IRVINE, CA--(Marketwired - Jul 15, 2013) - Sage, a leading provider of business management software and services to more than 6 million small and midsized businesses worldwide, today announced the inaugural Sage Listens RV Relay, a 50-day, nationwide tour where Sage executives will meet with more than 50 Sage customers and bring attention to the importance of shopping locally in order to support the economy. Additionally, the Sage Listens RV tour will give the company an opportunity to gain a better understanding of how to develop features and services to better support its customers. The tour will feature lively and engaging customer visits, parties and special events -- all while promoting the "Shop Local" concept.

"We're going on the road to personally meet with customers across the country to show our appreciation and gain a deeper understanding of what they need to succeed and thrive in their businesses," said Brad Smith, executive vice president for customer experience, Sage North America, who will be one of the executives participating in the RV tour. "We want to help Sage customers maximize their software investments, as well as build stronger relationships with our customers."

Along with Smith, Sage executives participating in the tour include Pascal Houillon, CEO, Sage North America; Connie Certusi, executive vice president, Small Business Solutions; Lisa Codispoti, chief people officer; Greg Hammermaster, president, Sage Payment Solutions; Joe Langner, executive vice president, Mid-Market Solutions; Himanshu Palsule, chief technology officer and head of product strategy; Juan Miguel Rodriguez, CIO; Marc Scheipe, chief financial officer; Jim Pendergast, SVP of customer advocacy; and Danielle Cote, VP of events marketing.

"We're also using this RV tour as an opportunity to educate consumers about how important it is to shop and buy services from local businesses," said Smith. "The more we support local business, the more revenue and jobs are created to help strengthen our local communities and the overall economy. For every $100 spent locally, $68 goes back into the community as opposed to only $57 when spent outside of local businesses. Shopping locally builds a community by helping create dollars for infrastructure and can improve educational resources."

The Sage Listens RV Tour will make stops in the following cities between July 10 and August 28: Charlotte, N.C. (7/10), Boston (7/15), New York City (7/16-7/17), Philadelphia (7/18), Washington, D.C. (July 20-26), Atlanta (7/29-7/30), St. Louis (8/1-8/2), Kansas City, Mo. (8/5), Denver (8/8), Albuquerque, N.M. (8/12), Flagstaff, Ariz. (8/15), Las Vegas (8/17-8/18), Reno, Nev. (8/21), San Francisco (8/23), Los Angeles (8/26-8/27), and Irvine, Calif. (8/28), where Sage is headquartered.

The Sage RV will also make a special stop at Sage Summit 2013, the largest gathering of the year for Sage customers and business partners. Sage Summit will include discussions on the most talked about trends, opportunities to view new technologies, best practices to help master Sage solutions, collaborative activities and expert guidance. Sage Summit will take place July 21-26 at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Md.

Videos, photos, blogs, and other content about the RV tour will be updated regularly at www.sagelovesourcustomers.com. Details of each stop can be found by following Twitter.com/SageListens and by searching for #SageListens and #SageShopLocal.

About The Sage Group plc
Sage Group plc is a leading global provider of business management software to small and medium sized companies, creating greater freedom for them to succeed. Sage understands how and why each business is unique. We provide products and services that suit varying needs, are a pleasure to use and are secure and efficient. Formed in 1981, Sage was floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1989 and entered the FTSE 100 in 1999. Sage has over 6 million customers and more than 13,380 employees in 24 countries covering the UK & Ireland, mainland Europe, North America, South Africa, Australia, Asia and Brazil. For further information please visit www.sage.com. 

For more information about Sage in North America, please visit the company website at NA.Sage.com. Follow Sage North America on Facebook, Facebook.com/SageNorthAmerica, and Twitter, Twitter.com/SageNAmerica.