But before we get down to details, I want to encourage you to take advantage of every opportunity for interaction that HTG and ConnectWise provide this week. The results of the University of Nebraska at Kearney study will be shared this week, but as we mentioned a few months ago, one of the most important and impactful things that the study has captured is the value of peer interaction outside your peer group. That interaction is a key driver for causing a direct positive financial impact on the companies who participate and take advantage of the opportunities to connect. Whether it is other HTG members, vendors, breakout presenters, or other folks around the venue this week – the value you take back to your organization depends on your connecting with people. That happens in the SIG’s (special interest groups), pre-event sessions on Tuesday morning, HTG Partner Pavilion, lunch and learns, breakout sessions and meals. Don’t miss this significant opportunity to carry back ideas that translate into real dollars for your company. The opportunities are plentiful. The only question is whether you will take advantage of them or miss out.

One key focus since our spring HTG ALL address has been our focus on our 1-4-250 roadmap. You may recall that we announced that HTG was slowing down growth and capping our regular membership around 250 member companies. We are getting close to that goal this quarter as we spin up HTG23 which will get us close to our target. Just to review what our numbers are:

1 – Vision and Mission
4 – Plans
250 – Member companies
10,000 – Teammates (either employees or leveraged resources)
1,000,000 – Meaningful touches

1
We have a clear and relevant mission – “Business and Personal Growth Driven by Execution”. We are focused on helping each member grow – both personally and in their businesses. We do that based on accountability and as the good Dr. Thomas Edison said: “Vision without execution is hallucination”. We are passionate about coming alongside each member, one at a time, and helping them achieve the growth they set forth to achieve.

4
And speaking of that – our four plans are foundational to that mission. We must plan for business, leadership, life and legacy to make our vision and mission a reality. These are not mere exercises, but the core of what we are working so hard to achieve. Life matters, and how we execute in these four areas will determine the outcome. So planning is crucial for each of us.

250
HTG has become a force in the IT industry because of our size. 250 quality IT companies, led by passionate executives, have a voice that the channel is listening to. Our vendor sponsors know that HTG members are the cream of the crop. You’ll learn on Wednesday morning just how powerful we are together. None of us is nearly as powerful as all of us together. We need to work hard to make sure every HTG member is fully engaged and growing.

10,000
When we look at how many folks it takes for our companies to do business – it is lots of bodies. We are using 10,000 to denote that. Now if you do the math on our 250 members that would translate to 40 employees each. That is about twice what is reality. But when you consider the outsourced resources we leverage – NOC desks, help desks, vendor resources and the like – it isn’t really a stretch that during a year we truly do have at least 40 folks who either work for or represent each of our companies. That is a lot of mindshare and workforce to make a difference.

1 million
The final number is 1 million. That is 1 with six zeroes behind it. That is the number of touches that we believe our HTG member organizations can make each year. From a simple math perspective, that is 4000 touches per company each year or 11 per day. And looking across our membership – that is less than one meaningful touch per day per employee at every HTG company. While 1,000,000 sounds like a big number, and it is, the reality is that we really can attain it. It is not some pie in the sky thought that we can’t possibly achieve. All it takes is being intentional. We need to model that for our teams. We need to make sure that we are taking time to interact in very real and meaningful ways with at least one person every day of the year. Be it at home or in the marketplace – we have the opportunity to make a difference in another person’s life. There is no more important task on our list. In order for us to achieve this goal though – each of us as leaders has to show and tell – we must demonstrate the way and encourage others to do the same.

1-4-250-10,000-1,000,000 are five numbers that define the path of HTG for 2011 and beyond. It is not a new direction. It is further refinement of our mission and an intentional focus to do things that matter. In order for us to get there, we need everyone on board. If we all row together and work side by side to grow and touch others, we will make a lasting legacy in the channel. That is what HTG is about. Impacting each member company individually, each individual personally, and the channel collectively. We can do it through teamwork.

I look forward to being part of something special with you!