Summit Brief — April Newsletter

Live Webinar

MDF Unlocked: Ambassador Panel Discussion 

MDF is one of the most debated topics in partner marketing, and one of the hardest to get right.

Too often, funds go unspent, are used on low-impact activity, or fail to connect to the buyer journeys that actually drive pipeline. At the same time, partner marketing leaders are under pressure to prove ROI, align with modern buying behaviour, and do more with less.

That gap between MDF potential and MDF performance has never been more visible.

To explore this, we’re bringing together three of our Ambassadors for a live, peer-led panel discussion focused on what’s actually working in real-world partner ecosystems.

No vendor pitches. No slide decks. Just a practical conversation.

Event details

Date: 23 April 2026
Time: 16:00 BST / 11:00 ET / 08:00 PT

👉 Register for the webinar

What people have been talking about 

The conversations in the community continue to grow in both volume and quality. A few themes have come up repeatedly this month and are well worth exploring.

Partner-led ABM

Designing ABM campaigns that partners actually activate remains a key challenge. The discussion has focused on moving beyond static assets and building campaigns that partners can realistically execute.

Managing partner marketing across regions

Many teams are balancing global strategy with local execution across EMEA, APAC, and beyond. The conversation has centred on prioritisation, localisation, and how to scale effectively with lean teams.

Building the case for partner marketing investment

Proving the value of partner marketing is still a challenge. Members are sharing how they position impact internally, what metrics resonate with leadership, and how to get ahead of budget conversations.

Team structure and career development

As partner programmes mature, so does the need for structure. Conversations are exploring how to build teams, when to hire specialists versus generalists, and what career progression looks like in partner marketing.

What the best channel marketing services deliver 

Many channel marketing services promise more activity. But in complex partner ecosystems, activity alone is not enough.

The best organisations are looking for clarity, alignment, and measurable outcomes.

Strong channel marketing services provide visibility into partner performance, help teams prioritise the partners most likely to drive growth, and ensure campaigns are executed end-to-end.

Most importantly, they focus on measurable impact — influencing pipeline, improving conversion, and turning partner marketing into a consistent growth engine.

👉 Explore how smarter channel marketing works

Looking ahead   

We have more conversations, content, and events planned over the coming months, including additional Ambassador-led sessions and deeper dives into partner marketing performance.

If you are not yet part of the community, now is a great time to get involved.

Not a member yet?  

The Partner Marketing Leaders community is free to join and built to keep the quality of conversation high. If you work in partner marketing and you are not already in the room, we would love to have you.

Join us here: partner-marketing-leaders.circle.so

Find out more about Sherpa at thesherpagroup.com