Why A/NZ Goes the Distance for SAPPHIRE NOW

I’ve been with SAP for a strong several years now, and from my first experience, SAPPHIRE NOW hooked me. There’s something deeply authentic about hearing it straight from the top, from customers, our Executive Board and of course from Hasso.

Evidently, this draw is infections – year after year, the Australia and New Zealand contingent of customers and partners grows. In 2016, we’re privileged to host more than 120, braving the in-flight hours to far-off Orlando to take in the headlines, absorb the hottest technology showcases and simply soak up the atmosphere of innovation.

But we’re not just here for the duty-free knowledge acquisition. Our customers have some serious best practice they’ll be sharing with the thousands of SAPPHIRE NOW participants – innovated in A/NZ for A/NZ and beyond. It’s very encouraging to see our region so well represented and it's a testament to the work our people are doing locally. SAPPHIRE NOW is SAP’s annual global business technology event, and it brings together our worldwide community of customers and partners to highlight new ways to drive transformation in the digital world. I’m looking forward to seeing the impact this delegation has at the event, and likewise the learnings we bring back. 

If you’re unable to join us in person in Orlando, SAP is live-streaming all the big keynotes from the event so that you don’t miss a beat. For more information, check out the SAPPHIRE NOW events page: https://events.sap.com/sapandasug/en/keynotes. Also, be sure to check out the press room each day too for the latest SAP announcements: https://news.sap.com/

One session I’ve got locked in is the SAPPHIRE NOW keynote from our CEO, Bill McDermott, who's leading a candid discussion about the state of the world, its challenges and opportunities. He’ll welcome special guests to discuss how SAP software is powering modern businesses. Elsewhere our President of Global Customer Operations Rob Enslin will outline learnings from one of our biggest customers around their digitalisation journey.

 These are just two sessions from a packed agenda – and I know there’s a host of planned announcements detailing new SAP innovations helping our customers run simple. The content is exciting, but the real value comes from discussing and debating onsite and back home what it all means for our customers. That’s what brings me back.