Blog
Connect 2019: Event round-up
Our Datel hosted bi-annual event Connect 2019 took place on 20th June – and what a fantastic day it was! Connect 2019 is the biggest conference, exhibition and networking dinner organised by a Sage Business Partner in the UK, and the presence of senior Sage and Datel executives on the day was valued and appreciated by all who attended. The aim of the day, was to give delegates the actions they need to achieve their business ambitions. And with 78% of delegates saying that the event helped them focus on the next steps to action their business ambitions, we’re considering the day to be a huge success!
We brought together Datel customers of Sage 200, Sage 1000 and Sage X3, and also welcomed senior leaders from companies who are currently evaluating Datel & Sage solutions for their business. The networking between all delegates was amazing as there’s no better way for senior leaders to gain inspiration than to talk to one another and learn what other businesses are doing.
The day was strategically planned to give delegates the ability to tailor their day to make it most useful to their business requirements. Delegates were able to visit four key exhibition areas where they could speak to experts and product specialists in the areas they needed advice, in-between attending three 45minute seminar sessions of their choosing where they were able to learn about topics and products that mattered most to their business.
The day ended with exciting panel session of experts discussing hot topics in the industry, before the networking dinner in the evening – where the admirably driven Cathy O’Dowd gave an incredibly inspiring speech on her mission to climb Mount Everest – and left everyone feeling empowered.
Highlights from the conference, exhibition and networking dinner will be coming soon, so keep an eye out on this page for further details.
Achievement Exhibition
The Achievement Exhibition was split across four areas:
Datel Connect Lounge: At the Datel Connect Lounge, delegates were able to meet with managers, team leaders and consultants from Datel’s Customer Support Services and Customer Delivery Services teams. Datel’s Support team offers both traditional Sage support and a number of beneficial services to provide customers with even more assistance and optimisation their Sage system to supplement inhouse teams. The Delivery team shared their expertise on project implementation, development and integration with delegates at Connect.
Fusion Connect Hub: Delegates were able to meet key developers and authors of our Fusion products at the Fusion Connect Hub. They were also able to interact with the latest innovations from Datel’s R&D team and take part in silent demos and view the Fusion products that enhance core Sage solutions. R&D Director - Tim Purcell, was there talking to delegates about how his team invests time into understanding emerging technologies and how they apply to business technology and the software needs of Datel customers. The full range of Fusion Products were demo’d and discussed with delegates. To learn more about Fusion products, click here.
Sage Connect Hub: Sage experts were on hand demoing Sage X3, Sage 200cloud, Sage 1000 and Sage People to delegates new to Sage or looking to upgrade their system. The Sage X3 pod showed delegates how Sage X3 delivers fast, simpler, and more flexible management at a fraction of the cost and complexity of typical ERP systems for enterprise-level businesses. The Sage 200cloud experts explained to delegates about the complete manegment solution for small to medium-sized businesses that delivers clear cost enefits and greater control that simplifies time-consuming processes and improves visibility across all departments.
Partner Connect Zone: Delegates were able to meet the top application solution authors we partner with at Datel, demoing solutions that extend and enhance Sage X3, Sage 200cloud and Sage 1000. Exhibiting partners included:
- Datel Advansys – private cloud hosting specialists
- Sage Inventory Advisor – better inventory decisions and optimisation
- Wax Digital – An award winning integrated eProcurement solution
- Prophix – software to simplify and automate financial processes
- Draycir – document management and credit management solutions
- Sicon – Innovative business systems software
- Certify – Expense management and reporting solution
- Skynamo – Field sales management software and mobile sales apps
- ZAP BI – data warehouse automation software
- Panintelligence – a dashboard and reporting solution
Keynote
Our Executive Chairman at Datel, Alan Simpson, kicked off this year’s Keynote Presentations, offering insight into what delegates could expect from the jam-packed day ahead. Alan was delighted to share experiences from some of our ambitious customers, before welcoming Sage’s Executive Vice President and Managing Director of the UK and Ireland, Sabby Gill, to the keynote stage.
With a career dedicated to supporting businesses with technology that unlocks potential, coupled with over 30 years’ experience in the technology sector, Sabby was the perfect candidate to give an informative update on Sage’s current and future plans. Sabby also went on to discuss the Sage commitment to customers for life, Sage 200cloud, Sage 1000 and Sage X3.
We then heard from Sage’s Executive Vice President of Partners, Accountants and Alliances, Jennifer Warawa, who not only made it into the Accounting Today Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting consecutively for the last eight years, but she has also been named one of the Top Twenty-Five Most Powerful Women in Accounting for the last five years running. After sharing compelling data with our delegates on the skills and technology the business of tomorrow will need to incorporate in order to be successful for the long term, Jennifer discussed how you can build a strategy to incorporate those skills and technology, as well as how driving digital efficiency can give you a competitive advantage.
Action Sessions
With plenty of networking coffee breaks in-between, delegates were invited to attend up to three action sessions throughout the day, specifically tailored to meet their business requirements. With an impressive eighteen action sessions to choose from, our long-term and new customers alike were able to delve inside the world of Sage, gaining a greater understanding of the business solutions needed to help action their business ambitions. From the latest versions of Sage 200cloud and X3 to the advantages of partner products including Skynamo, Prophix, and ZAP BI, the Connect 2019 action sessions proved to be a huge success with delegates seeking advice on how to action their specific business goals.
Panel Sessions
Following on from the information and inspiration-packed action sessions, delegates were given the opportunity to attend one of two Panel Sessions; ‘Business transformation in a digital world’, and ‘The future of ERP technology’. Hosted by David Harrison, Managing Director of KPMG, the former panel session focused primarily on the benefits and challenges that come with embracing business change, international growth, and current, political and economic events. Panelist and Datel customer, Barry Leahey, was able to share personal insight into embracing business change and international growth, drawing on his experiences as Managing Director of Playdale Playgrounds.
Networking Dinner
The evening of what can only be described as goal inspiring saw delegates attend a Networking Dinner, complete with sociable pre-dinner drinks and an incredible speech from Cathy O’Dowd. As the first woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest from both north and south sides, Cathy amazed guests with her eye-widening story that drew upon her experiences of teamwork, risk assessment, self-motivation and tackling overwhelming challenges. As a natural storyteller with an incredible tale and an expert in overcoming obstacles and facing adversity in an environment which cannot be controlled, Cathy was the perfect speaker to round off the day that revolved around chasing business dreams and making them happen.
