Sage News and Discussion

Sage is starting to discuss their Summit 2014 plans. Based on their slides presented to channel partners during various briefings the conference will be a combined customer and partner event. Also the Sage City networking event is described as ""tired and over-worked"" which makes me believe it will not return. I'm sure that there's much more to be learned. The slides describe the prior event as ""Training Event"" with the new event ""Transaction Event"". Previously the conference was ""Fee Funded"" and now it will be a ""Sage marketing investment"". My guess is that you're going to see Sage give customers the best deal on attending and Sage will assume that partners will trail along as whatever price Sage charges in order to look after their customers. More https://plus.google.com/+WayneSchulz/posts/YNXQSFLX85r

TL;DR: It's beginning to look as if Sage Summit could be more of a trade show than training event. Sage City event either up for a revamp or elimination.

This would be a shame.

As I looked at Sage's slide deck it read as if they'd hired someone to review and make recommendations on improvements. I have not been to Netsuite, Intacct or Salesforce conferences so I can't say if they've also been shifted to be more marketing/selling oriented. Also when you aren't changing your products that much - why embarrass yourself with a Road Ahead that's absent of much content?

Yeah. that thought crossed my mind, too. Which then further solidifies my belief that the execs here essentially view their customers as dumb marks. Customers who go to the ""trade show marketing event"" will still ask, ""what's next?"" So, it doesn't really solve that problem.

It's simpler. Sage has as a global company promised 6% growth. All strategy revolves around that as the center of their orbit organization wide. I also do not personally believe Sage NA has much leeway in strategic direction. They follow the global game plan set forth by Sage - as it should be.

I am not intimately familiar with the nature of other ERP-related customer conferences. Has Sage's approach been unusual compared to these? Would I be correct to conclude that Sage is disappointed with customer attendance at the Summits so far? What do you think Sage is hoping to get from the new and improved Summit?