Technology U: More Companies Are Employing Users Groups to Help Their Clients
About 125 customers of Computer Generated Solution’s Blue Cherry software are heading to Las Vegas later this month to meet with company executives to give them a piece of their minds. Of course, that’s exactly what Blue Cherry’s main brass are hoping for in staging its fifth-annual International Users Group conference.
Users conferences have become important vehicles to help technology companies gain a better understanding of their customers’ needs as well as their own. Over the past few years, software companies have staged more of these events and they appear to be gaining popularity, said company representatives.
Gerber Technology received more than 200 of its clients during its users’ conference last month in Texas and SAP saw even more at its Orlando Sapphire conference in May.
The events are often staged in resort cities and have the appearance of more laid-back corporate retreats, but are more intensive and education-oriented. They do have a lighter side too. SAP usually brings in one of its celebrity endorsers like PGA golfer Ernie Els to spice up the event. The clients themselves usually pay their own airfare and hotel bills as well as attendance fees.
CGS will host its users group Oct. 15–18 at the Venetian Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.
“We share some of our knowledge of what’s happening in the industry with them and we also get feedback from them. In some cases, they share with each other,” said Paul Magel, CGS’s senior vice president of applications solutions group.
In some respects, attendees get an insider’s view of the company, getting a blueprint on company plans for the year-ahead as well as news on research and development projects and others.
CGS will also bring in representatives from business partners like Microsoft Corp. and Dell Computers as well as provide expertise from its own staff. There will be six tracks of subject matter as well as a “choose your own subject” session in which users can discuss concerns with other CGS clients as well as staff.
CGS’s events have been growing at about 25 percent each year, said Magel. “Our customers are getting more involved.”
Meeting in a neutral and relaxed setting like The Venetian in Las Vegas also helps. CGS officials will also meet with their customer advisory council, a small group of customers that act as an extension of its development team.
“The User Group provides real client value with real customer success stories and insight to the marketplace trends and challenges,” added Heidi Morrison, business development manager for Microsoft.
Gerber’s 8th-annual Software User Conference took place Sept. 21–22 at the Four Seasons resort in Irving, Texas, not far from the Dallas Cowboys’ home stadium. This year’s event drew more than 200 customers who participated in more than 30 seminars and listened to case studies from Adidas, Kellwood, Mervyns and Pacific Sunwear among others.
The conference featured new product and solution offerings and provided a wide-range of seminars on Gerber products such as Fashion Lifecycle Management, WebPDM and AccuMark software solutions as well as best practices cases for their implementation and ongoing optimization.
In the general session, Dr. Michael T. Fralix, president of research group TC2, provided an industry perspective while Marie Davis, vice president of technical design and quality for New Albany, Ohio-based retail chain Tween Brands (formerly Too Inc.), provided a customer perspective in speaking about Tween’s growth and the IT strategies for supporting future growth.
Other conference highlights included a six-track educational program, “meet the software teams” sessions as well a technology showcase from Gerber and leading third-party vendor partners.
“The users conference is an outstanding opportunity for our customers to come together, share their insights, test drive new and take home practical knowledge that will enhance their skills,” said John Hancock, Gerber’s president. “We rely on the continued enthusiasm and input of our customers and this conference helps us showcase our commitment to supporting them with leading-edge products, solutions, programs and training and to making Gerber a company that they can grow with.”
—Robert McAllister
