We’re on the floor at Pax8 Beyond in Salt Lake City with GTIA leaders Dan Wensley and MJ Shoer, talking about ChannelCon 2026 in San Diego and what’s changed since the CompTIA transition. They share how GTIA rebuilt from zero infrastructure, doubled IT service provider attendance year over year, and is leaning into education, research, and community to deliver “more value to more members. We also dig into the new AI and innovation awards, the GTIA ISAO, and a major collaboration with Texas A&M to define standards for responsible, professional IT services. Dan and MJ explain why now is the time for MSPs to stop sitting on the sidelines, plug into a global trade association, and take advantage of millions of dollars in resources, threat intel, and free access to ChannelCon for just a few hundred bucks a year. === Chapter 0:27 PAX8 Beyond Kicks Off 1:35 ChannelCon Heads to San Diego 3:51 AI Awards and Member Value 9:20 Research, Education, and Growth 11:01 Responsible IT Services Standards 15:37 Growth Challenges and Foundations 18:36 Community Impact Stories 21:22 Why Join GTIA Now 24:14 Final Invitation to Members 25:42 Event Fun and Entertainment === Guest: Dan Wensley Company: GTIA – Global Technology Industry Association: https://gtia.org/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danwensley === Guest: MJ Shoer Company: GTIA – Global Technology Industry Association: https://gtia.org/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mjshoer Shout-outs Nick Heddy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-heddy-pax8/ Scott Chasin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottchasin/ Rob Rae: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robtrae/ Carolyn April: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolyn-april-90894233/ Nancy Hamervik: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancyhamervik Companies / Vendors / Products / Events / Organizations Pax8: https://www.pax8.com ChannelCon (GTIA event): https://channelcon.gtia.org/ Consortium for Responsible IT Services: https://it-services.tamu.edu ASCII Group: https://www.ascii.com Gaslamp District (San Diego area reference): https://www.gaslamp.org Salt Lake City (host city, Pax8 Beyond 2026): https://www.slc.gov San Diego (host city, ChannelCon 2026): https://www.sandiego.gov Breakaway (legacy CompTIA/ChannelCon event name, historical reference): https://www.comptia.org (no separate current site; legacy brand) NSITSP – National Society of IT Service Providers: https://www.nsitsp.org ConnectWise: https://www.connectwise.com === SPONSORS: Livestream Partner, ThreatLocker: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/threatlocker Technology Partner, NetAlly: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/netally/ Technology Partner: Bvoip: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/bvoip Travel Partner: TruGrid: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/trugrid Digital Partner, Designer Ready: http://itbusinesspodcast.com/designerready === SHOW MUSIC: Item Title: Upbeat & Fun Sports Rock Logo Item URL: https://elements.envato.com/upbeat-fun-sports-rock-logo-CSR3UET Author Username: AlexanderRufire Item License Code: 7X9F52DNML === Connect with Uncle Marv🌐 Website: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/🎙 Host: Marvin Bee🛒 Uncle Marv’s Amazon Store (gear & tools I recommend): https://amzn.to/3EiyKoZ☕ Support the show: https://ko-fi.com/itbusinesspodcastIf you found value in this episode, share it with another MSP, IT provider, or tech entrepreneur. Your support helps keep practical, no-nonsense IT business conversations coming every week.

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