When you stop and think of how many conferences you’ve been to, you probably have a wide variety of stories—some funny, some not so funny. Maybe a freezing-cold meeting hall in December? The crazy trip home? Or what you found in the pile of work you returned to after the conference?

I know how you feel. Really I do. But you should know we have assembled an unbelievable IBM PartnerWorld Leadership Conference this year. I am actually surprised at what we have managed to pull together, while still opening up more time for you to network. And this year, we have made it a point to make sure you also have some fun. We’re talking authentic, Vegas-style fun—with a party Wednesday night that you’ll be talking about for months afterward, featuring platinum-selling, Grammy-winning rockers Train. I know I already mentioned it, but I am so excited about the party that I want to make sure you don’t miss it.

And more importantly, since you’ll still be with us in the morning, you’ll find that we’ve also gone out of our way to make Thursday, February 28, the final day of the conference, absolutely essential. I’m not supposed to tell you yet, but I know it will help you plan your trip. And we want to be sure you are registered before we sell out again. Thursday is designed for our Business Partners who share the IBM passion for market eminence—being the best you can be in every market in which you play—which is a mark of true leadership.

Catch the Thursday morning guest speakers, workshops and surprises

On Thursday morning, a member of President Obama’s cabinet will be joining us for an intriguing discussion about the engines of a Smarter Planet. And if that weren’t enough, we have also invited a noted technology author I can only describe as the “Jackie Collins of Silicon Valley.” Our GM, Mark Hennessy, will wrap up the event by sharing the plan for next year’s conference. And before you leave, you should take advantage of sessions that will make even the most cynical boss approve your stay for the full conference—even if it means one more day without you. The sessions are:

• Industry Trends: Featuring Gartner Analyst Tiffani Bova.
• Corporate Social Responsibility: Featuring IBM’s Vice President of Corporate Citizenship and Community Affairs, Stan Litow.
• Social Enterprise—Boot Camp and Beyond: In this session, you’ll learn how to leverage social media to build your reputation and generate revenue.
• Transformation Initiative Workshop: In this session, you’ll learn how to transform from a transactional business model to one with higher value to expand your footprint and improve profitability.

Set up meetings on the go with our new Meeting Request portal

If you haven’t already, you should be receiving an email with your personal key to access the new mobile web portal. Use this portal throughout the conference to link with both IBMers and your peers, and even select your sessions. Be sure you begin using this mobile web portal as soon as you’ve got the link to quickly request and nail down critical face time with the people you need to meet.

As you can see, staying with us for the duration of the conference from February 25 through 28 may well be the key to unlocking the full potential of your organization, while having the most fun you’ve had at a conference ever. So visit the 2013 PartnerWorld Leadership Conference website now to view the full agenda, including the Women of the Channel and ISV/MSP forums, and register today. In the coming weeks, you’ll be hearing more details about the range of topics and presenters we have in store for you.

So mark your calendars, don’t plan to leave the conference until after 1 p.m. on Thursday and I’ll see you there!

Jamie Mendez (@jamendez11)