Banned from “Sage Event”

I blogged last week about the two events I’ll be attending for Global Entrepreneurship Week. I received a phone call today from the organisers telling me it “wouldn’t be appropriate” for me to attend the GEW Party this evening as “it’s a private Sage event”.

To say I was shocked would be an understatement. Not shocked that Sage don’t want me there, but shocked that I’d actually be blatantly told I’m not allowed to attend. Surely someone would have realised I’d blog about it?

I think part of the reasoning behind it goes back to the event I attended on Tuesday, The Pitch. Doug Richard gave a great talk and took some questions – I asked him an innocuous question which he answered. And then after answering he asked me how KashFlow was going.

In my response I mentioned another SaaS company he is involved in which led to Doug saying something about there being a big enough market for both KashFlow and his firm to take on Sage.

Sage were one of the sponsors, so I can imagine they weren’t particularly pleased.

I don’t know what they were expecting me to do tonight. It’s not like I go around handing out KashFlow leaflets at these events or anything like that. I’m much less shouty and obnoxious in person than I am when safely behind my keyboard (honest!).

By banning me they’re seriously shooting themselves in the foot PR-wise.

It’s NOT a “private Sage event”, Sage are just the headline sponsor. I hope everyone that attends has a great evening, I’m sure it’ll be a very good event to mark the end of GEW. Sorry I can’t be there!