The final leg of ScanSource Europe's Partner Tour, the value added distributor's pan-European roadshow, took place recently at the Pavillon Cambon Capucines in Paris, France in what was an appropriate setting to end this year's series of events. As at every Partner Tour event, ScanSource brought together local vendors, ISVs and reseller partners to enjoy a day full of great opportunities for networking and the possibility to learn all about recent ScanSource initiatives.
This year the Partner Tour came to more countries than ever before, with visits to the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, the Nordics and the UK in the first half of 2010, and stops in Italy and Germany in recent weeks. An increased number of events, combined with the increasing popularity of the event, meant that more partners than ever joined ScanSource this year.
"In 2009 we really pushed the boat out, hosting more than 1,000 people throughout the year," said Xavier Cartiaux, President, ScanSource Europe. "This year we wanted to reach even more resellers, give them the chance to meet us, network with our vendor partners and make valuable contacts: all this at an event close to them. In total over 1,500 attendees came along to see how ScanSource could help them grow their business."
A major contributor to the high numbers was the German event in November where over 300 people were hosted at the Hockenheimring in southwest Germany and given the chance to take on the world-famous racetrack. Following ScanSource's expansion into the communications market in Germany at the end of 2009, a selection of best-of-breed communications vendors were present alongside the barcode vendors and the audience was made up of resellers from both spheres.
With communications vendors also joining ScanSource Communications Europe representatives in the UK and France, resellers had the opportunity to learn more about ScanSource's solutions and value added services and make valuable contacts from outside the traditional communications business.
"The key to the Partner Tour is the opportunity it creates to bring the channel together," said Maurice Van Rijn, Sales Director Northern Europe, ScanSource Europe. "It saves on the huge investments in time and travel that would usually be required for resellers and vendors to establish that many contacts. ScanSource is doing what a value added distributor should: we're making it easier to do business."
"The Partner Tour events provide great opportunities for resellers, but there are plenty of benefits for vendors too," said Bert Fonderie, Vice President of Merchandising, ScanSource Europe. "They have a unique chance to display their products, raise awareness of their brand and get to know the people and the requirements of the people that are actually buying their products."
"We really do our best to make these days memorable for our partners," said Richard Gregoire, Sales Director Southern Europe, ScanSource Europe. "But we don't forget what's important: with resellers, local vendor representatives and the local ScanSource team all together in the same place at the same time, combined with the special attention given to education, resellers get hands-on knowledge and advice, while relationships are built, strengthened and developed that help everyone to grow their business."
ScanSource is looking forward to building on the success of this year's tour in 2011.
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