VISION ’25 Recap: A Look Back at the MSP Event of the Year
What. An. Event.
We’re still feeling the buzz after an incredible week in Dallas which saw 300+ MSPs from all over the country get together for 2+ days dedicated to health and wealth – i.e., “the big stuff.”
The insights were deep. The connections were real. And the parties? You know those were epic. The feedback’s been rolling in and we’re proud to say…VISION ’25 was the best one yet – truly one for the books.
We invite you to join us as we take a look back at last week’s sessions, speakers, and magical moments. If you were there, enjoy this trip down memory lane. And if you weren’t…we just hope the FOMO isn’t too severe!
Tuesday – It’s Grow Time!
They came from all over, one MSP after another, looking for transformation. Attendees gathered at the gorgeous Renaissance Hotel in Plano, TX, right outside of Dallas, and you could feel it right away: this one’s gonna be special.
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: this isn’t the year to sit on the sidelines and play it safe. Our industry’s always been fast-moving, but lately, things feel like they’re stuck in overdrive. As an MSP, adapting to the recent and rapid changes isn’t optional; it’s necessary for survival.
Needless to say, we had a lot of ground to cover over the next few days. But before getting down to brass tacks, we kicked things off with a fun-filled Welcome Reception that set the tone for an incredible week. It’s always heartening to see MSPs from all over the map come together in a spirit of curiosity and collaboration – and this year was no exception. This one’s gonna be special…
Wednesday – Health Hacks, Power Plays & the Happiest of Hours
After months of preparation, it was finally here: the MSP event of the year. Our own Tim Conkle (founder & CEO of The 20) took the stage bright and early for an eye-opening session titled You2 – The Exponential Power of Yes. Tim’s talk drove home a point every entrepreneur needs to hear (and be reminded of regularly): Success at work means nothing if you fail at home. Tim encouraged MSP leaders to think in decades – and to chart a path forward that includes not only business growth, but personal fulfillment. The 20 was founded on the idea that MSP owners deserve full, balanced lives, and it was awesome to hear our leader lay out the roadmap.
Following Tim was another speaker focused on the big picture. Regan Archibald, founder of East West Health and a world-renowned longevity expert, delivered a powerful keynote presentation on boosting your energy, sharpening your mind, and reversing the aging process. Creating Your Ageless Future included incredible stories of personal transformation and inspired each one of us to avoid “hell” – dying and then meeting the person you could’ve become.
Thank you, Regan, for bringing what’s truly important into sharp relief.
Next up was N-able‘s Keith Young with a deeply informative session all about Cove Data Protection – a cloud-based backup and recovery tool custom-built for the needs of MSPs. Keith rocked it, and so did the next two speakers – Tim Conkle and John Pagliuca (CEO, N-able) – whose fireside chat, Platform Power Plays, laid out modern scaling strategies for the growth-focused MSP owner.
Tim and John made one thing clear: the separation between the “haves” and “have-nots” in the MSP space is only getting bigger, and if you want to escape the latter, you need to standardize, automate, and augment. It was great to hear the fluff-free advice of two of the most forward-thinking CEOs in our industry – thanks, guys!
After lunch, we heard from Kaseya‘s Jon DePerro on Revenue or Risk. Jon explained in crystal-clear terms how MSPs are leveraging GRC (governance, risk management, and compliance), and left us with a much better understanding of how to turn compliance from a checklist into a true business asset. Great stuff, Jon!
Following Jon was channel legend Jay McBain with an insight-packed session – State of the MSP Industry. The 2021 “Channel Futures Influencer of the Year” highlighted the link between agentic AI and managed services, and explained how MSPs can evolve their services to take full advantage of the AI moment we’re all living in. “What got us here, doesn’t tend to get us there” – thank you for the timely lesson, Jay!
After Jay shone a light on the future of B2B procurement, our own Crystal Conkle (CMO) took the stage alongside Katie Vreeland to discuss the “new rules” of brand that actually work for MSPs – and how their joint venture, CMND Media, is blazing a bold trail forward. Thank you, Crystal and Katie – y’all truly are the marketing vanguard!
And remember, MSPs – “trust beats traffic,” and the “future doesn’t belong to the loudest MSP but the clearest.” Now get out there and rise above the “sea of sameness”!
Rounding out Day 1 sessions were talks from Will Sexton (11:11 Systems), Justin Patrick (Pax8) and our own Ken Pecot (COO). Will walked us through how 11:11 Systems is working to help MSPs “modernize, protect, and manage” their IT environments. Justin elucidated the many ways Pax8 isn’t just a distributor, but a true marketplace built to help managed service providers become managed intelligence providers. As for Ken, he dove deep into the numerous operational improvements we’ve made at The 20, and shared hard-earned wisdom to help other operators bring newfound efficiency to their MSPs. Three cheers for three excellent sessions!
After a full day of sessions, it was time for Happy Hour. A Texas-sized shout-out to all the brave souls who took the stage for some karaoke fun. From Miley Cyrus to Garth Brooks, y’all crushed it with your covers – flat notes and all!
Thursday – Panels & Party Time
We hit the ground running on Day 2 of VISION with another session from Tim. Better Together: Why Wealth Starts with “We” dug into an idea at the very heart of The 20: We’re better together. This idea has always propelled our company forward, and now, through M&A, we’re tapping even more deeply into collective strength to bring MSPs lasting wealth and true legacy. As Tim laid out the numbers, MSP owners in the room sat up a little straighter, knowing that a well-planned exit can be life-changing.
Howard Getson (Capitalogix) was next on stage, and the AI veteran delivered a battletested strategy for AI adoption, implementation, and optimization. As Howard pointed out, humans are “great at recognizing big changes on the horizon, but rarely anticipate the consequences.” Thanks for correcting for that, Howard – and for showing MSPs a clear path forward as we enter the era of agentic AI.
Speaking of seeing the future, the next session – a panel discussion featuring elite financial minds from J.P. Morgan, Goldman Sachs, and other leading investment firms – shed light on how MSP owners can protect their wealth after a major exit. For a channel event, this level of Wall Street brainpower on stage was unprecedented – and MSPs were all ears. A huge thanks to our panelists – Scott Mueller, Neil Rubinstein, Dan Corello, and Mike Parry.
A key takeaway from Making Millions Is One Thing. Keeping It Is Another: Concentration is how you get rich – but diversification is how you stay rich. A golden insight for MSPs looking to secure their financial future!
Barrett Kingsriter closed out the morning sessions with more financial savvy. In Deals, Dollars, and Due Diligence, Pinecrest Capital‘s Senior Managing Director shared what buyers are really focusing on in 2025. We were honored to hear Barrett call The 20’s M&A engine something of a unicorn in our space – “supporting MSP growth and enabling exits within a fully integrated ecosystem.” Something to think about for those of you considering approaching the table for a deal…
The second panel of the day featured MSP owners who sold their companies – and lived to tell the tale. Grow, Exit or Get Left Behind gave attendees an unfiltered look at M&A through the eyes of the folks who’ve been there. We’re so grateful to our panelists – Chris Traxler, Eric Kehmeier, Kevin Peterson, and Wayne Klug. The seller’s voice is too often missing from M&A conversations – and y’all remedied that with generosity, authenticity, and candor.
Also incredibly valuable – the fireside chat between Crystal Conkle and Rania Succar, Kaseya’s recently appointed CEO. Crystal and Rania wasted no time getting into the big ideas that drive our industry forward. As Rania pointed out, “we’re in one of the most exciting moments in history,” and MSPs are facing an unprecedented opportunity to step up to the plate as SMBs’ primary advisors. A few key takeaways from their conversation:
- Going forward, Kaseya is committed to measuring their success with MSPs’ success
- AI’s value comes down to its capacity to deliver measurable outcomes
- MSPs are exceptionally well-positioned to help SMBs adopt AI
- Our industry is ripe for automation (triage, password resets, etc.)
- Stoking bold & creative thinking at an organizational level is all about setting the goal, and letting smart people figure out how to get there
- Leaders, above all else, need to be learners
Thank you, Rania, for your warmth, wisdom, and commitment to driving real change.
On Day 2, we also heard from John Tippett on The Enhanced Partnership Between The 20 and Cytracom, and from Joseph Brunsman (Ciardi Ciardi & Astin) on how MSPs can mitigate risk in our highly litigious age. Thank you, John, for helping MSPs strengthen zero trust security and compliance – and thank you, Joe, for making risk management feel cool and exciting. Protecting clients while protecting your MSP – that stuff’s music to our ears!
Chris Wiser (7 Figure MSPTM) also took the stage on Day 2 to teach MSPs The Secret to Scaling Your MSP, and rocked the house with a no-nonsense, step-by-step framework for generating 50 new leads per month. Take heed, MSPs – “marketing isn’t a cost; it’s a system.” And when you get strategic and consistent? You win.
Rounding out Thursday’s afternoon sessions were Matt Solomon (Channel Program) with a presentation on BetterTracker – a powerful new tool for MSPs to see deeper and clearer into client spend, slash costs, and never miss another contract renewal – and Jason Jones, who took us Inside Microsoft‘s AI Vision. Thank you, Matt, for identifying the real-world problems MSPs face – and for working hard to solve them. And thank you, Jason, for shining a light on the future – and making us laugh in the process.
Let the Good Times Roll
Thursday wasn’t just about learning stuff to take your MSP to the next level; it was also about celebrating wins, recognizing excellence, and just having a d*mn good time.
After a full day of sessions, we switched gears and presented the VISION ’25 Awards. We’ll announce the winners in a separate blog post – so stay tuned! Congrats to the vendors and MSPs who took home prizes – y’all are freakin’ amazing and the honors were beyond deserved.
As the sun set on Day 2, the women at VISION took to the rooftop pool deck for a special golden-hour Sunset Reception. Conceived by our CMO, Crystal Conkle, the event was a huge success, and epitomized what “making space” really looks like when done right. Thank you to everyone who came – y’all made this unforgettable.
Day 2 finished with a bang at the famous VISION Bash. No one parties like The 20, and this year was no exception. The Jordan Kahn Orchestra set the soundtrack, circus acts wowed the crowd, and attendees took us all back to school with their collegiate attire.
Friday – Members Only
On Day 3 of VISION ’25, we closed the doors to general attendees, and held a special half-day for members of The 20 only. Our tight-knit community of MSP leaders packed the room for a deep dive into what our group’s accomplished – and, more importantly, what’s next.
We won’t divulge too much here – this stuff is “just for us chickens,” to quote Tim. But if you were in the room, you already know how fast we’re moving, how much we’re achieving, and what’s in store. Needless to say, the future is looking bright for this group of MSPs, and we’re proud to be leading the charge.
What’s it like to be a part of this movement? To be a member of The 20 as an MSP owner? On Friday’s half-day, one member took the mic and said, “This is the most confident I’ve been about the company in 17 years of business.” Another shared, “I’ve never been to any conference and felt like they cared about me.”
All we can say is: we’re honored.
We hope you enjoyed this recap, but remember – nothing beats being in the room. So if you’re kicking yourself for missing out, make a plan to get in the game next year, because you’d better believe we’re going to do everything in our power to, once again, raise the bar on what an MSP event can be.
Till then – we are The 20 strong!