Session 1 - 9:00 A.M. - 10:00 A.M. EST: 

Change Management: New Models for Accounting Firms 

Field of Study: Practice Management

Sponsor: Business Learning Institute
Panelists: Tom Hood, Jim Boomer, Peter Margaritis
What is change management and when is it needed? Join key thought leaders as they share examples of change management in the accounting profession and then break down the change management process into meaningful pieces that you can implement in your own practice.

 

Session 2 - 10:00 A.M. - 11:00 A.M. EST:  

Women in Business: Addressing the Potential Gender Gap

 

Field of Study: Personal Development

Sponsor: Xero
Panelists: Amy Vetter, Kelly Welter

Studies have shown that organizations with gender diversity in leadership perform better on several levels compared to those with low diversity among the C-suite or board of directors. Many companies today include diversity as one of their strategic goals. Maybe it’s not an issue for you or your company. But it might be for your clients. 


Session 3 - 11:00 A.M. - 12:00 A.M. EST: 

10 Services Your Father's Accounting Firm Didn't Offer  

Field of Study: Business Management & Operations

Sponsor: Sage
Panelists: Joe Carufe, Marty McCutchen, Geni Whitehouse; Jason Deshayes

Younger innovative firms are offering services that fit with the 21st century lifestyle, technology, and multi-generational workforce. Learn how you can refocus your accounting practice with conceptual ideas around niche services, geographic expansion, and technology utilization to take care of mundane tasks, and then also learn specific services that are being offered today that weren’t an option many years ago.

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Session 4 - 12:00 P.M. - 1:00 P.M. EST: 

Firm of the Future: Adopting Technology to Transform Your Business and Support Your Clients

Field of Study: Information Technology

Sponsor: Intuit
Panelists: Jim McGinnis, Jorge Olavarrieta, Chris James, Karen Collom
Learn how to build a Firm of the Future that connects and collaborates with other industry experts and your clients to make a difference in the lives of your clients and help grow your practice. The cloud has changed how we engage with clients, e-file, collect payments, run our practices and connect with family and friends. Today's clients choose cloud first, so
it has become paramount for tax & accounting professionals, to use the cloud to realize the benefits to better serve their clients. Learn insights and trends that will help you leverage technology to create more efficiencies, collaborate better with clients and grow well into the future.  

Session 5 - 1:00 P.M. - 2:00 P.M. EST: 

Addressing the Need for a Private Company Clearinghouse: Issues & Opportunities for the Profession

Field of Study: Information Technology

Sponsor: RIVIO
Panelists: ​Bob Harris, Kalil Merhib, Greg LaFollette
Today's capital markets demand accurate and timely financial information. However, many private businesses continue to rely on outdated and unsecure methods to distribute financial statements and other key documents. This has led to uncertainty about the accuracy, source and validity of financial information, not to mention a greater risk of fraud. In this session, we explore the need for a sophisticated clearinghouse to streamline the flow of private company financial documents. Panelists will examine the major trends and market demands impacting private company financial document exchange today, such as the demand for authenticated information, digital transformation of financial services and compliance requirements for private company markets.

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Session 6 - 2:00 P.M. - 3:00 P.M. EST:          

Offering Full-Stack Accounting Services to your Clients 

Field of Study: Accounting & Auditing

Sponsor: Avalara

Panelists: Shane Radigan, Elizabeth Adams

How many businesses do you know that want to do business with multiple accountants, a variety of advisors, several experts, each charging a separate fee and possibly giving conflicting opinions? Isn't it the case that your clients want to trust YOU to be their all-purpose business advisor? Learn how you can transform your practice to be ultimate solution that your clients need, with all the wheels turning in the same direction, all pointed toward providing the best advice and information to make your clients successful. 

Session 7 - 3:00 P.M. - 4:00 P.M. EST: 

New Labor Laws: How they Affect You and Your Clients

Field of Study: Business Management & Operations

Sponsor: SurePayroll

Panelists: Dave Olsen, Donna Galatas, Shayna Chapman, John Hagan

FLSA, new overtime rules - like it or not, the payroll landscape is changing and both you and your clients are affected. Hear from experts who are in the trenches, working to help their clients understand the new rules and make sense of the best way to apply these rules to their businesses.

 

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Session 8 - 4:00 P.M. - 5:00 P.M. EST:

Small Firm, Big Data

Field of Study: Specialized Knowledge

Panelists: Jim Bourke, David Cieslak
You might think the concept of Big Data is beyond your reach. In fact, anyone can benefit from a study of trends and an understanding of business and financial concepts that is derived from data. This session delves into the concept of Big Data as it applies to the smaller accounting firm and its clients. Learn where you find data that is appropriate for your clients, and examine various new revenue streams available to accountants who can turn big data analysis into a must-have service for clients.

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Session 9 - 5:00 P.M. - 6:00 P.M. EST:

Data Security: Where is the Cloud and Who Can Access It?

Field of Study: Information Technology
Panelists: Dave Cieslak, Jim Bourke

 

Session 10 - 6:00 P.M. - 7:00 P.M. EST: 

Marketing Techniques (Even) Accountants Can Master 

Field of Study: Marketing

Panelists: Geni Whitehouse, Shayna Chapman