B2B Channel Marketing Committee: Building Partner Loyalty Through Smarter Incentives & Engagement

ANA members of all classifications are invited to register for this upcoming B2B Channel Marketing Committee meeting. Join peers across disciplines to explore new thinking on partner engagement, share perspectives, and gain practical insights you can apply to your own programs.

Agenda

11:00 - 11:20 am: OPENING REMARKS AND ATTENDEE INTRODUCTIONS
Kick things off by getting to know your fellow committee members and newcomers to this meeting. Each attendee will briefly introduce themselves and share a fun icebreaker question to spark conversation. It’s a chance to put names to faces, discover common interests, and set the stage for an engaging, collaborative meeting.

11:20 - 11:50 am: BEFORE YOU INVEST IN PARTNERSHIPS: WHY MARKETING NEEDS AN IDEAL PARTNER PROFILE (NOT JUST AN ICP)  
Marketing teams have spent years perfecting the Ideal Customer Profile, but most have never built the equivalent for the partners who influence, source, and/or close deals alongside them. The result is recruitment that's broad instead of precise, activation that lags, and channel budget spread across partners who were never the right fit to begin with. Before you can scale a partner ecosystem or invest real dollars into keeping partners engaged, you need a clear, shared definition of who actually belongs in it.

In this session, we'll introduce the Ideal Partner Profile (IPP): what it is, how it differs from and depends on your ICP, and why some partner attributes are non-negotiable while others are simply nice-to-have. You'll see how an IPP shifts across the partner lifecycle and why skipping this step quietly costs organizations time, budget, and revenue. Drawing on partner data research from PartnerOptimizer, this session lays the groundwork for a question every channel and marketing leader should be asking before designing their next incentive, rebate, or loyalty investment: Are we even investing in the right partners?

Key Takeaways

1. Understand why an ICP alone isn't enough and what an Ideal Partner Profile adds to your partner strategy that a customer profile can't.
2. Learn to separate "definitive" partner attributes from "flexible" ones, and why treating them the same leads to misdirected recruitment and budget.
3. See how your IPP shifts across the partner lifecycle, from recruitment through activation, and what that means for where you focus resources.
4. Quantify the hidden cost of skipping this step: wasted spend, low activation, and missed revenue from partners who were never the right match.
5. Leave with a foundation-first mindset for evaluating any partner investment, including incentives, MDF, and loyalty programs, before you build it.

Presenter:


Dina Moskowitz
CEO and Founder
PartnerOptimizer, Inc.

11:50 - 12:20 pm: LOYALTY BY DESIGN: BUILDING PARTNER LOYALTY THROUGH SMARTER INCENTIVES & ENGAGEMENT 
B2B organizations invest billions in rebates, MDF, incentives, and channel programs, yet many still face the same challenge: disengaged partners, inconsistent participation, and lack of differentiation. Why? Because incentives alone don't create loyalty.

In this session, Maritz will introduce the Loyalty by Design Framework, a practical approach for designing programs that your channel partners will want to be a part of.

Discover how rational, behavioral, and emotional drivers combine to shape partner decisions, along with four proven loyalty mechanics that help create more engagement. Through real-world examples, we'll explore how leading organizations are designing programs that drive both stronger partner relationships and measurable business results.

Whether you're looking to strengthen partner loyalty, improve program performance, or stand out in a crowded channel ecosystem, this session will provide actionable ideas you can put to work immediately.

Key Takeaways

1. Understand the "Incentive Illusion" and why traditional rebates, MDF, and rewards often fail to create lasting partner engagement.
2. Explore the Loyalty Layers that influence partner decision-making and engagement: Rational, Behavioral, and Emotional
3. Review the 4 Ps of Loyalty and how they can be used to shape behavior and sustain engagement: Points, Progress, Prompts, and Prestige.
4. Dive into different incentive types and which might work for your unique channel program
5. See real-world examples of loyalty-centered program design that increased participation, strengthened partner relationships, and improved business outcomes without simply increasing incentive spend.

Presenters:

Rachel McInnis
VP Solution Strategy
Maritz



Casey Epley
Product Director
Maritz

12:20 – 12:50 PM: Virtual Roundtable: Discussing the Future of ABM and the ABM Committee 
In this interactive session, our B2B Channel Marketing Committee Co-Chairs will lead a roundtable discussion focused on the evolving role of channel marketing in driving business growth. This is a unique opportunity for attendees to share perspectives on emerging trends, challenges, and opportunities across partner ecosystems, channel programs, and go-to-market strategies. Together, we'll explore the priorities that should shape the committee's agenda in the year ahead, ensuring our programming reflects the needs and insights of today's B2B channel marketers. Come ready to share your ideas and help shape the future of the B2B Channel Marketing Committee.

Meet your B2B Channel Marketing Committee, Co-Chairs:

Kilynn Sommer
Partner Marketing and Channel Programs
T-Mobile 

Sharon LaDay
Senior Director of Go-to-Market Strategy & Operations
ServiceNow

12:50 - 1:00 pm: TOP TAKEAWAYS AND CLOSING REMARKS
As we wrap up the meeting, we'll recap the key insights and actionable takeaways from the day's discussions. From strengthening partner relationships to designing more effective channel programs, you'll leave with practical ideas you can apply to your own organization.

Register today to secure your spot!