While at first blush a User Conference might seem like a simple yes or no proposition, something that has more to do with the size you are at than the value you might gain from it, the decision to host and effectively execute an exceptional User Conference can have an incredible impact on your business.

A User Conference is a forum for your customers to collaborate. A place where they upsell each other without you even being part of the conversation. It`s a unique opportunity for you to inspire and excite them with what is on the horizon and for their fellow users to show off the unique ways they are leveraging your technology. The connections that are made at a User Conference last well beyond the conference itself, it`s a breeding ground for smaller regional and industry user groups. Done well, a User Conference is the cornerstone of your retention marketing strategy, it delivers upsell revenue, stickiness and brings you closer to your customers than you could have imagined.

In this talk Kristy Sadler, VP Global Marketing at Intelex, will cover not only what it takes to put on a great User Conference but how to structure that conference so it has positive long term impacts for your business. The audience will hear how the Intelex User Conference initially hosted just 70 clients and has grown to over 230 clients, 5 sponsors and 19 speakers in just five years.

Invitations have gone out to our members.  Be sure to register online to attend!

AceTech Ontario is pleased to announce a partnership with The Upside Foundation of Canada, a registered charity. The Foundation provides an innovative platform for corporate philanthropy: donate options or warrants, not cash. Earlier-stage and high growth private companies pledge stock options or warrants to the Upside Foundation, convertible into a small portion of equity.  When the company has a liquidity event (e.g., IPO, acquisition), the Foundation sells its options for cash and donates the proceeds to registered charities in Canada in the areas of poverty, education and technology. The Foundation has no involvement in the donor companies' operations.

It's an innovative and easy way to create a corporate social mission and give back to our community without spending any cash or time.  It's a platform that's new to Canada but modeled after successful organizations in the US and Israel which have raised tens of millions of dollars for their local communities. The proven platform is supported by the leading Canadian VCs, incubators and accelerators - and now us.

We at AceTech Ontario believe in the importance of supporting our community and we encourage our members to consider donating options or warrants to The Upside Foundation. To learn more about The Upside Foundation, you can watch a one minute video on the website by clicking here.  

We are proud to support this very worthwhile Canadian initiative and encourage you to spread the word (you can just send the link to the video or forward this newsletter). For more information, please email [email protected] or check out the website at www.upsidefounation.ca.