In this video, Bob DeMarzo, head of content and strategy for Informa’s Channel Events, speaks to International Association of Microsoft Channel Partners (IAMCP) president Peter Fidler about the Dec. 9 MSP Summit: AI Symposium. The event, co-sponsored by Informa’s MSP Summit and the IAMCP, will highlight the work MSPs do around AI.

“It's really about the customer stories, where it really hits home,” Fidler said. “If you just talk about AI and assessments and things like that, it doesn't really mean anything to somebody until you hear that story, that successful story, and that's what we're really looking forward to.”

Here is a transcript of the video:

DeMarzo: Hi, I'm Bob DeMarzo, the head of content and strategy for Informa’s Channel Events. I am here with a special guest, Peter Fidler, who serves as the president of IAMCP as well as the CEO and founder of WCA Technologies. We're here to talk about a special partnership that the MSP Summit has struck with Peter's organization, the IAMCP, to bring to life something very special. It's called the MSP Summit: AI Symposium. Peter, thanks for being here. Thanks for your partnership.

Fidler: We're so excited about the event in December. Just thrilled to be partnering with the MSP Summit. Really looking forward to that, not only to our membership, but to other MSPs who are part of this great event right now. This is absolutely awesome.

DeMarzo: I think the goal of this event is to highlight the work that MSPs and channel partners are doing in and around AI, and to have a real conversation about where AI is being monetized, the skills that partners need to succeed with AI, and to bring home the customer -- case studies or engagements that are taking place rather than all the talk about AI. I'm sure that's important for the IAMCP members, right?

Fidler: Absolutely. You know, the IAMCP is run by partners for partners. We're 100% run by MSPs or other types of organizations. It's really about the customer stories, where it really hits home. If you just talk about AI and assessments and things like that, it doesn't really mean anything to somebody until you hear that story, that successful story, and that's what we're really looking forward to.

DeMarzo: Part of the collaboration that we've had with Peter, not only as an MSP, but as the head of the IAMCP, is how to bring that peer perspective to this audience. It's live, December 9th in New York City. Of all places, it’s at Microsoft's headquarters in Times Square, which is kind of near and dear to your heart. You guys, I'm sure, do many events there. The conversation's going to be about how to apply AI to your business practices, and how to build AI business units. What strategic partners do I need? What are your views on that, Peter? There seems to be a thirst for that type of information, and partners aren't necessarily always getting the right story.

Fidler: That's absolutely true. Part of what the IAMCP does is partner-to-partner. So if you don't know something, you can call upon another partner who knows that piece. So if you only know assessments, you don't know how to create agents, there's always somebody for you to call. And that's why we're absolutely thrilled to be partnering with you on this.

DeMarzo: Let me remind everybody, the MSP Summit, December 9th, in partnership with the IAMCP at Microsoft's New York City headquarters. We're really proud to be able to get space there, thanks to the work we did and the views and the voice of the MSP through the work Peter has done.