SUCCESS AT MSP SUMMIT: Highlights and Takeaways
Last week at MSP SUMMIT, Tim Conkle – founder and CEO of The 20 – stood on a stage in front of a room full of MSP owners and told them the truth.
He also handed out little rectangular pocket mirrors, telling the business leaders in the audience: “This is the only tool that matters.” Tim’s message for the MSPs in the room was a powerful one: Your MSP’s growth starts with YOU.
MSP SUMMIT was filled with ‘moments of truth’ like this. Our goal for the event was to inspire and help attendees – MSP professionals from all over the country – to decide, once and for all: To grow or not to grow? That’s because this isn’t the year to play it safe – to sit on the sidelines, wondering what if; if you truly want to build your MSP business into a large and profitable company, this is the year to go all in.
We’re confident we got through to a lot of the MSP owners in attendance last week, and look forward to witnessing their growth in 2025. To celebrate a successful event, we want to share MSP SUMMIT highlights and key takeaways. We hope you enjoy this recap blog – and hope to see your MSP at our next major in-person events: Q2 SUMMIT and VISION ’25!
Wednesday – MRR Growth, Less Grind
MSP SUMMIT kicked off on Wednesday with a sensational set of sessions led by Chris Wiser of 7 Figure MSP™. Chris – and his team over at 7 Figure – don’t mince words, and Double Your MRR in 6 Months or Less was packed with no-nonsense growth guidance for the ambitious MSP owner.
Chris urged attendees to shift from a “tech-focused” to a “growth-focused” mindset, and refused to sugarcoat an important truth: If you want success as an MSP owner, you’ve got to move – you’ve got to take risks and embrace failure as part of the process. He also addressed a pervasive bias that commonly holds MSPs back: the idea that profit and service excellence are at odds. The truth is, MSPs that prioritize profit will have the freedom to make the right choices for clients – i.e., choices based not on “what can I afford” but on “what’s best.”
A huge thanks to Chris and the 7 Figure team for helping us kick off SUMMIT on the perfect note.
Thursday – Compliance Mastery, Here We Come
Thursday marked the first full day of sessions, and after breakfast, our own Tim Conkle took the stage to deliver an energizing opener, What’s Next for MSPs. Tim’s talk lit a fire under many of the MSPs in the audience. He reminded these companies that egos are “expensive as sh*t,” and that the best time to make big changes at your MSP is today. This industry is moving forward at lightspeed right now – and it won’t wait up for stragglers.
But what do those “big changes” look like when the rubber hits the road? Tim talked about that too, delving into the mechanics of specific growth strategies, including an M&A-based approach.
The overarching takeaway from Tim’s presentation: small and medium-sized MSP owners should be building to sell in the next five years. Simply put, it’s ‘go time.’
During Tim’s opener, attendees had the chance to take the mic and share their dreams for the future. Hearing these MSP owners talk about their “whys” was genuinely moving – a powerful reminder of the passion and purpose driving this industry forward.
After Tim’s talk, MSP SUMMIT attendees were treated to a 1-day compliance workshop for MSPs: Cybersecurity Compliance Mastery. Led by MSPCyberX’s Brian Hubbard, the workshop gave MSPs an in-depth look at CMMC and what it means for their business, along with practical strategies for transforming cybersecurity compliance from a “box to be checked” into a “powerful tool for growth.”
Brian impressed us with his deep industry expertise, his attention to detail, and his advice tailored to the specific needs of MSPs. The truth is, regulatory demands have become too complex and extensive for MSPs to handle alone. Savvy MSPs are actively seeking external guidance – like the sort MSPCyberX provides – because they know it’s the only viable path to “compliance mastery.”
A huge thank you to Brian and the MSPCyberX team for leading the charge and lighting the way.
Friday – All About AI
The final day of SUMMIT was packed with content to help MSPs grow. Tim Conkle set the tone for the AI-themed day with another terrific opener, Living in a Two-Dimensional World. He shared his considered opinions on AI (It’s here – and it’s about to be everywhere). He asked tough questions (What can displace us/the MSP business model?) and confronted hard truths (Realistically, small and mid-sized MSP owners are looking at a 5-year window to build and sell a profitable business).
Another industry legend, Rob Rae (Pax8), took the stage on Friday and delivered an engaging presentation on Pax8’s partner ecosystem. He highlighted how purchasing habits and preferences have shifted dramatically over the past decade and emphasized that MSPs who adapt quickly to the needs of the modern end user will thrive. Truly insightful stuff, Rob!
Friday also featured an AI Panel, moderated by our own Crystal Conkle (CMO of The 20), who was joined on stage by Christine Ululati (GlassHive), Zachary Wilcoxen (PRETECT), and Seana Fippin (Red Box Business Solutions). There’s no way to summarize in the space of a blog all the insights shared during the lively discussion, but one takeaway is crystal clear:
The AI revolution is well under way, and the best MSPs are already experimenting and innovating to make the most of this exciting new technology.
A heartfelt thank you to our panelists – y’all were amazing!
We’d like to thank and recognize the other speakers who graced the stage on the final day of MSP SUMMIT…
Microsoft‘s Jason Jones‘ presentation on the game-changing capabilities of Copilot was as entertaining as it was eye-opening.
Keith Young (N-able) had us all rethinking backup with his presentation on Cove Date Protection, Jon DePerro (Kaseya) expertly broke down The Anatomy of a Compliance Sale, and Bob Abrams (Huntress) talked about the importance of proactive cybersecurity for MSPs, sharing hard-won insights from the front lines.
Danny Astin and Gary Elmer (Ciardi, Ciardi & Astin) shed light on the complex legal dimensions surrounding AI in the MSP space, while The 20’s own Michael Wayland shared AI-driven automation use cases to help MSPs start saving time and resources.
A Texas-sized THANK YOU to everyone who made MSP SUMMIT a success. Now here’s to getting out there, applying what we learned, and having ourselves a huge 2025!