Cisco sought to extend their deep organizational value to customers. They wanted to be aligned as a strategic partner not just a vendor. They were looking to be involved with their partners in a full-cycle relationship.

Strategy & Execution

Cisco recognized that their customers were no longer operating solely in the IT realm and had now become much greater partners to business, that these partners needed to better understand how IT could lead growth and how these value propositions needed to be quantified for the financial wing of the organization.

Cisco decided to develop blue-sky environments for these new business-technology leaders complete with closed door sessions, open dialogue and minimal sales pitches. Together, we filled the spaces with elite peer-sets, global experts and trendsetters with whom the participants could calibrate, strategize and glean best practices from the deep experience of the attending executives from across a array of industries.

Outcome

Cisco has established their place as one of the critical thoughtleaders in the emerging technologies realm for their executive audience and beyond. Participants consistently cite their experience at the Cisco executive gatherings as the best in the industry due to the extraordinary level of peers Cisco is able to attract; the international policy makers and trendsetters on-hand to provide global, expert perspective; and also the authentic on-site partnership demonstrated by the CEO's engagement throughout. Cisco has succeeded in creating executive programming that provides new ideas, new solutions and new strategies for thriving in today's world of IT-driven growth.