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23–24 November 2026
Château Élan, Hunter Valley
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Executive Retreats is a new techpartner.news event series designed to bring senior technology and channel leaders together to connect, reflect and share insights away from the pressures of day-to-day business.

The Channel Executive Retreat is an exclusive 1.5-day experience for owners and senior leaders of Australia’s leading MSPs, resellers and systems integrators. Across the Retreat, delegates will explore the challenges facing technology leaders today, what lies ahead in 2027, and how to lead effectively through continued change and pressure — while making meaningful connections with their peers and taking time to recharge.
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Channel Executive Retreat – Leadership & Growth Edition
  • Explore the key challenges facing channel leaders today - and what could get harder in 2027
  • Share experiences and strategies for leading through pressure, maintaining performance and supporting team wellbeing
  • Discuss the people, leadership and business priorities shaping successful channel organisations
  • Build meaningful peer-to-peer connections with fellow MSP, reseller and systems integrator leaders
  • Step away from the day-to-day to reflect, recharge and plan for what comes next

What you can look forward to:

A curated mix of insight, connection and downtime across 1.5 days in the Hunter Valley. Expect candid conversations with fellow channel leaders, practical discussions on leadership and the challenges ahead in 2027, curated 1:1 meetings, wine tasting, shared dining and relaxed networking around the firepit.
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Panel 1: What tech leaders are dealing with now - and what gets harder in 2027
Channel and technology leaders are operating in increasingly high-pressure environments, with growing demands on their time, teams and businesses. Drawing on our pre-event survey, this panel will explore the key pressures leaders are facing today and the market and industry changes that could make leadership even more challenging in 2027.
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Panel 2: Leading through pressure - people, performance and burnout
Leadership means managing pressure while keeping people engaged, productive and supported. This panel will explore how leaders can maintain performance without burning themselves or their teams out, sharing practical perspectives on managing people, building resilient teams and navigating the demands of modern technology leadership.

Featured Speaker:

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Dean Ellis
Founder and Director,

Rec4Tech

Dean Ellis brings more than 12 years of experience in the technology channel, including running an MSP with a team of 15 engineers. As Founder and Director of Rec4Tech, he has supported more than 450 technology placements, primarily within MSP environments across Help Desk and leadership roles.

Dean also works as a People and Culture consultant with MSPs, helping business leaders navigate the challenges of building strong teams, developing workplace culture and supporting sustainable growth. His perspective combines hands-on MSP leadership experience with practical insight into the people, talent and leadership challenges facing the technology channel.

Day 2 Keynote: Attracting and Retaining Talent When the Pressure Is High

With talent shortages, rising expectations and AI reshaping the skills MSPs need, building and retaining strong teams has never been more important.

Dean Ellis will share practical strategies for creating resilient, engaged teams, preventing burnout and preparing for changing workforce demands. Attendees will take away actionable ideas to strengthen their people strategies and support sustainable business growth.

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Meet the Speakers

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William Maher
Editor in Chief
techpartner.news

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Dean Ellis
Founder and Director of Technology Recruitment
Rec4Tech

Agenda

Day 1

9:30am | Departure from Sydney
Coaches depart Central Station, Sydney, arriving at Château Élan in the Hunter Valley at midday.

12:30 – 2:30pm | VIP Lunch & Leadership Session
VIP lunch. Delegates will enjoy a gourmet lunch as part of a facilitated session featuring one hour of content focused on leadership and the evolution of the modern channel.

2:30 -4:00pm | Choose Your Afternoon Activity
Delegates can choose from three on-site experiences: a game of tennis, relaxation by the pool, or Swing & Sip — a session at the driving range accompanied by drinks.

4:00 – 5:00pm | Downtime & Get Ready for the Evening

Time to unwind, freshen up and prepare for the evening’s activities.

5:00 – 5:45pm | Sponsor One-on-One Meetings
Dedicated time for delegates to connect with sponsors through one-on-one meetings and meaningful conversations.

5:45 – 8:00pm | Outdoor Dining Experience
Enjoy a relaxed twilight dining experience featuring American and Mexican-inspired market stalls, weather permitting.

8:00 – 9:30pm | Trivia & Wine Tasting
Enjoy a guided tasting of seven rare Hunter Valley wines, led by a sommelier, with the stories behind each bottle. Between tastings, teams will compete across three rounds of trivia, featuring general knowledge, wine and a special techpartner.com round - with the option to include fun facts and inside jokes about the company. Expect a lively mix of discovery, laughter and friendly competition, with no prior wine knowledge required.

9:00 – 9:30pm | Post-Dinner Networking at Spikes Bar
Round out the evening with drinks and relaxed networking at Spikes Bar

Day 2

8:00 – 9:30am | Breakfast Session
Enjoy a plated breakfast and a final session with Dean Ellis.

MSP leaders are expected to keep performance high while facing tight talent markets, changing client expectations and rapid advances in AI. How can they attract and retain good people without burning out the teams they already have?

Drawing on his experience as an MSP owner, technology recruiter and People and Culture consultant, Dean Ellis will explore practical ways to build engaged, resilient teams. The conversation will cover creating psychologically safe workplaces where people can speak up and ask for support, recognising the conditions that contribute to burnout, and adapting to changing skills needs.

Looking ahead to 2027, Dean will also discuss how AI is reshaping the capabilities MSPs need, what leaders can do to help their teams keep pace, and how to respond to ongoing skills shortages. Attendees will leave with practical ideas to take back to their businesse

10:00am | Departure for Sydney
Coaches depart Château Élan, with arrival back in Sydney expected at approximately 12:00 pm.

Register Here