Sage Cosponsors and Shares Insights to Drive the Future of the Bookkeeping Profession at the 2013 IPBC Canadian Bookkeeping Conference

MISSISSAUGA, ON--(Marketwired - Sep 17, 2013) - Sage North America announced today its platinum sponsorship of the 2013 IPBC Canadian Bookkeeping Conference taking place in Mississauga, ON, September 18-22.

The Institute of Professional Bookkeepers of Canada (IPBC) was created by bookkeepers to help others in the profession become more successful and gain more recognition within the bookkeeping profession. Through certification, education and advocacy, IPBC provides its members with resources to develop excellence in bookkeeping. The second iteration of IPBC's annual conference will provide participants further opportunity to not only learn and engage in dialogue on current and future issues affecting the industry, but also network with renowned bookkeeping and accounting thought leaders from across Canada and the U.S.

Prior to the start of the conference, Sage will be presenting a two-day "Bookkeeper of the Future" Symposium with accounting thought leaders, Ronald J. Baker of VeraSage Institute and Ed Kless, senior director of partner development and strategy for Sage.

During the conference, Jennifer Warawa, vice president of partner programs and channel sales for Sage, will share insights and best practices of high-performing bookkeeping and consulting firms in sessions that focus on helping attendees achieve their business ambitions.

"There are few conferences that cater to the needs of bookkeepers in Canada, and the IPBC conference provides attendees the opportunity to network with like-minded professionals. Sage understands how critical bookkeepers can be and are to the success and growth of small businesses. As advocates for the community, sponsoring events such as the IPBC conference is critical as they deliver the education and resources that will help Canadian bookkeepers continue to flourish in the future," said Warawa. "Sessions, such as the Fundamentals of High-Performing Firms, will not only provide attendees the opportunity to exchange ideas and tips, but also the information they need to address their business challenges head on and implement strategies that will elevate their business to the next level."

Sage Listens RV Relay

The IPBC Canadian Bookkeeping Conference is also the last stop of the Sage Listens RV Relay tour. After meeting with customers and partners and shopping locally in Ottawa, Montreal and Toronto, the Sage team will be wrapping up the tour by hosting a parking lot party on September 19 at the IPBC Conference from 5-8 p.m.

"It's not every day that a company has the opportunity to meet face-to-face with its customers, not only through scheduled meetings, but also by becoming their customers. From dining at restaurants that use Sage 50 Accounting -- Canadian Edition or sleeping in hotels that uses Sage 300 ERP, by shopping local, we're not only supporting our customers, but we're putting dollars back into the community," said Nancy Harris, senior vice president and general manager of Sage 50 Accounting -- Canadian Edition. "This trip has been tremendous in providing us greater visibility to our customers' and partners' needs and understanding of how we can better partner with them. The insight we are gathering from our meetings will only help us continue to support SMBs in the future so they can achieve their goals and objectives."

The Sage Listens RV Relay is a literal and figurative vehicle for Sage executives to personally visit customers to build stronger relationships, help customers maximize their software investments and encourage a "Shop Local" commitment. A study shows that local retailers return up to 68 percent(1) of their revenue to the local economy in the form of locally purchased wages, goods, services, profits and donations. Sage is encouraging consumers and businesses to support businesses locally based in their communities to generate this higher local revenue return.

To learn more about the Sage Listens RV Relay, visit: www.SageLovesOurCustomers.com, follow Twitter.com/SageListens, and search Twitter for #SageListens and #SageShopLocal.

About The Sage Group plc
Sage Group plc is a leading global provider of business management software to small and medium sized companies, creating greater freedom for them to succeed. Sage understands how and why each business is unique. We provide products and services that suit varying needs, are a pleasure to use and are secure and efficient. Formed in 1981, Sage was floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1989 and entered the FTSE 100 in 1999. Sage has over 6 million customers and more than 13,380 employees in 24 countries covering the UK & Ireland, mainland Europe, North America, South Africa, Australia, Asia and Brazil. For further information please visit: www.sage.com

For more information about Sage in North America, please visit the company website at NA.Sage.com. Follow Sage North America on Facebook, Facebook.com/SageNorthAmerica, and Twitter, Twitter.com/SageNAmerica.

©2013 Sage Software Canada, Inc. All rights reserved. Sage, the Sage logos, and the Sage product and service names mentioned herein are registered trademarks or trademarks of Sage Software, Inc. or its affiliated entities. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

¹ CUPE 2001 - http://www.tenpercentshift.ca/infographic.html