Bytes & Bites took place on Thursday, October 24, 2024, at Bridlewood of Madison. The event is a unique technology networking event that brings together technology experts, business leaders, and C Spire’s expert solutions engineers for exploration of cutting-edge technological solutions.
Along with product demos by partners, Bytes & Bites is a strategic opportunity to:
- Engage directly with C Spire’s industry-leading solutions engineers
- Explore tailored technology solutions for unique business challenges
- Build meaningful connections in a relaxed, interactive environment
- Gain insights from C Spire’s expert team and partners
As a leading fiber telecommunication provider, managed service provider, and value-added reseller, C Spire is committed to transforming technological challenges into opportunities that improve lives and drive business success.
The C Spire Business unit, which helps to advance businesses with cutting-edge technology solutions, hosted the networking event for the second time in Madison, MS. C Spire has offices in Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee and business customers in 47 states. The company hosts a similar Bytes & Bites event each year in Birmingham.
The Bytes & Bites event in Madison last week was a huge success, attracting over 300 attendees. It showcased the latest technology for Mississippi’s IT and business leaders.
“The Bytes & Bites event in Mississippi saw an increase in attendees from its first year to its second,” said Jim Richmond, VP Corporate Communications & Marketing Operations. “This growth was observed not only in the number of attendees but also in the diversity of the companies and government entities represented.”
“What a great Event to hold for not only the customers in the area but the important OEMs that network with your sales and leadership at C Spire Business,” Rodrigo Ramirez, Territory Partner Account Manager – North America/Central Gulf Coast Valley for Dell Technologies. “It’s a great chance to talk to industry leaders and subject matter experts that truly make a difference in the tech industry. Dell Technologies will continue to sponsor these huge, important events as we believe that partnering with C Spire Business is important to growing market share together. Thank you for being a “Go To” rock-solid partner and allowing us to share our story of Why Dell Technologies……. And Why C Spire Business.”
Q&A that gives further insight into Bytes & Bites
What are the biggest headaches enterprise-level technology customers face today?
-Jeff Mackin - Select sales regional vice president at C Spire
Individuals and businesses depend on technology to operate in daily life, but these complex IT systems require careful planning and design to run smoothly. The demand for IT services increases daily, and the biggest challenge in the field today is finding qualified professionals to handle this demand.
How do corporate leaders learn more about technology and stay on top of the latest advancements?
-Drake Cushing – General Manager of C Spire Business
Many of them rely on their technology vendors. At C Spire, for instance, we provide our customers with certified engineers to help design, build and maintain IT systems. Those engineers become expert partners, giving our customers access to cutting-edge advice. But, outside of this context, tech advice and insight can be hard to find.
Seeing this, we realized the industry needed greater access to information and knowledge-sharing, as well as more opportunities to connect, and we decided to take the lead. In Birmingham, we started small at first, hosting a barbecue to allow our customers to learn and network in a relaxed environment. These events became so popular that we decided to bring the event to Mississippi and expand our audience to serve technology and business leaders beyond our customer base.
Who attends Bytes & Bites, and what are they looking to learn about?
-Jeff Mackin – Select sales regional vice president at C Spire
The audience ranges from CIOs, CFOs and senior IT decision-makers all the way to those who are just starting their IT careers.
What was the 2024 experience like?
-Jeff Mackin - Select sales regional vice president at C Spire
Our partners are some of the biggest names in technology, and they travel from all over the U.S. to attend Bytes & Bites. This year was no different. Our key technology partners include Cisco, Dell Technologies, Fortinet, Arctic Wolf, Rubrik, ExaGrid, Pure Storage, DarkTrace, Eleveo, Microsoft, and Palo Alto Networks. AI was a big topic of conversation. We also discussed a range of issues that matter to IT leaders and their businesses, including data protection and cybersecurity. Another highlight of this year – and every year – was watching our attendees build their networks, make new connections and seed new partnerships. We are grateful this event has become such an important and valuable addition to our customers and the broader technology and business communities.
