Meeting of the Minds (MOTM) is the annual conference of 90Minds for consultants of business management software for small to mid-sized companies. The 14th annual MOTM was held in Palm Springs California and sponsored by Sage Software and other affiliate members.
Collaborate, Connect and Grow
90 Minds is a partner driven community where members collaborate connect and grow through engagement, advocacy and education. Meeting of the Minds is the premiere event for partners, developers and independent experts to share expertise and deepen relationships. The 2025 event included keynotes, roundtable workshops, panel discussions and expert lectures.
Content, Content and More Content
Education is front and center at Meeting of the Minds. Educational content includes:
- Technical workshops on a wide variety of topics. Scripting Toolkit, Best Practices for Configuration and Tips and Tricks for Sage 100.
- News and information on products. Content goes beyond the core ERP to third party products such as CRM, payments and ecommerce.
- Consulting skills and best practices sessions. Examples include: Making Meetings More Effective and How to Keep Track of Client Project Information
No matter what your role is, MOTM provides practical advice and technical skills for improving your professional skills.
Sage Future
Sage Software continued its elite sponsorship for the collaborative. Headliners included keynotes from Rob Sinfield, Global SVP of Product & Head of ERP Solutions and Elise McFarlane, Sr. Growth Manager, Business Management Solutions. Senior executive presentations signal strong support for 90 Minds while providing insights into the market.
Rob Sinfield shared Sage’s vision for the ERP market, goals and milestones in North America as well as information on recent strategic acquisitions. These insights included the announcements of bi-directional support for Sage Supply Chain Intelligence and Sage Copilot for Sage 100. Rob hung around the conference and shared his global perspectives on ERP and the future for the entire portfolio of Sage products.
Elise McFarlane provided an exclusive look at product roadmaps for 2025 and beyond. The session detailed upcoming features, enhancements, and innovations designed to help customers. Sage incorporates customer feedback to addresses evolving customer needs. Elise outlined how Sage leverages emerging technologies to deliver smarter, more powerful solutions.
Artificial Intelligence
Every technology conference must include content on AI and Meeting of the Minds 2025 delivered in a unique way.
- Jeff DeCagna, Executive Advisor with Foresight First, LLC presented “Developing a Foresightly Perspective in The Turbulent Twenties.” This eye opening presentation focused on managing the anticipated upheaval expected by the introduction of AI in our work environments.
- Moshe Nachman, Founder and Principal at Cumulus.ai provided a live demonstration of Agentic AI. A truly mind blowing example of AI interpreting a PDF document to automatically create orders with amazing accuracy in complex scenarios. Using Microsoft Teams or Outlook as the user interface, Moshe demonstrated how AI will dramatically change the way we work.
Both Moshe and Jeff followed up their keynotes with breakout sessions and one on one conversations to enhance the experience. The additional engagement allowed 90 Minders to assess the impact of AI on their practices in a way no other conference offers.
More Than Technology
90 Minds members recognizes that serving customer is about more than implementing and supporting technology products. Accordingly, MOTM includes a variety of topics to improve the overall efficiency and effectiveness in delivering results to customers.
- The Future of the ERP Consultant panel facilitated by Anne Sawyer, 90Minds Executive Director featured Phil Sim, Chief Client Success officer from Blytheco, Nancy Teixeria, EVP Corporate Development from Net at Work, Joe Noll, President at RKE eSolutions and Chris Mengerink, Partner at DWD Technology Group.
- A mini-workshop on Facilitating Quality Results. Coaching skills used to extract, organize and increase the value created by teams.
- Cyber Security for ERP Consulting Firms featured a panel of 90Minds Board and Committee members. The session included best practices for e-mail, web browsing, computer controls and policies for staff. Additionally, interactive conversations answered hot topic questions. “How can you impacted by a ransomware incident where a liability claim ensues?”
Sage Intacct and 90 Minds
Sage Intacct is Sage’s “true cloud flagship product. Its market growth and substantial influence in the CPA community combined with significant investment from Sage makes Intacct strategic for Sage and 90Minds members. Accordingly, Meeting of the Minds 2025 included sessions on Sage Intacct and Sage Distribution and Manufacturing Operations (SDM)).
- Darin Steward, Principal Product Manager SDMO provided insights into the current and future development efforts for SDMO. Interestingly, Darin explained how SDMO works with Intacct and can be integrated with other Sage and potentially non-Sage ERP products.
- Anne Grotz, Sage Product Marketing Director dove into the key trends shaping the future of the distribution and manufacturing industries in 2025. The session included shifts in supply chain dynamics, addressing labor shortages and strategies for staying competitive in an ever-evolving market.
Round table discussions with Sage and 90Minds leadership along with strategic Intacct partners confirmed the creation of a Sage Intacct sub-community as part of 90 Minds. This strategic expansion will lead to a full Sage Intacct track at Meeting of the Minds 2026.
Human Interaction in a Virtual World
The value of human interaction cannot be understated. Although much of the work of ERP consultants is performed remotely, relationships are best nurtured in person. The Meeting of the Minds Expo Hall provides unparalleled opportunities to learn about third party products and the individuals who represent them. Social events turn colleagues into lifelong friends and business partners.
I am looking forward to MOTM 2026 in San Diego March 3-6!