A Sales Boat Trip Off the Jersey Shore

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Last week, VienerX Chief Revenue Officer Shane Gossert joined technology partners from across the Mid-Atlantic for a fishing trip off the coast of Atlantic City, New Jersey. Hosted by Telarus and sponsored by NHC and Expedient, the event was designed to strengthen relationships, exchange market knowledge, and identify new sales partnerships.

For Gossert, a technology industry veteran with more than 20 years of experience, the smaller setting created opportunities that are often difficult to find at a traditional conference.

“Being on a boat with your peers for four or five hours naturally leads to deeper conversations,” Gossert said. “It was a chance to meet new people, reconnect with longtime colleagues, and revive partnerships that may have gone dormant.”

The trip also reinforced the value of in-person interaction in an industry increasingly built around Teams and Zoom meetings.

“There is still something important about being face-to-face,” Gossert said. “You can discuss the same subjects on a screen, but it is not the same as sitting with someone, reading the room, and shaking their hand.”

Gossert sees smaller gatherings and major industry conferences as serving different purposes. Large conferences are valuable for evaluating products, exploring new technologies, and expanding the partner network. Smaller events allow participants to spend more meaningful time together.

“For business development, I prefer the smaller events,” he said. “They are less structured, which makes it easier to speak with everyone. These events are really about mind share, trust, and relationship building.”

The Atlantic City trip was more than a break from the office. It was a reminder that technology partnerships are still built through personal connection, candid conversation, and time spent together.