Bob Stegner, Synnex Senior VP marketing for North America, last night told me a funny story about his first VentureTech meeting in Canada.
He said he was at some Airport hotel/condo complex and he had about 16 resellers in the room and as he starts to get on a roll the whole room stops him to let him know “that's enough” the hockey game is about to start and we are going to be watching it.
Stegner who had great hopes of replicating the success of VTN in the US in Canada decided to stay and watch and just enjoy the company.
Turn to 2010 and Stegner, who is now tasked to grow the base for VARNex needs to somehow recreate this special Canadian flavour of VTN.
Let's face some facts the Canadian contingent of VTN is as vocal and as smart as the U.S. group eventhough the numbers don't match up.
If Stegner is successful in growing VARNex in Canada he will have to encourage stuff like cutting a meeting short to watch hockey. Strange as it look it build comradererie, confident and a sense of loyalty.
Last night I met with two partners who have joined VARNex; Gordon Squires, president of Kentville, Nova Scotia-based Computerized Business Solutions Inc. and Gary Sohal, president of Audcomp of Ancaster, Ont. Squires told me that he wants to expand and thinks that VARNex can create an avenue for him in Canada and the U.S. For Sohal, who was a long time VTN member it's about checking things out and being cautious about program.
From my sources VARNex has about 16 Canadian partners signed up and that's a great start for program that was launched in 2008.
But for VARNex to really make a name for itself in Canada they need to win over top partners such as Audcomp and throwing in the odd hockey game won't hurt either.
I will have more coverage from the Synnex VARNex event in Las Vegas all this week.
