The last Zebra Partner Conference that we attended was in Reno, NV in January of 2020. The television and internet news were chattering about a new flu that was starting to make its way to the United States from China. Getting home before things started to shut down was a relief.
Since Zebra alternates years with a single large partner event one year, and the next year hosting several smaller regional partner events, it would normally be two years before attending this larger event, but this time because of COVID, it was four years. And, OK going to Orlando in January did not take much persuasion to get us to attend this year.
So, what is it all about, a “convention” in Florida in January with parties, hosted at a really nice resort? For us at the EMP Tech Group, it’s a chance to learn about new products coming out. Trends in the industry and how customers are using Zebra’s products. Moments of enlightenment packaged inside of long presentations in a boring conference room.
But we always leave these events with new ideas, and a renewed sense that we are doing things the right way at the EMP Tech Group. We see people at these events grappling to get the knowledge that our team has decades of experience with. We see companies that were worthy competitors a few years ago, that have now been gobbled up by private equity firms, trying to acquire more like businesses, and then sell them off as a package, for a profit, to the next PE firm, or to the stock market in an IPO.
It is a nice pause to the daily grind, and an opportunity to come back refreshed and ready to go back to serving our customers’ needs with world-class technology, which is why we partner with Zebra in the first place.