Maximizing Vendor ROI at MSP Events: Advice from Aaron Peterik
There are two kinds of vendors at Pax8 Beyond: the ones who show up and hand out koozies—and the ones who leave with real pipeline. Aaron Peterik, Director of Channel at Zero Networks, knows the difference firsthand. He’s sat in the Pax8 seat helping vendors prep for launch, and now he’s on the floor building a category-defining brand from the ground up.
His perspective? Skip the gimmicks. Get in the game. Here’s how smart MSP vendors actually win at Beyond.
"This will be the third year of Pax8 Beyond. They’ve outgrown the Gaylord venue and will likely expand next year." – Aaron Peterik, Zero Networks
Understanding the MSP Sales Process at Events
You can spend $20K on booth graphics and still walk away empty-handed. The vendors who win understand one thing: you’re not selling a product—you’re solving a problem MSPs are already living with.
Peterik doesn’t chase traffic. He chases traction. That means ditching the badge-scan bait-and-switch and focusing on real conversations with real pain points.
"I want real leads. I want folks that are really engaged and want to learn about what we do and why we do it."
MSPs don’t want another tool—they want trust. Vendors who sit in sessions, eat the dry chicken lunches, and talk shop at the bar are the ones who get the follow-up call.
They want to know that you understand their world. Not just their stack, but their client challenges, their staffing headaches, and the 2 a.m. firewall failures that make or break contracts. The sales process at these events doesn’t start at the booth—it starts in the margins, in the offhand comments that tell you what’s actually going on.
Want help connecting your booth presence to long-term opportunity? We’ve explored that in our guide on closing more MSP deals.
Preparing the Right Way
The clock starts ticking two weeks out. According to Peterik, that’s when you go live: start posting, start booking, start showing MSPs that you’re not just showing up—you’re showing up ready.
Forget the mass emails. Target the attendees who actually need your solution. Pre-schedule meetups. Announce your booth location with purpose. Offer coffee, not just keychains.
"You want to try to engage and schedule time with those folks in advance of the event if you can."
Internally, this is when your team gets aligned. What’s the pitch? Who’s handling demos? Who’s catching walk-ups? Every person at your booth should know how to speak to an MSP’s pain like they’ve lived it.
This is also when you refine your playbook: What objections will you hear? What’s the one-sentence takeaway you want every visitor to leave with? Your messaging needs to be sharp enough to cut through the noise—and that only happens if you sharpen it in advance.
Want more ideas for pre-event outreach? Here are three keys to MSP prospecting success.
Listen to Aaron share his best advice for preparing for events like Pax8 Beyond on the WIN Podcast:
The KPIs That Actually Matter
Let’s be honest—most vendors leave events bragging about lead scans. But how many of those turn into conversations? Into demos? Into trials? Into actual, real-world revenue?
Peterik measures the funnel the way sales leaders should. It’s not about the stack of business cards. It’s about the second meeting.
"How many people did we talk to? How many of those scheduled demos? How many trials or NFRs came from that? That’s what I track."
And don’t even get him started on the hat giveaways.
"You're now incentivizing people to do something they may not want to do just because they want a hat."
Because here’s the thing—every time you fill your CRM with unqualified leads, you burn your sales team’s time and your brand’s credibility. Real KPIs keep you accountable to impact, not impressions.
Need a framework for what happens after the demo? Take a look at our approach to successful MSP proposal meetings.
How Smart Vendors Show Up
The ones who show up strong don’t just man the booth—they work the floor. They’re at the sessions. They’re in the breakout tracks. They’re on the hotel couches at 11 p.m. having the real conversations.
Peterik doesn’t just preach presence—he practices it. Whether you’ve got a 10x10 booth or the biggest island in the room, if your team is plugged in, people will notice.
And those conversations—unpolished, spontaneous, real—are where the gold is. That’s where vendors uncover cross-sell opportunities, discover what MSPs are really wrestling with, and set the stage for post-event follow-up that doesn’t feel forced.
His method is a blueprint for vendors building pipeline the right way. No shortcuts. No gimmicks.
Just strategy, substance, and showing up for the MSPs who matter.
Watch Aaron's interview here:
More About Zero Networks
Zero Networks is the only solution that applies MFA at the port level, enabling multi-factor authentication to any asset, including those that could not have been protected by MFA before.
You can find Zero Networks at Pax8 Beyond at booth number 210.
Why Microsegmentation Matters
If you’re an MSP, you’re drowning in cybersecurity vendors screaming “zero trust!” But what does that even mean? For Peterik and the Zero Networks team, it means this: if one endpoint goes down, the rest of your network doesn’t.
"We segment the network so if one user is compromised, we prevent that breach from spreading. That’s what makes it true Zero Trust."
Zero is one of the only players bringing agentless microsegmentation to the channel. It’s simple, it’s scalable, and it doesn’t require the MSP to rewire their world. For MSPs working in regulated industries or tired of explaining VLANs to clients, it’s a game-changer.
And it’s not just about technology—it’s about margin. When MSPs can deploy better protection without hours of engineering, it’s not just their clients who win. It’s their profit model. Zero Networks’ positioning isn’t about complexity. It’s about leverage.
If you're thinking about refining your approach, check out our case study on how Brightworks IT transformed MSP sales.
Find Fox & Crow Group at Pax8 Beyond 2025 at Booth 929
If you've reached the point where you know you need to begin building an in-house sales org to support your growth strategy, we'd love to meet you at Pax8 Beyond!
Find us at Booth 929 (hint, it's along a wall at the back of the room.)
Don't want to wait until Beyond to talk about your sales goals for your MSP?
Fill out this form or book a call with Carrie Richardson from Fox & Crow Group.
FAQs Maximizing Vendor ROI at MSP Events
Q: What does Zero Networks do for MSPs?
A: They offer automated microsegmentation, a powerful internal security solution that limits lateral movement inside networks and enhances zero trust architecture.
Q: How early should vendors prepare for Pax8 Beyond?
A: Peterik recommends 2–3 weeks before the event to start scheduling meetings and building brand awareness.
Q: What’s the biggest mistake vendors make?
A: Chasing badge scans and giveaways instead of meaningful conversations. Peterik emphasizes the importance of real engagement over quantity.
Q: Who’s the ideal MSP for Zero Networks?
A: MSPs offering security, compliance, or aiming to upgrade from VLAN-based segmentation.
Q: What KPIs should I track as a vendor?
A: Track conversations → demos → trials → revenue—not just scans or impressions.
Q: Should I bring my entire sales team to the event?
A: Not necessarily. Focus on bringing people who can tell the story, handle demos, and follow up. A lean team with a clear goal often performs better.
Q: How can I stand out if I only have a small booth?
A: Engage in sessions, meals, and hallway chats. Aaron emphasizes full participation in the event, not just booth presence.
Q: What do MSPs actually want to talk about at events like Pax8 Beyond?
A: They’re looking for solutions that solve real pain points—like preventing ransomware or improving client security posture—not just more tools.
