The house lights are on, the glitter has been swept from the dance floor and everybody has (hopefully) made it home from the big party. Judging from the attendees reactions across the internet, Sage Summit 2011 was nothing short of a success.
From users to partners, everybody in the Sage universe converged on the convention center floor for the most eventful Sage Summit in recent memory. Relocated from the Gaylord Hotel/Convention Center in Nashville, TN, where Summit was held in 2010, the Washington D.C. location was a welcome host, despite the heat-wave gripping the city.
The biggest, and most controversial, news of Summit was dropped at the Summit 2011 Partner Keynote where Pascal Houillon, the new CEO for Sage North America, announced the Sage branding changes. Many considered it a bold move but one that is logical and beneficial to Sage partners in the long run. Full details from Sage are still forth coming but you can count on Ignite to keep you informed as the details roll in. For now, please take a look at this excellent interview with Sage’s VP of Channel Management, Tom Miller, on his extensive career history with re-branding efforts.
The same day as the Keynote our very own Azamba Consulting Group was announced as the Sage Spirit award winner for the second consecutive year. The Sage Spirit Award is honored to partners that embody Sage’s guiding principles of agility, innovation, simplicity, trust and integrity. Everybody at Azamba is truly honored to have received this recognition and look forward to a bright future.
During the partner portion of the conference, all attendees were treated to a great party featuring bands made up of Sage employees and partners. The members were put together through the Sage channel and were quite impressive for being impromptu creations.
The first Annual Sage Summit Tweet-up on July 13th was quite a success. Our very own David Gelula (@azambadavid) and Peter Wolf (@azambainc) participated in the virtual discussion along with dozens of other partners showing their love for our social media-centric world. Learn more about the SageCRM for Twitter Component here.
After another successful day on the showroom floor, Sage employees, partners and customers alike were treated to a fantastic gathering at the National Air and Space Museum. It was an event of fantastic food and drinks, networking and a chance to share a laugh with the people we work with but rarely have a chance to see in-person.
Once Sage Summit came to a close it was easy to say Sage put on their best event thus far. I can vouch for Azamba, and I’m sure others will agree, we are already looking forward to Summit 2012 and its triumphant return to Nashville, TN.
What are your memorable moments from Sage Summit 2011? Leave a comment and let us know about your success stories from the convention.