For years, conferences and trade shows have been go-to strategies for vendors looking to recruit new MSP partners. These events offer great opportunities for face-to-face interactions, networking and showcasing products; however, they come with significant costs and are only effective in the short term.
While MSP channel partner recruitment through events has historically been successful, there are other options that can be just as effective — if not more — and come at a fraction of the cost. In this blog, we’ll explore the hidden costs of attending conferences, why they might not be the most sustainable approach to MSP partner recruitment, and offer you more cost-effective, long-term alternatives that can build a steady stream of leads for your MSP partner program.
The Hidden Costs of Conferences for MSP Partner Recruitment
There’s no denying that conferences can be a powerful tool for lead generation. In fact, a report found that 84% of leadership-level professionals view in-person events as a key component of business success (Bizzabo). Conferences provide immediate access to a wide audience of potential partners, but they come with significant expenses that add up quickly:
1. Exhibitor Costs
Exhibiting at major IT events can be costly. Depending on the size and location of the booth, costs can range anywhere from $5,000 to over $100,000 (Blue Atlas).
2. Travel and Accommodation
In addition to booth fees, you need cover the costs of travel, accommodation and registration fees for employees. These costs can easily add another $2,500 per person, with larger events driving these expenses even higher (Global Conference).
3. Event Collateral
For larger booths, the cost of event collateral, such as displays and promotional materials, can range from $40,000 to $60,000 (Exhibits USA).
Why Conferences Aren’t Sustainable for Long-Term MSP Partner Recruitment
While conferences can yield impressive results, they also come with a major downside: they focus on short-term, event-based lead generation. Once the event ends, the flow of new leads typically stops, leaving your MSP partner pipeline empty and requiring you to start the process again from scratch for the next event. This isn’t a sustainable business plan for vendors that want to grow their partner MSP operations.
1. Short-Term Focus
At conferences, you’re competing for attention in a crowded environment. Many leads generated are warm in the moment but cool down as soon as the event is over. Additionally, these leads are only viable within a specific timeframe, making them harder to nurture for long-term growth.
2. High Competition
At events, you’re up against a number of other vendors also looking for the same managed service providers. Standing out in a sea of competitors can be challenging and may lead to higher costs to get noticed.
3. Limited Reach
Conferences can only reach those MSPs who are available to attend. This limits your ability to target a wider audience of potential partners. Due to the nature of the MSP business model, many MSPs may not be able to make it to events, leaving you with a smaller pool of prospects.
Cost-Effective Alternatives for MSP Channel Partner Recruitment
So, how can you achieve the same (or better) results without the high costs of conferences? Here are some cost-effective strategies that deliver consistent, long-term results.
1. Appointment Setting
Appointment setting is like having a personal assistant for your sales team. It’s an outsourced, dedicated support service that helps connect your sales reps with the right people for meetings or demos. By using appointment setting, you can filter through contacts and schedule chats with key decision-makers who are genuinely interested in your solutions.
This means your sales team can focus on closing deals instead of spending time on cold calls. It’s a smart and friendly way to improve your chances of turning prospects into clients through delivering warm leads to your sales team on a consistent basis.
Key Benefits:
- Cost-effective: Appointment setting services have a much lower upfront cost compared to exhibiting at a conference.
- Targeted: You can directly engage with MSPs who are actively looking for new vendor relationships.
- Sustained pipeline: By scheduling meetings consistently, you can maintain a full, steady pipeline year-round.
2. Digital Marketing
Digital marketing can be an excellent way to recruit MSP partners while minimizing your costs. By focusing on channels like SEO, email marketing and social media, you can generate leads and build awareness without the hefty price tag of event attendance, all while staying atop industry trends for your existing clients.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
SEO helps your website appear at the top of search results when MSPs are looking for partners. With the right content strategy and keyword optimization, SEO can deliver long-term, organic traffic at a fraction of the cost of conferences.
Key Benefits:
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- Cost-effective: The average return on investment (ROI) for SEO is $250 for every $1 spent (Search Engine Journal). Moreover, early 50% of marketers (49%) believe organic search provides the highest return on investment (ROI) compared to other marketing channels.
- Sustainable: Unlike events, SEO results continue to generate traffic and leads over time, making it one of the most sustainable technical resources to capitalize on.
- High intent: Prospects who find you through search are actively looking for solutions and services.
Email Marketing
Email marketing can be a powerful tool for nurturing and converting leads. By building a targeted list of MSPs and sending them valuable, tailored content, you can keep them engaged and guide them toward becoming a partner.
Key Benefits:
- High ROI: Email marketing delivers an average ROI of $36 for every $1 spent (Litmus).
- Personalized: Automated email campaigns can be personalized to each lead’s needs, increasing the chances of conversion – even for existing partners.
Social Media Marketing
Social media platforms are great for engaging directly with MSPs and sharing information about your MSP partner program. You can leverage organic posts and targeted ads to boost awareness and drive leads.
- Affordable: Social media ads are generally more cost-effective than traditional advertising methods.
- Effective: 65% of B2B companies say they have acquired customers through LinkedIn ads. (WebFX).
- Engagement: Two-way communication builds trust with potential partners.
Combining Digital Marketing and Events for Maximum Impact
While events may not be the most cost-effective way to recruit MSP partners, they can still play a role in your overall strategy. Rather than relying solely on events, consider using digital marketing to build your partner pipeline year-round, and then use events to supplement your efforts, increase visibility and close deals.
By combining both approaches, you can create a balanced, sustainable MSP program strategy that minimizes costs while maximizing impact.
Ready to Cut Partner Program Recruitment Costs?
If you’re ready to lower your MSP partner recruitment costs and take your MSP partner channel to the next level, our Channel Growth as a Service is the all-in-one solution you need. Our team can help you create a sustainable, cost-effective strategy to recruit MSP partners efficiently — no conferences required — while training your sales staff and helping your marketing team improve their skills. Contact us to find out more.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Are events still valuable for MSP partner recruitment?
While events can be useful for short-term lead generation, they are expensive and limited in reach. Digital marketing strategies provide a more cost-effective and sustainable way to recruit MSP partners over the long term.
What’s the ROI on digital marketing for MSP recruitment?
How can Marketopia help me with MSP partner recruitment?
We offer Channel Growth as a Service to help you recruit MSP partners efficiently. Our solutions include appointment setting, digital marketing, and more to help you grow your MSP partner program without relying on expensive events.
