The VAR Guy is spending the next couple of days at VMware Partner Exchange in Orlando, Fla. But he’s also tracking nearly 100 other channel partner summits and conferences in 2011. So, how does The VAR Guy survive all that travel? Pull up a chair and stick around. Here are five secrets to success for today’s channel partner road warriors.

5. Dress casual: Dark blue jacket, colored t-shirt, jeans and dress shoes. Notice the classic jacket neatly folded over the chair during lunch. Can’t afford to get a stain on the classic threads (which are wearing thin…). Total Cost: $148.

4. Geek out: MacBook Pro notebook, iPhone, Sony a33 digital camera, Flip video camera, Verizon MiFi wireless connectivity. Sure, The VAR Guy is willing to switch to a Windows notebook now that Windows 7 has proven its worth. But somebody will need to tell The VAR Guy’s CIO about the surprise purchase. Total Cost: $4000+ (Hey, The VAR Guy is worth it…).

3. Order Elsewhere: Sorry, but The VAR Guy rarely eats conference food… unless it involves an ice cream bar or other quality snackage — or perhaps ConnectWise CEO Arnie Bellini delivering lobster tails to the Kaseya Connect User Conference evening reception… Today’s lunch: A pile of nachos and a Diet Coke from the local conference hotel. Total Cost: $14.95.

2. Stay Connected: The VAR Guy appreciates WiFi services from conference organizers. But the free broadband usually slows to a crawl by the time thousands of people pack into a keynote session. So, The VAR Guy depends on Verizon Wireless MiFi services. Total Cost: $60 per month.

1. Get Juiced: Cell phones, digital cameras, video cameras, WiFi devices, laptops. Heck, The VAR Guy could use his own dedicated power plant — but he’ll settle for a table next to a bunch of outlets. Total Cost: Priceless.

The VAR Guy’s coverage of VMware Partner Exchange continues for the next 48 hours. Find all the compiled coverage here: http://www.thevarguy.com/tag/pex2011. Plus, find additional VMware cloud perspectives on The VAR Guy’s sister site: TalkinCloud

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