D&H Thread conference
Cory Vessells from Visiontek (right) shakes hands with an attendee as D&H Canada’s Executive Director of Vendor Management Chris Ralston (centre) checks out the latest products.

D&H Thread Conference Takes to Vancouver

The live D&H Thread conference returned to Vancouver on April 19, 2023, the first live Thread event in the area since before the pandemic: the last one was in 2019. Taking place at the Paradox Hotel Vancouver in British Columbia, the event offered attendees the opportunity to talk with and see products from more than 25 vendors, attend four educational sessions, and more.

Marking the distributor’s 15th anniversary year, the D&H Thread conference featured 25 top-flight manufacturer partners along with educational seminars from subject matter experts in mobile computing, cyber security, Device-as-a-Service (DaaS), remote work technology, and more. During the event, D&H Canada’s General Manager Michelle Biase delivered an update on the distributor’s business and upcoming channel investments for its fiscal year 2024, which begins May 2, and beyond.

D&H Thread conference
Bryce Hann, channel business manager from StarTech.com (left) talks shop with resellers Peta Adams (centre) and Vern Kasdorf (right) of KubeData Systems Inc. at the D&H Vancouver THREAD Technology Conference.

D&H expected more than 100 channel attendees at the free event, with registration beginning at 8 a.m. and seminar sessions beginning at 3 p.m. The show ran until 7 p.m. and offered one-on-one networking opportunities for VARs and MSPs. It “extended D&H’s high-touch educational model to partners in the western end of the country, providing market insights, product knowledge, and business strategies to help partners become more successful,” says the company.

D&H Thread conference
Towen Chrea, Category Business Manager at HP Canada, led the “Stronger Together” training session at the D&H Canada Vancouver THREAD event on April 19.

Live educational sessions were delivered by Cisco, Lenovo, Microsoft, and HP. Additional exhibiting vendors included Canon, Epson, Intel, Kensington, Kingston, Lenovo, LG, Logitech, Microsoft CSP (Cloud Solution Provider) program, Neat, Poly, Samsung, Seagate, and Tripp Lite by Eaton, among others.

D&H Thread conference
Travis Brown, Senior Marketing Manager, D&H (centre) rallies attendees at the D&H Canada Vancouver THREAD Technology Conference., including Len Specht, Project Manager at solution provider Paladin Technologies (right; hand raised).

The THREAD conference featured two D&H “networking districts” where attendees could engage with vendor representatives, D&H’s Solutions Experts, and colleagues to forge connections, strengthen relationships, and discuss leading-edge technology solutions in a peer-to-peer environment. Exhibits showcased the latest under D&H’s transformative Modern Solutions umbrella, in areas like collaboration, wireless networking, cloud solutions, digital signage, high-performance system building, and the hybrid workspace. Attendees also had the chance to win door prizes, including a grand prize of a $500 gift card.

D&H Thread conference
Cory Vessells from Visiontek (right) shakes hands with an attendee as D&H Canada’s Executive Director of Vendor Management Chris Ralston (centre) checks out the latest products.

“We’re delighted to bring this conference back to Vancouver, completely in-person, delivering the opportunity for our partners to learn first-hand from industry experts who have helped pioneer the IT space,” says Biase. “The high-tech landscape is always evolving, and crucial areas like collaboration, hybrid work, and cyber security require that our partners stay current on the latest innovations the market has to bear. We’ve all missed the ability to convene and network in a live setting, so it’s a thrill to revisit this forum for our Vancouver-based partners. The goal is to equip them with the most pertinent knowledge to help them succeed.”

D&H partners can visit www.dandh.ca or call (800) 340-1008 to speak to an account representative for more information.