House of PlanetOne: A Fun Networking Opportunity

By Larry Lannon

PlanetOne, a master agent based in Phoenix, is on a big roll this year, following its landmark deal with American Express. PlanetOne is the exclusive master agent for American Express telecom services, a deal announced in January.

But it’s not all business all the time. When it comes to Chicago later this month for the Channel Partners Conference & Expo, Aug. 24-26, PlanetOne will embrace its soulful side on opening night when it hosts House of PlanetOne, 5:00-6:30 p.m.

The South Side of Chicago, where McCormick Place is located, is an incubus for great music, particularly jazz, soul and most of all blues. For instance, Chess Records, a blues and roots monster, was located just a few blocks from McCormick Place for decades, which drew great stars like John Lee Hooker, Willie Dixon, Muddy Waters and Koko Taylor to the neighborhood – and kept many of them there for the rest of their lives. They’re all gone now, sadly, but the blues lives on, stronger than ever in the Windy City.

PlanetOne President and Founder Ted Schuman, who is noted for his energetic, straight-from-the-shoulder leadership style, and PlanetOne are going to create House of PlanetOne around a blues theme. They couldn’t have found a better context to roll out the blues. As Mississippi’s Robert Johnson sang years ago, “C’mon, baby, don’t you wanna go/c’mon, baby, don’t you wanna go/Back to that same old place/sweet home Chicago."  Johnson whispered the refrain in the original; in her classic cover, Taylor belted it out in an explosive hammer of sound: That’s the blues. They are what the artist – and the audience –  make of them.

The blues is powerful. Strong men weep, sorrowful women dance. The blues is an original American art form. And PlanetOne is a one-of-a-kind company. It will be a soulful time on the South Side on Wednesday evening, Aug. 25. Join PlanetOne in its temporary sweet home Chicago, at the House of PlanetOne.

Larry Lannon is group publisher of VIRGO ’s Communications Network, which includes Billing & OSS World , Channel Partners and vision2mobile .