GTIA On Location at ASCII Edge Chicago 2026

By GTIA

Oct 16, 2026

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GTIA On Location microphones

GTIA On Location headed to Chicago for ASCII Edge, the first ASCII event since GTIA acquired The ASCII Group. Members, longtime partners and the family of ASCII founder Alan Weinberger came together to honor his legacy, celebrate a new chapter and talk about what two communities can build together. One message came through in every conversation: Community changes businesses, careers and lives, and that community just got bigger.

Watch the full playlist here.

Below is a roundup of key moments and featured videos worth your time.

What Were IT Service Providers Talking About?

  • How Alan Weinberger's advocacy shaped the channel, often convincing vendors to reverse policies that would have hurt MSPs before those changes ever took effect
  • Why ASCII became a launching pad for careers across the industry, from its own staff to vendor leaders to MSP founders
  • How peer advice gave one MSP owner the confidence to raise prices and keep every client
  • Why peer communities give owners and operations leaders a place to share the pressures that come with running a business
  • How members are leaning on each other to keep pace with AI and to bring a voice of reason to clients navigating the hype
  • The guiding principle behind the acquisition: Do no harm, preserve the legacy and add to what's already working
  • What's new for ASCII members: Every ASCII member is now a GTIA member, and ASCII dues dropped by $350
  • How a unified, vendor-neutral, nonprofit community gives MSPs unbiased education, research and resources to move at the pace the industry now demands

Featured Videos to Watch

From ASCII to GTIA: Preserving Alan Weinberger's Vision for the Channel
Ben Weinberger, former COO of The ASCII Group, and Lauren Weinberger, former co-owner of The ASCII Group, join GTIA's Scott Campbell to reflect on the life and legacy of ASCII founder Alan Weinberger, who was inducted posthumously into the IT Industry Hall of Fame during the event. They share how Alan's background as an attorney and his drive as a top college tennis player made him a relentless advocate for independent IT businesses. Campbell, who covered Alan as a CRN reporter, recalls the calls urging stories about vendor policies that threatened MSPs. The family also reflects on what made Alan proudest, including the employees and MSP founders who built their careers on the platform he created.
 

 

Community Can Change Your Life and Business
Juan Soto of IT Impact and Matt Adkins of SunPoint IT Solutions join Campbell to talk about the power of community, peer support and education. Adkins shares how a 2009 ASCII event in Chicago, attended with roughly $250 left in his company's account, gave him the knowledge and connections to turn his business around, grow it and eventually sell it. Soto explains how events and fellow members helped him think like a business consultant and keep pace with AI. Both share what excites them as ASCII and GTIA come together, from AI training for every employee to new local connections in Chicago.

 

 

One Vision, One Team: The Future of the MSP Community
MJ Shoer, chief community officer at GTIA, and Jerry Koutavas, VP of ASCII community at GTIA, join Campbell for a candid conversation about a partnership more than 30 years in the making. Shoer, whose path to the CompTIA board began with a call from Koutavas when he was an ASCII member, explains why the acquisition centers on doing no harm and adding value for more members. They cover what stays the same for ASCII, what's new, including reduced dues and full GTIA membership for every ASCII member, and how one global, vendor-neutral community can help MSPs stay relevant in the age of AI.

 

 

Watch the Full Playlist

These videos are just a sampling of the conversations GTIA captured in Chicago. The full playlist includes additional interviews and moments from across ASCII Edge Chicago 2026.

Explore the complete GTIA On Location at ASCII Edge Chicago 2026 playlist.

Keep the Conversation Going

GTIA On Location continues to bring the channel's most important conversations directly to the community, wherever the industry gathers next. Subscribe to the GTIA YouTube channel and follow along to stay connected with the voices shaping what's ahead.
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