Avaya ENGAGE 2020 | Round Up

by Katie Shirley February 20, 2020 in Events, Latest News 0

2020 is here. A new year and a new decade. What better way to get started than Avaya ENGAGE in Phoenix? The Valley of the Sun played host to over 3,000 attendees from across the globe in February, one third of which were first timers.

As in previous years, Aura was a gold sponsor and had representation from across the globe – from the UK to Canada and Japan. The Aura team were out in full force to enjoy the conference, contribute our own insight and assist attendees with their own global communications challenges. And, of course, it all began with a mandatory visit to Hooters and its famous chicken wings!

This year, Avaya ENGAGE happily coincided with Superbowl weekend. Who can imagine a better way to welcome everyone to the conference? On Sunday evening, we took to Chase Field for the Avaya Welcome Party.

Avaya hosted sponsors with drinks and the big game shown live on screens. A fantastic evening was had by everyone in attendance – the best of sport paired with an awesome crowd of people – setting the bar for the days that would follow. Not to mention the amazing result for the local Arizonans, given that their rival 49ers were overcome by the Chiefs.

Let the fun begin

With Monday the first full day for many attendees, we took to the Convention Center for the official start of Avaya ENGAGE. Our team was on hand throughout the afternoon to mingle with delegates and discuss customer challenges and how we can help. As always, our booth was a hive of activity with beer, tequila, mini footballs and koozie giveaways.

However, we had stiff competition this year from one of our supporting partners, Telanet, who gave away branded chocolate bars – Willy Wonka style! – with a number of golden tickets to win laptops and other great prizes.

Then onto something a little different. On Monday evening, we were invited to an axe-throwing party, courtesy of CTI. After a quick tutorial from the experts at Urban Axes, we took part in our very own axe-throwing competition – which was even more fun than it sounds. Team Aura conquered it of course!

Magic Johnson’s keynote speech

Avaya conferences have become renowned for their memorable keynote speeches from world-famous speakers. Jamie Foxx, Peyton Manning and Buzz Aldrin to name just a few. 2020 was no exception, with a keynote speech given by none other than Magic Johnson on the Tuesday.

The NBA legend drew comparisons between winning in sport and succeeding in business. Like basketball, he explained how business is a team sport. “You need discipline, a clear focus and a strategy. Then you have to go out and execute that strategy every day to beat your competitors”

“Remember that games are not won or lost on game day – you have to practice, practice and practice some more.”

Enabling tomorrow’s transformation

Of course, Johnson wasn’t Tuesday’s only highlight, with attendees treated to an insightful presentation from our very own Jonathan Harris at the Expo theatre. He discussed how companies can simplify global IT management today while also enabling the transformation of tomorrow.

Central to this is the role Aura plays as a Global Managed Service Provider. We’re simple, agile and global, so we don’t just manage your global IT, we can offer flexible, dynamic and truly multi-vendor solutions across three key pillars: