LONDON, March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Sage, market leader for integrated accounting, payroll and payment systems, will host one of Europe's biggest business conventions when it opens its doors to more than 5,000 of the UK's small, medium and enterprise businesses at Sage Summit at the ExCel centre in London on April 5-6^th.

Following the success of Chicago's 2016 event, Sage Summit is coming to London for the first time. It is one of Europe's biggest business events, bringing together businesses, accountants and partners with industry experts, Sage product gurus and inspirational keynote speakers.

The event will cater for businesses at every stage of their journey - whether this is from budding start-ups to multinational enterprises. It will showcase customers, technology and opportunities for businesses that have been around for 20 years or 20 minutes.

From motivating entrepreneurs, to helping small businesses make admin invisible with Artificial Intelligence, the latest in business and accounting tech trends to providing insight into hot topics like Making Tax Digital, Sage Summit brings together what matters most to businesses today in a two-day event in London.

It aims to help UK businesses, partners and accountants, work harder and smarter through:

• Informative keynotes from entrepreneurs and business leaders that will entertain, inform, and excite
• Unveiling the latest technology available to UK businesses via its interactive Tech Zone area where bots, Artificial Intelligence and Sage's latest product announcements will be showcased
• Panel debates that aim to get under the skin of government changes, such as Making Tax Digital
• Masterclasses helping to upskill businesses through free support from leading experts including Google.

The event will showcase how businesses can embrace technology to be best positioned for success in a changing world, as well as shining a light on the importance of diversity in the workplace.

Host, Jacqueline de Rojas Managing Director: UK & Ireland - Northern Europe, Sage, and President of techUK, will be joined by inspiring speakers from the world of business, delivering personal accounts into their entrepreneurial successes, and hints and tips for businesses.

Speakers include:

• Deborah Meaden - the brilliant UK serial entrepreneur and Dragons' Den investor
• Martha Lane Fox, CBE - the dot.com driving force behind last.minute.com, Board member at Twitter, philanthropist, and public servant
• Sahar Hashemi, OBE - UK entrepreneur, author and Founder of Coffee Republic and the woman responsible for the roll-out of Change Please, a social enterprise that trains and hires homeless people to run coffee carts
• Jamal Edwards, MBE - the hugely talented 26-year old rapper turned multi-millionaire video entrepreneur and SBTV founder

Jacqueline de Rojas, said: "Small & Medium Businesses have created 3.4 million new jobs in the private sector in the past 15 years*, making a huge contribution to the prosperity of our nation. Sage works hard to ensure these Business Builders, entrepreneurs, as well as the talented enterprises we have based here, are nurtured, celebrated and supported to help them build, thrive and if they choose, grow their businesses further. 

"This community of Business Builders is possibly the most powerful driver of economic prosperity this country has. And Sage as an organisation that pays 50% of businesses in the private sector via its payroll software has a responsibility to support and encourage them. We take our role as a champion of businesses seriously, and this is what Sage Summit London is all about; giving businesses a voice that connects them to the government, providing intuitive technology that helps them overcome their biggest barriers and connecting them to mentors they can collaborate with.

"Our event will also showcase how the UK is the best place to start and run a business and how we have some of the best tech talent the world has to offer."

Sage Summit London is being sponsored by Microsoft, Draycir, Aviva Life Services and Datel, amongst others

For more information on the individual sessions, please visit http://www.sage.com/sage-summit/en-uk/pdfs/Sessions_Catalog.pdf

*Source: Government's Business Population Estimates 2015

Contact: FTI Consulting, Ollie Pratt, Sage@fticonsulting.com, +44(0)203-727-1000

SOURCE The Sage Group