Jul 12
Just a reminder that to board the bus to the Night at The Museum event tonight (July 13, 2011) you’ll need to have passes which you can pick up from 11:30 am to 8:00 pm right outside the exhibition hall.
Bus boarding starts at 6:55pm and those attending will be called in order by their company name.
This morning I chose to participate in a unique experience.
I got up before 6:00 am – voluntarily. (Please understand that I’m usually don’t open my eyes before 8:00 and typically if I’m getting up at that ungodly hour, it’s because my 5 year old is tapping me on the shoulder asking if he can get up and play.)
So, why did I venture into this brave new, unknown world?
I had the opportunity to go for an early morning walk with industry legend Wayne Schulz. Most folks in the Sage family know Wayne – he’s been out there blogging, tweeting, social networking, you name it for years. He continues to push his own boundaries and set the bar higher for himself and for the rest of the Sage channel. He offers a unique perspective on our industry sprinkled in with a heavy helping of technology and tools.
Joined by our fellow co-blogger and all-around awesome gentleman, Robert Wood from DDF Consulting Group, and SageCRM project manager specialist, Dan Cousins from DCAA, we had a decent walk and discussed topics including reseller best practices, Sage policy changes, cloud computing, integrated Sage CRM (my personal favorite topic) among many other things that impact us as partners in the Sage channel.
A big part of the conference is getting a chance to talk about what’s working, what’s not, what others are doing, etc. Sure – we can do it over the phone or in our LinkedIn groups but sometimes (oftentimes?) face-to-face is the best way to collaborate.
Plus, as an added bonus, you get to burn off some calories from all the calorie-rich foods available at the conference.
If anyone would care to join us, we will be outside the Gaylord tomorrow at 6:00 am. It might be worth your time. I certainly feel it was.
PS. Wear light clothing. It was ugly humid out there – even at 6:00 am.
Have you made your own Sage Summit 2011 video? While attending the conference simply find one of the video kiosks (I spotted on right next to registration and another at the entrance to the exhibit hall).
You can create a video which is automatically uploaded to a special Sage Summit 2011 video page on Facebook where you can view it and share the embarrassment with friends and family.
I’ve embedded the link that the Sage Summit Video Kiosk mailed to me (it took about 6 to 8 hours for me to receive though that may have been because I was one of the first). Right now the link doesn’t appear to work but I’m emailing Sage to see if there’s something I’m missing.
Sage Summit Video Sample
Sage have just released their Summit 2011 web application for registration. If first looks are any indication I don’t think Twitter and Facebook will have anything to worry about. The present site seems to be one you must access via a web browser on your computer. Portions of it such as logging in are ridiculous cumbersome on a smartphone. Here’s hopping that an iPhone and Android friendly version is yet to be announced (which we think is the case – and expect at least an iPhone app).
The WEB URL to setup your account on your computer is http://portal.sage11.alliancetech.com/. We are praying think there must be another link for smartphones since the initial experience of trying to setup an account with an iPhone can only be politely be described as painful.
UPDATE: Use http://www.sagesmartsite.com which redirects to http://mobile/sage11.alliancetech.com to access this site in a smartphone friendly format.
The tasks I was able to perform on the web:
a. Look at my agenda / schedule
b. View a survey of how I enjoyed Summit
c. View a complete list of trade show companies , description of services, booth numbers
d. Read through conference news (not yet updated)
e. Review sessions (this is all sessions – not just those you’re scheduled for)
f. Search for other attendees and send them messages (provided they’ve turned that feature on when they registered, I can also request a meeting)
g. Links to Summit Twitter and Facebook pages
h: Contact Sage link (text a question)
I remember seeing quite a few great performers at past Sage events. My personal favorite was Eddie Money who appeared on stage at the Orlando conference (then known as Insights). Then there was the year when the lead singers of Loverboy, Toto, and Survivor collaborated on stage to sing their hits from the 1980s. They won’t be appearing this year – but there’s something more intriguing.
This year Sage brings entertainment provided by the channel. Partners and Sage employees will put on their best singing voices, spandex pants and hit the stage on Monday July 11. The event is the Fire and Ice party being held in Expo Hall E. This year instead of a paid band you can rock out to the sounds of Sage partners and employees.
Text “summit” (without the quotes) to 72008 to receive updates through the Sage Summit 2011 conference sent directly via SMS to your cell phone. If you prefer you can sign up online at the link below.
Want to know where your favorite vendor will be stationed during Sage Summit 2011? Check out this interactive exhibitor floor map. Save yourself hours of aimless wandering the exhibit hall by locating the exhibitors you want to see. For even more fun be sure to mark the exhibitors with the best giveaways and share the map with your friends!
Expect Sage to release a mobile application for those attending Sage Summit 2011. I’ve yet to see the working version however they just sent over a quick summary of expected features. Most notable is the ability to immediately submit conference and session reviews online.
We’l have a full review once we’re able to try it out. More info after the break.
To qualify for Sage’s discounted group rate of $895 per person, three or more people must register from the same company. Group registration will be audited. If your company does not have at least three associates registered, those registrants will be notified, the police will be called, witness statements taken and your company will bve charged the applicable fee at the time of their original registration. Contact customer service at 866-229-3691 or 301-694-5243 to receive a special promotional code to claim the rate before you register. Group Registration
Ready to have some fun? Sage Summit hosts hours of content – and the evenings aren’t boring either.
Join us as we take over the Smithsonian National Air and Space museum for an exclusive night of fun and excitement. It’s a great place to take a break from the fast pace learning and connect with peers in a relaxed environment.
The National Air and Space Museum on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. has thousands of artifacts on display, including the Wright 1903 Flyer; the Spirit of St. Louis; the Apollo 11 command module Columbia; and a Lunar rock sample that visitors can touch.
|
Theme: Linen by The Theme Foundry
Robert Wood
Wayne Schulz
Peter Wolf
