LAS VEGAS, Feb. 27, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Tuesday marked the start of Column5 Consulting's EPM Leadership Summit and Mastering EPM Workshops, the marquis in-person events for the EPM Education Series, which are being held at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. 

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This marks the return of the conference hosted independently by Column5 since 2009, after great demand from customers seeking a specialized Enterprise Performance Management event.  Customers expressed their excitement at the return of the EPM Leadership Summit.  An attendee from Waters Corp. stated, "I've never been to a conference where I got so much knowledge from all aspects of the EPM solution."

Many aspects of the Summit repeat the popular features Column5's events have built a reputation around - featuring SAP speakers, being intently focused on EPM best practices, and of course the exciting Las Vegas atmosphere.  There have also been some popular upgrades to the event, such as the inclusion of the Mastering EPM Workshops, full-day seminars of deep-dive training in a singular topic.  David Den Boer, founder and CEO of Column5, kicked off the EPM Leadership Summit with his keynote presentation covering a variety of topics, including the mission of customer success behind the Summit, and what attendees would gain over the proceeding days.

Den Boer shared his vision of a vibrant SAP EPM ecosystem as a three-legged stool.  "Success in the EPM world is dependent on the customer, the vendor, and the partner working together to promote success.  Without any one of them being supportive and active, the ecosystem's value is constrained.  This event is our best contribution to that healthy balance that promotes customer satisfaction."  He focused on the importance of both the customer and partner being substantially educated on the vendor's product, and assured that there is no partner more invested in building this capability in customers than Column5. 

Den Boer also spoke about the three tracks of content available, and how the conference was built with users in mind, tailored specifically for their needs.  "There is a real lack of quality among BPC-focused events.  We are trying to fill that gap with the EPM Leadership Summit, providing users with hours of valuable resources."

Highly anticipated sessions during the conference include those being presented by SAP.  They provide insight into their new Cloud for Planning product, as well as share the latest information on their popular SAP BPC product.  This provides a unique opportunity for the vendor, customer, and partner to be in one place and have constructive dialogue.

"The EPM community can be very disconnected.  By creating a high quality in-person learning opportunity, in addition to the online events through the EPM Success Network, we are seeking to directly close that gap.  Our intent is for there to be a network of motivated BPC professionals working together and sharing tips, and feel this event will greatly facilitate that happening" states Den Boer.

Early customer feedback indicates that this goal is being achieved.  A customer from Manhattan Associates said, "This is the perfect atmosphere for educating and networking!  This experience has generated more enthusiasm for BPC and all that it offers."

The EPM Leadership Summit continues through February 27, and will return to the Bellagio in February 2016.  Learn more about the EPM Education Series, and particularly the EPM Leadership Summit, by visiting Column5EPMEvents.com.

About Column5

Column5 is the world's leading-edge consulting firm dedicated to providing high-value services that help customers leverage the power of SAP's Enterprise Performance Management product suite. Column5 was founded in 2005 by key players from OutlookSoft, and quickly evolved into a global team of experts who are uniquely qualified to properly design and deliver comprehensive systems, addressing a wide range of industry and process-specific requirements. Column5's custom tailored solutions combine proven software with unparalleled technical skills and visionary enterprise performance management process expertise to deliver prompt return on investment, long-term independence and a competitive edge for our elite list of discerning clients. Additional information is available at http://www.column5.com.

Contact: Jami Giovannini, jgiovannini@column5.com

SOURCE Column5 Consulting

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