This year marks the 25^th anniversary of Channel Focus. Our very first conference was held on April 2 & 3, 1998 in San Diego, California.

Some topics from Channel Focus 1998 focused on issues that are still pertinent today, such as “Building Strategic Alliances” and “Managing Channel Change”. In 2022, the Channel Focus agenda includes multiple sessions on building strategic alliances and managing partner relationships, including “Session 1: How Do You Integrate and Measure Your Partners Role in Your Customer Success Strategy?”. Additionally, rather than one session on navigating channel change, at Channel Focus 2022 there is an entire track focusing on how to succeed in managing channels in a time of change.

Alternatively, some of the session topics from 1998 show just how much technology and the channels have vastly changed over the past few decades such as “Integrating a Call Center into Your Other Operations”, and “Service – the Channel’s Savior?” In 1998, call centers were an integral part of every business and this idea of “As a Service” was brand new. Both elements are utilized very differently today, but Channel Focus has paralleled the channels and industry trends to provide the best and most relevant content each event.

Channel Focus has had a long-standing reputation of inviting the highest-level speakers from industry leading companies. In 1998, Channel Focus had two tracks and over twenty-five speakers from companies including IBM, Cisco, Hewlett Packard, Ingram Micro, Oracle, and others. The conference has grown to include three tracks, over fifty speakers, 12 workshops, 30 sessions, and several networking events.