There is a chance — a slim one — that you’ll eventually stop hearing things like “old times” and “new normal” and “the way things used to be” and “pivot” (OK, I just threw that last one in there because a girl can dream). But maybe we’ll never stop comparing mid-pandemic life to before and after, and maybe that’s not so bad — there’s something to be said for appreciating the things you took for granted before.
For a lot of people, BTA Spring Break 2020 was the last event before shutdowns and lockdowns and protocols, so it felt good to attend Spring Break 2022, held April 1-2 at Disney’s Yacht Club, and see so many smiling faces — because Disney no longer mandates face coverings for fully vaccinated guests. I know many of you have been out and about far more than I, but although I attended a couple of events last year, this was my first channel event since late 2019.
BTA is the right event to dive back into things. They are a well-oiled machine, and getting back into the groove of listening to speakers and networking with the nearly 40 exhibitors was like riding a bike. With presentations from industry regulars, fun keynotes and of course, cocktails, it felt like old times. It was once again held directly following and overlapping with IBPI’s Connect event.
David Ramos gets things started.David Ramos kicked things off with a look at “Visual Edge’s Managed IT Strategy,” sharing information and data from the company. He was followed by the event’s keynote, “Service is a Superpower” from former Disney trainer Louie Gravance. (Gravance, as far as I can tell, is at least partly responsible for the Disney Traditions orientation program I endured in the 90s. I don’t hold it against him. His presentation was far more enjoyable than that orientation.)
Wes McArtor is backed by data.Following lunch was “Eliminate Making a Bad Hire Forever” from Dale Stein and Brian Suerth of Technology Assurance Group (TAG) and Mike Ardry, Automated Business Solutions; “Data Trends to Improve Your Bottom Line,” from Wes McArtor of NEXERA; and “What Sales Compensation Could Look Like in the Future” from Luis Gonzalez of SalesScoreKeeper.
While rain, unfortunately, kept us inside for the cocktail reception, I’m not sure anyone minded — particularly the vendors, since we were able to spend that much more time wandering around the vendor floor.
Troy Harrison speaks while Brent Hoskins runs the showDay 2 kicked off with “Win it Easy or Come in Fourth: Business Lesson from My Dad, The Race Car Driver,” from Troy Harrison of Troy Harrison & Associates, and the half-day wrapped with Rick Lambert, presenting “LinkedIn to Win: Pro Tips to Unleash Your Potential on the #1 B2B Sales Platform.”
Interspersed between educational sessions on both days were presentations from sponsors that included TAG, Sharp, Xerox and Brother.
It was a magical time.
is editorial director of BPO Media’s publications Workflow and The Imaging Channel, and senior analyst for BPO Research. As a professional writer and editor, she has specialized in the office technology industry for the last 20 years. Prior to that she worked in public relations and has a master's degree in communication arts.
