Back in May 2017, I had the opportunity to host a VIP seminar in Bangladesh. At the time, the cloud solutions trend was accelerating rapidly across the region, and we knew that if we didn’t ride the wave, we’d risk being left behind. Our local partners were vocal about it too—they encouraged us to do something big to engage CxOs and decision makers. That’s how this seminar was born.

Objectives

The goal was simple but ambitious:

• Show thought leadership in the fast-emerging cloud space.

• Strengthen relationships with existing customers ready for cloud transition.

• Create high-value opportunities for our pipeline.

Approach

We worked hand-in-hand with our account managers to map out the installed base and identify accounts with strong potential for cloud migration. From there, we curated a guest list of about 100 top-level executives—CxOs, department heads, and senior leaders.

To give the seminar the right weight, we invited prominent guest speakers including our CEO and even the country’s Minister of Infocom. This combination of industry insight and government perspective added credibility and buzz.

The investment was significant—about USD 40K—but we treated it as a strategic bet. Everything from the venue to the content was designed to position us as a trusted partner in the cloud journey.

Results

The gamble paid off. Post-event, we generated an impressive USD 1.2 million worth of opportunities, delivering an ROI of nearly 30x. Beyond the numbers, the seminar created strong momentum and positioned us as a go-to name in cloud conversations within Bangladesh.

Conclusions

Looking back, this seminar was more than just a one-day event—it was a turning point. It showed me the power of listening to local partners, acting decisively on market trends, and not being afraid to invest when the timing is right. The buzz, the conversations, and the pipeline generated made the whole experience worthwhile.