That's a wrap on Connected Austin! We're so grateful to all who joined us at last week's conference. Your presence made it an exceptional event. We received invaluable feedback from our esteemed customers, partners, and dedicated team members throughout the event, and what stood out was the unmistakable "special" atmosphere at Connected. It's clear that you found it fantastic and can't wait to return next year, which is all we can hope for!
Highlights in Numbers
Let's dive into the numbers that made Connected Austin special:
- 44 participants in the in-person training sessions.
- A total of 115 attendees, with an impressive 63% being cherished customers.
- An incredible 90% of our speakers were customers and subject matter experts.
- We captured six new customer video testimonials, showcasing real-world impact.
- Nine exceptional customer speakers shared their insights and experiences.
- Remarkable ROI achievements, like isolved's $1M of deals influenced by their reference program built in Sugar Sell.
- Astound Business Solutions demonstrated their prowess in creating over 90 BPMs to automate their complex sales cycle.
A Day of Insights and Announcements
The main conference day was packed with insights and exciting announcements:
- We delved into the role of generative AI in our product roadmap.
- Nominations opened for the third annual Customer Breakthrough Awards.
- We celebrated a milestone as SugarClub reached 10,000 members!
Customer Stories That Inspire 
Our customers took center stage, sharing stories that left a lasting impact:
- Cabrielle Andersen illuminated the journey of OTS, standardizing five consortium businesses using Sugar Serve, streamlining their processes and aligning with their CEO's collection vision.
- John Kitsmiller shared Karpel Solution's transformation from managing a homegrown solution to becoming the implementor and admin of Market and Sell for his business, with unwavering support from Sugar executives.
- The compelling customer panel featuring Laci Garbs, Ryan Greene, and John Williams demonstrated the power of connectivity in business and how solving data and system connection challenges can foster a powerful customer experience.
Thank you to all our customer speakers for sharing their valuable experiences and insights.
Expert Insights
We also had the privilege of learning from subject matter experts from our sponsors, Mobileforce, Mediafly, Upsert, sales-i, and Faye, on various topics, including no-code revenue operations, data quality, CRM reimplementation stories, and more. Zac Sprackett, Chief Product Officer at SugarCRM, and Volker Hildebrand, SVP of Product Marketing at SugarCRM, led us through the platform spotlight, which demonstrated the core capabilities available in our solutions today and touched on what's coming in the near future. The hot topic was generative AI, not surprisingly, and we made sure to explore how generative AI fits into our roadmap at Sugar.
Keynote: Building Trust
Chris Bashinelli, Nat Geo Explorer and keynote speaker, brought the entire theme of the day home with his adventurous traveling stories and videos demonstrating how building trust in your relationships with your customers and colleagues will lead to a more fruitful business relationship that encourages honesty, empathy, and loyalty. Business is human, after all!
One Last Favor
Will you please share your feedback on the event in this survey? Your honest retelling of your experience will help us uncover what you enjoyed and would like to see again next year and where we can improve for next year.
Next Steps
- Get In Touch: Did you hear about something at Connected that sparked your excitement for new possibilities? Fill out this Contact Us form so we can get in touch and help you explore the topic or capability further!
- Access the Content on SugarClub: access the content to grab slides and content to support your implementation or project goal, or share what you learned with your colleagues who couldn't join us.
- Join the Connected Group: visit the Connected Austin group to continue the conversation online with the community and share your videos and photos in the gallery.
- Visit SugarOutfitters: there was a surprising lack of hands indicating they knew about SugarCRM's official app and integration marketplace. Let's change that! Browse the marketplace today to see what's available to you today.
Stay Connected
Here are some quick links and suggestions for staying involved after the event and keeping that energy you're feeling around a little longer.
- Nominate Your Company for an Award: visit the awards page to review the award categories and start your nomination! Work with your partner or Sugar CSM to join forces and craft a compelling story.
- Sign Up to be a Reference: Learn more on this page and email Victoria Tsai and AJ Traver-Williams at references@sugarcrm.com to explore opportunities to highlight your company's success and share your story with other companies in PR, case studies, or reference calls.
- Partake in the SugarClub 10K Member Milestone: read the 10K member milestone blog, watch the celebratory video, and join the community if you're not already a member!
A Fantastic Event of Connections
We wrapped up the day on the sixth floor of the beautiful Line Hotel, attempting to catch a glimpse of the famed bridge bats—a slightly underwhelming but memorable experience! Connected Austin was indeed a fantastic event. The most incredible part was witnessing our customers interact, share experiences, and learn from one another. Together, we expanded the horizons of what's possible with Sugar for your business. As we move forward, let's remember the incredible power of connection and the meaningful relationships we've built. The bonds formed, and the collaborative spirit at Connected Austin set the stage for even greater achievements. Get ready for a whirlwind adventure as we continue to our next stops in London and Cologne! Thank you for attending!