By Suzanne Spear, Director of Event Marketing, Sage North America @Suzspear

My departure for Nashville is just 2 short days away, and my time leading up to Sage Summit has been spent with early mornings and late nights answering emails, wrapping up loose ends and problem solving last-minute emergencies that come up.  But in the end, all of this so-called craziness leads to an amazing event, bringing together long-time friends and colleagues, and the opportunity to meet new friends.

Speaking of opportunity, this year’s Sage Summit offers many of these opportunities to connect with your peers in fun and engaging ways.  From social media, to Sage City and the Grand Ole Opry, to lunch seating organized by product and not to mention the connections you make just sitting next to someone in a session.  Sharing best-practices and swapping stories is what makes Sage Summit such a valuable event to attend.

But beyond these opportunities lies more ways to connect than perhaps you had ever thought of. Wayne Schulz, a Sage partner and active blogger, once said the best way to meet people is in the hallways during session breaks at the coffee stand.  He’s right.  Brad Hartz, a Sage customer, said he met several peers just by striking up a conversation in the elevator.  These small interactions can actually lead to bigger things, and create new friendships.

This year, we have over 1,100 first-time attendees.  ELEVEN HUNDRED.  For these first-timers navigating Sage Summit, and the Gaylord Opryland, can be overwhelming.  Making connections when there are thousands in attendance may seem an impossible feat.

If you’re one of these first time attendees, I encourage you to use the tools we’ve put in place to help guide you, and allow you to get the most out of Sage Summit.  When you check-in at registration we will arm you with a conference guide.  Take the time to look through it, and carry it with you.  If you haven’t already done so, download the Mobile App.  And be sure to use the signage we create to help find your way. And most importantly, don’t be shy and ask!  We have several Information Desks located throughout the event staffed by knowledgeable Sage employees happy to help you.

Recommended: Sage Customer?  Don’t forget to RSVP for the Riverboat party before it’s too late!

For our long-time Sage Summit attendees, you are a valuable resource to our first-time attendees.  If you see someone wearing a “First-Timer” badge, take a moment, introduce yourself and offer them your knowledge.  It’s the little things you already know from past experience that these first-timers hunger for, like CPE credits, the best lunch line, and where to sit for the keynote.  Share and you may be surprised at the connection you make!

So as you begin to pack for Sage Summit, remember there are so many opportunities to meet new faces and re-connect with the buddies you’ve known for ages.  I know I’m excited to meet our first-timers, but I also look forward to seeing the friends I’ve met over the past eleven years.  If you see me in hallway, stop me, and introduce yourself.  See you in Nashville!

The post Suzanne Spear Prepares for her Departure to #SageSummit appeared first on Think, The Blytheco Blog.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGe_OmJRpWI&feature=youtu.be

Sage Summit is only 12 days away!  Yay!  If you’ve never been to the Gaylord hotel or the surrounding area, you know how easy it can be to get lost. Luckily, Greg Tirico of Sage North America has developed a video series titled ‘Navigating the Gaylord Opryland’ to ensure that you’re in the know about everything Gaylord. You’ll be able to find those videos on our blog in the upcoming weeks. If you haven’t already, view the trailer above, it’s quite compelling.

Also, don’t forget that you can stay up-to-date and connected with all things Sage Summit here.  A special shout out to EdiSoft for sponsoring the video series!  Hoot hoot!

It really is going to be a good time.  If you haven’t already registered for Summit, do so today!

The post #blyDEA 12: Don’t Get Lost at the Gaylord [Video Trailer] appeared first on Think, The Blytheco Blog.

In the 2012 London Olympics, Twitter is taking center stage. It’s the first Olympics where many of the competition results are hitting the Web through social networks before they’re aired on television.

For twitter, this isn’t all that unusual – many of us get our news or updates from the twittersphere, and many of us also get our rumors from there as well.  (Remember “the fall” of Egypt’s Mubarak anyone?).  While twitter is a fantastic way to share information and to also check up on the latest news, it is also proving to be a spoiler machine for this year’s Summer Olympics.

Coupled with the twitter spoiler alerts, many Olympics officials are attesting that the sheer number of tweets being sent are disrupting news broadcasts, prompting officials to ask visitors to only tweet during an emergency.  Let’s think about that… “to only tweet during an emergency.”  When did people start using twitter over phones and e-mails to contact others for something important? But I digress…

[Free Twitter Twaining Here!]

In stats released exclusively to CNNMoney, Twitter revealed there have been more than 10 million Olympic tweets sent during the games so far. Twitter says the tweet volume is about 100 times what it saw during the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

While Twitter lit up with talk about U.S. Olympic swimmers Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte during their widely anticipated races, the sport with the most mentions is volleyball, according to Twitter. The company doesn’t differentiate between “beach volleyball” or “indoor volleyball” in its measurements.

Two-thirds of team USA’s athletes are on Twitter. Many of them are chattering about the outcome of their events long before U.S. television viewers get a peek at the action.

I guess the moral of the story would be to plan ahead!  In this day and age, twitter and other social media outlets are rampant.  My opinion is that Olympic officials and news stations should have anticipated the use of social media during these historic events. Maybe there’s a twitter shield or barrier out there?  Or a twitter EMP?

What are your thoughts?

To optimize Twitter for your business, visit slideshare.

The post Is Twitter Spoiling and Disrupting the Olympics? appeared first on Think, The Blytheco Blog.

So Sage Summit is this August 12-17 and it’s in the country music capital of the world – Nashville, TN! May 31st is the last day to sign up for the early-bird special so don’t delay.

Here’s a quick preview of what you can expect to learn about SageCRM:

If you can’t wait for Summit this year, check out one of the performances below from Sage Summit 2011 and satisfy your desire!  :-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtOUpsHU5hw

For more info on how to pick the right CRM solution for you, download this free whitepaper.

The post The Top 6 Things you’ll Learn About SageCRM at Sage Summit appeared first on Think, The Blytheco Blog.

So, if you haven’t heard yet, we’re throwing a series of networking events across the country.  So far they’ve been in Tampa, Atlanta, and Irvine, CA.  There’s actually one going on right now!

Just a quick overview of what you’re missing out on if you’ve yet to attend.  SugarCRM and Sage are there, there are loads of guest speakers, and some free grub. Why not come if you’re around?   Today’s #blyDEA forum is in Greenville, SC.  Here’s just a quick itinerary of what you can expect while attending a #blyDEA forum:

Morning session: Sage MAS Intelligence Workshop | 9am – Noon

Hyatt Regency Downtown Greenville

Sage Business Intelligence empowers you to quickly and easily obtain the information required for improved operations and reporting across your entire business. Join us to learn how to run, edit and copy ready-to-use reports as well as create new reports to suit your business requirements. All attendees will receive the “Excel Tips and Tricks Booklet” free.

Agenda
- Sage Business Intelligence update
- Advanced Pivot Tables and Pivot Charts using Sales Analysis Template
- Demo
- Q&A

Afternoon session: Focus on Selling | 1:30pm – 4:30pm 
Hyatt Regency Downtown Greenville

The afternoon will feature experts from leading sales and marketing organizations, showing you how to dial up your sales machine and win more business.

Agenda:
- Social Selling
- Sales Forecasting – Ken Lorenz – Regional Channel Manager for SugarCRM
- BAM! Marketing – The Top Ten Things You Should Be Doing in Marketing
- Spend MORE time selling and LESS time reporting

Evening Session: Networking | 5:00pm – 8:00pm
Rick Erwin’s Nantucket Seafood

Evening hosted by Blytheco. Voluntary donations benefiting Goodwill Industries of Upper South Carolina will be accepted.

Beverages and appetizers will be served.

The cost to attend is just your pay-what-you-can donation to Goodwill Industries of Upper South Carolina.

And that’s one of the best parts!  What you pay helps out the Goodwill organization of SC.  And there’s nothing wrong with helping!  We hope you guys enjoy these forums.  If you’re around, attend a #blyDEA forum and check out a picture of the SC event below:

What’s the big #blyDEA?  Only on Twitter. 

The post The #blyDEA Forum: Greenville, SC Edition appeared first on Think, The Blytheco Blog.

Last year some of you may recall that I was blogging continuously about what was to come at Sage Summit. Well here we are, about 6 months away from this year’s conference and it is time once again for me to start my rant of things to come at this year’s Summit conference.

If you didn’t attend last year, you missed out on a few things:

• Sessions not only about products but about process improvement and leadership. My favorites were with Howard Hansen and Steve Geske – who I’ve heard will be returning this year.
• Networking possibilities – not only is there great time in and out of session to meet someone new, but there was a tweet-up where us online geeks could catch up with each other – word on the street is that this will also be making a comeback.
• Tradeshow Floor – there were a number of great companies on the tradeshow floor. One of my favorites was the guy that said he could create a report faster than you could eat a donut. If I loved donuts, this would have been a great booth to hang out at all day. Not sure if he is coming back, but Blytheco will be there in bigger than usual form this year with an exciting new theme and (hint) some contests running. If you haven’t checked out our current social media contest – there is just a few more days to participate to win. Play now and practice for what our contests may be like at Summit.
• Evening parties and entertainment – If you missed it last year, I’m sorry. It was fantastic. You can see some of the footage on our Youtube channel . This year – customers will get the chance to see the winning band, after a battle of the bands where the winner will open on the Grand Ole Opry stage opening for Trace Adkins, Montgomery gentry and Diamond Rio. Winners will be selected by their peers. I NEED YOUR HELP to vote for my band this year.

Here is how the band thing works. We are just now assembling bands of different members across the globe who attend the conference. Members are made up of partners, vendors and Sage employees. We decide on a set list, get our music together – but we don’t actually meet in person and get to rehearse until we are at Sage Summit. Three bands will perform, one winner will be selected by their peers.

Are you gonna miss this year’s  show?

Don’t be left behind. There is too many good things going on. As I find out more – I will keep you updated.

The post Sage Summit 2012 – I Can’t Wait! appeared first on Think, The Blytheco Blog.

Here at Blytheco, we don’t ease into a New Year in our pajamas and slippers. We gulp some caffeine, get all spiffy, and hit the ground running, ready to stir stuff up for yet another 365 days.

So if you’re still writing “2011” on your checks (um, if you’re still writing CHECKS, period), we’re hosting a couple of events from our Laguna Hills base that you need to know about so you can get your year in gear.

On January 24, Sage and Blytheco are hosting an exclusive Reporting Workshop for our local clients at the Holiday Inn Irvine Spectrum. It’s all about Business Intelligence – getting decision-making data out of your system without crazy customization. And each attendee will receive a free “Excel Tips and Tricks” booklet. This workshop is free – you just have to register here so we save you a spot.

On January 25, we are hosting a special evening of networking, personal development, and community support – and there will be wine. And cheese. What more can you want? Join us at Bacchus Secret Cellar in Irvine to kick off the year by meeting some new friends. The first fifty to arrive will receive a free signed copy of Bill Wiersma’s The Power of Professionalism, and Bill will be around to informally answer questions during the evening. The best part – it’s FREE, except for your donation to our charity partner, the American Cancer Society. Just pay what you can to support this great cause.  Again, just let us know you’re coming so we can estimate space accordingly.

See y’all there!

The post Blytheco’s Starting 2012 with a Bang! appeared first on Think, The Blytheco Blog.

For those of you who are just getting to know me, you probably don’t know of my deep passion for shoes.  As a former ballerina, it was always important to have the right kind of shoe support. Now while #SageSummit probably won’t have many ballet performances (I don’t think Mikhail Baryshnikov will be there), it is still important to make sure you’re feet are not barking by the end of the event. Here are a few suggestions that your feet will no doubt thank you for.

My absolute go-to shoe for standing on convention floors are Born shoes. They are, stylish but are so cushy that your feet don’t feel like you’ve been standing forever. You will see me wear a pair of these at least one day at the show. Here is a link to a new pair that I think would work well.

Born also makes shoes for men which are equally comfortable (did I mention one of my first jobs was selling men’s shoes?). These shoes aren’t like your hard Johnston and Murphy’s (no offense) dressy shoes. But if you are looking for something a little more fancy you can try born’s tailoredcollection.

Other shoes that are comfy for both men and women can be found easily on the web (there is still time if you order soon to get them before #SageSummit), but I have also found that Macy’s tends to have the best selection if you want to try them on in person (sorry Nordstrom, you have my heart, but in this sense you fall a little short).  A great website (and cute name),  Barking Dog Shoes gives you reviews of a lot of comfort driven shoes so that you can get the review and the website where you can purchase them.

Here are some brand names I would suggest based on my research:

Women

• Sergio Tomani – the purple shoe that he has for this season is very cute
• Clarks – There are a few on this website I would suggest
  • The black heel Barbera
  • The grey leather Bandolino which is on sale
  • The Plush Silk which reminds me of a character dance shoe and is also on sale
  • And the Plush Velvet for a stylish flat
• Merrell has a cute slight heel Gabriella
• Sofft has a great shoe in some smart colors, the Renata and I’ve just about fallen in love with St. Germain
• Rockport has some great selections as well, I like the Luciana the best

Men

• Clarks – the Aryton comes in multiple colors and is stylish and comfy
• Merrell – has some simple solutions, but are not too tennis- shoe like, instead make a selection like this World Era
• Rockport is a brand in which you can get a little more dressy than some of my other suggestions but still be comfortable. I prefer Fassler as a selection for something a little more dressy.

A common mistake that people make is to bring only one pair of super comfy shoes to an event like this, especially some men who pride themselves on packing light. Well, the trick I’ve learned over the years is that if you are going to be doing a lot of walking, you’ve got to rotate your shoes. Don’t expect to wear the same shoes in the evening that you have worn all day, and the next day don’t expect to get up and put the same pair of shoes on as you had the day.  Treat your feet with the respect they deserve.  Your walking depends on it.

The post The Sage Summit Guide to Comfy Shoes appeared first on Think, The Blytheco Blog.