Meet the Expert: Kate Blewett

25th November 2025 3 minute read

In this month’s edition of Meet the Expert, we sit down with our Marketing Events Coordinator, Kate Blewett, to explore the art of planning and delivering exceptional events. From the initial concept to flawless execution, Kate shares valuable insights into what it takes to create seamless, impactful experiences. She discusses her strategic approach, the challenges she navigates, and the passion that drives her to bring our brand to life through memorable events.

As we approach the end of the year and partners begin planning for 2026, it’s the perfect time to hear from Kate on all things events and strategy. Her expertise offers a behind-the-scenes look at how thoughtful planning and attention to detail translate into successful outcomes.

At Dicker Data, we have an exciting lineup of events for 2026 designed to support our reseller community - from technical enablement sessions and hands-on workshops to networking opportunities, webinars, and our flagship biennial TechX event. Each event will align with key industry trends such as AI and Cybersecurity, ensuring relevance for partners across the spectrum from enterprise to SMB.

Q: What are the key things partners should be taking into consideration when planning events in 2026?

A: Key considerations when looking at hosting event in 2026 are:

Dates and Timing: Avoid scheduling your event to coincide with school holidays, public holidays, or major industry events that may conflict with your audience’s availability. Be mindful of personal responsibilities such as school drop-offs or pickups, if hosting a morning event, allow ample time for guests to arrive comfortably. For afternoon or evening events, ensure the timing doesn’t overly intrude on personal time.

Audience Convenience: Consider the daily routines of your target attendees. A thoughtful schedule that respects their time increases the likelihood of attendance and engagement.

Event Frequency: Be strategic about how many events you host throughout the year. Overloading your audience with too many events can lead to fatigue and reduced participation. Focus on delivering high-value content - prioritise sessions that offer essential training, timely information, or align with current industry interests.

Collaboration Opportunities: Explore ways to consolidate events or partner with other brands to enhance value and reduce redundancy. Joint events can broaden reach, enrich content, and create more compelling experiences for attendees.

Location: You want your event to be easily accessible, so think about the where you will be hosting the event. Is it walking distance from offices and transport hubs or is there plenty of parking nearby. You want to create as little obstacles as possible for your audience to attend.

Q: How is Dicker Data evolving its event strategy to better engage partners and attendees in a hybrid or digital first world?

A: We’re conscious of people’s time and recognise that many are time poor, so in 2025 we started to look at how we can maximise value for vendors and partners with our events. We’ve started to take the approach of solution focused events that have multiple brands in attendance, doing one per quarter; focusing on topics we believe to align with the goals and priorities of our reseller partners and vendors, ensuring relevance and impact.

To further enhance the experience, we regularly invite industry analysts and third-party experts to share their insights. Their contributions add depth and perspective, helping us deliver events that equip partners with actionable information to make smarter decisions for their customers and drive business success.

Q: What trends or technologies are shaping the way we plan and execute events?

A: One of the trends that we have be implementing in our events are silent presentations. Using headphones that can change to multiple channels and connect with different speakers, has enabled us to maximise event spaces and time by hosting concurrent presentations that don’t interfere with one another. This has become incredibly beneficial to our events as it has eliminated the obstacle of restricted event space, as we no longer require venues with multiple rooms to host breakout sessions as we can host sessions at the same time, in the same space.

Q: What exciting events does Dicker Data have coming up in 2026?

A: TechX 2026 is coming, and it’s going to be our biggest yet! This highly anticipated biennial showcase is moving to an exciting new location and promises an elevated, premium experience for every attendee. Think bigger scale, cutting-edge content, and unforgettable networking opportunities all designed to inspire and empower.

TechX 2026 will align with the most critical industry trends shaping the future. Expert immersive sessions, hands on demos and thought leadership. This is more than an event, it’s where ideas ignite and partnerships thrive. TechX 2026 is where vision meets action, join us and be part of the movement shaping tomorrow’s tech landscape.

Reach out to your local Dicker Data representative, or email sales@dickerdata.co.nz