its keeping and for those who drink from it — flourish from its power. Each year the cup is bestowed to a single technology company for a period of a year, voted upon by fellow ASCII Group members at secret gatherings held around the country. The cup recognizes companies that have shown channel goodwill and a pathway to ongoing opportunity. The Cup awaits its new journey, as the story unfolds, passing from the old guard to the new.”

With this as a backdrop, ASCII president Jerry Koutavas took time to speak with Business Solutions about all things ASCII, including who will be speaking at the three remaining 2016 Success Summits, what an attendee can expect if they choose to attend, and what the future holds for both the organization and its events.

Q: Who will be speaking at the ASCII IT SBM Success Summits in Toronto, Columbus, OH, and Newport, RI?

Koutavas: We have had a rotating group of special guest speakers and began our research process many months in advance and find the hottest topics and deliver the most innovative guest speakers available. For Toronto, we have industry veteran and sales leader Gil Cargill who will speak on how to increase lead flow through a specific sales process. In Columbus, former Doobie Brother and prominent security speaker Jeff “Skunk” Baxter will share his unconventional process to problem solving. And in Newport, Attorney Ken Feinberg, the lawyer who handled restitution for 9/11, will share his biggest challenge in life, When Business Decisions Are Life Changing, What Is A Life Worth?

Q: Who will be attending, and do I have to be an ASCII member if I want to go?

Koutavas: The Summit Series is designed for industry IT professionals and Managed Service Providers, and is targeted towards those who are looking to increase revenue and enhance their current business model. You do not have to be an ASCII member to attend; however, ASCII members do receive free admission to the event as well as accommodation for one night for members traveling from out of state. We also have a channel focused solutions pavilion which highlights the latest technology from key vendors, so attendees will have the chance to engage directly with top industry professionals and learn more from those who are presenting.

Q: What networking opportunities are available?

Koutavas: We kick off each of our Summits with a Networking breakfast followed by a peer business card exchange. We want the dialogue and knowledge transfer to continue throughout the day, so we encourage all attendees to talk to existing ASCII members, staff, and attending vendors and presenters.

Q: How will attending make my business more profitable?

Koutavas: Since 1984, ASCII has been focused on giving Managed Service Providers the tools necessary to grow and thrive in the competitive technology market. Our Summits provide marketing and sales best practices in a highly engaging environment. Heavy, peer-based networking is matched with group activities surrounded by a variety of educational content. The pulse of our community is having members working together with other members. Industry knowledge and intelligence is being readily shared at our events but, more importantly, once they are back at their offices the true power of community takes shape. Member relationships are forged not only via face-to-face networking, but also through heavily used private member forum called ASCII-Link. There are many opportunities for our members to learn from one another, and gain new business.

Q: How are the Summits delivering value to managed service providers?

Koutavas: The events enable our industry to reconnect and learn. At each event we see that “light bulb moment” happen, either through a new peer introduction, a newly discovered vendor opportunity, or through a new service ASCII provides to help lower the burden on the MSPs practice.

The mission of our Summits has always been to help solution providers further their business by leveraging the power of the group — and the benefits and services we can generate on their behalf. Our goal is to help as many solution providers as possible, so we make the events as accessible as we can. This year we held Summits in new cities and even a new country with our Toronto event. We focus on providing an atmosphere centered on driving business forward, discovering untapped revenue opportunities while understanding new ways to market and sell services.

Q: There is a lot of peer based education, how do you select that type of content?

Koutavas: The makeup of the attendees is fairly broad, with companies pushing IT services in markets from legal to agriculture. As such, we try to find seasoned experts that can share their experience on how they were successful in a specific vertical and how they went about approaching that market. These are well rounded presentations that cover everything from market strategies to potential pitfalls to avoid in business.

Q: What is a hot button topic surfacing at the Summits?

Koutavas: The next iteration of IT services is all about security and helping SMBs further invest in safeguarding their businesses. We will be showcasing companies that understand the channel and can provide opportunities for MSPs to further evolve into a MSSP role with their customers.

Q: What are your goals for the Summits in 2017?

Koutavas: We have successfully built our Summits around education, collaboration, networking, and engagement. This is a trend we will continue to follow suit into 2017 as we continue to explore new technology and bring forward thought-provoking keynote speakers. We will deliver this experience in eight different markets in the U.S., as well as one major Canadian city.