Sage Summit 2015: It’s the final countdown

It’s nearly here! Not only are we five days away from the beginning of Sage Summit 2015, we’re nine days away from the end of July! For those of you who just went “Huh?”, July happens to be the busiest month on our calendar at Practical Software Solutions.

Our two biggest events of the year happen in July: Cultivate and Sage Summit. Separated by about 12 days, these two events take months of planning, long hours of prep work, and tons of travel. But we wouldn’t trade those events for the world. (Well, except that one year that Cultivate and Sage Summit fell on the same week. You can have that one.) Connecting with people, whether they’re prospects, customers, fellow exhibitors or partners, or Sage representatives, is really what we enjoy most about our jobs.

It reminds me of the line from an old television series: “There are eight million stories in the naked city …” When you get out and talk to people, you realize that every person, every company has a story to tell. Yes, someone’s story about how they’re struggling in their business may turn into a sale. But another person’s story about their problems may teach us about an issue in their industry we had never thought about before, something that could be a talking point to find out if it’s a universal problem. And we truly enjoy having our customers connect with each other at Sage Summit. You may think that a concrete contractor and a greenhouse grower have nothing in common, especially since they use two very different Sage products. But when you start talking about seasonal employees and immigration and ACA requirements, they can compare notes and learn from each other.

Sage Summit suggestions

Since we are less than a week away from Sage Summit 2015 in New Orleans, here’s my list of last-minute reminders that I shared with our customers:

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  Here’s what the Sage Summit 2015 app looks like on my iPad.

  Download the Sage Summit 2015 app from either the Apple or Android app store. This is a great tool you can use to access you agenda (so you don’t have to download it into your calendar), follow other sessions that are going on, and get suggestions for activities happening around you as you walk around the convention. For those of you who aren’t fond of social media, the Sage Summit 2015 app provides a Twitter-like stream where you can communicate only with people who are registered for Sage Summit and have downloaded the app. Those of you who already use social media, you can link your social media accounts in the app so you can broadcast your posts within the app if you choose. Several of the Endorsed Socialites from Sage Summit 2013 are participating already (including yours truly), so it’s not just Sage employees preaching to the choir.

• Make sure to visit the My Agenda area in the Sage Summit registration section as soon as possible. Some sessions have limited space (especially the hands-on sessions). We’ve been told by Sage Summit personnel that if you see a waiting list sign-up on a session, it means more than likely they’re looking to expand the session, so make sure you put your name on the waiting list.
• Once you get to Summit, if you change your mind about your session agenda, it’s perfectly fine to drop sessions and/or add more. Also, if you arrive at a session and find out it’s not what you expected, it’s OK to leave it. (Trust me: I did just that two years ago.)
• Make sure to give feedback to Sage about your experience. Sage has a great track record of adapting to what their attendees want from Sage Summit.
• Weather reports for next week show low 90s (32C) with scattered thunderstorms. However, it also will be extremely humid. Please make sure to stay hydrated, even if you’re not planning on being outside and wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothes.
• Convention centers are also known for being cold. If you’re uncomfortable in cold rooms, you may want to bring a light sweater.
• We’ve had a few questions about the dress code: There is no formal dress code for Sage Summit. Most attendees will be wearing business casual or at least a nice pair of jeans and a polo shirt or blouse. However, check with your employer, as your company dress code for conferences may be more restrictive.
• There will be a lot of walking, so bring comfortable shoes. (You will not be out of place if you bring a nice pair of sneakers, even if you’re dressed up more than business casual.)
• If you go sight-seeing, please stay safe. Vince Stamey (our CEO) urges you that if you visit the French Quarter, to stick to the main roads especially at night. We also recommend not going anywhere alone in the city.

See you at Sage Summit!

I’d like to wish everyone heading to Sage Summit safe travels on their way to New Orleans and back home again. I hope everyone finds value in attending, and also remember to have a good time. That’s not to say spend the whole time partying, but remember to stop and smell the roses while you’re in town.