After two years of postponed events, Accountex – Europe’s definitive event for accountancy and finance professionals – is just round the corner.
The Clear Books team can’t wait to meet new and familiar faces at the event. You can find us on stand 670 where you will be able to meet the team, experience live demos and hear all about what we’ve been working on for MTD ITSA.
Who attends Accountex?
Accountex is free to attend for all accountancy and finance professionals and brings together accountants, bookkeepers and suppliers.
With busy workloads and client commitments, it can be difficult for accountancy and finance professionals to tear themselves away from work for a day to attend an event, but with so much to gain from attending, it’s not something to be missed out on.
Why do they attend Accountex?
Accountex is a great opportunity to:
- Source cutting-edge technology to future-proof and transform their business
- Experience live demonstrations
- Stay up to date with the tools, technology and ideas driving the industry forward
- Grow their professional networks
- Meet the teams behind the brands
Which all sounds great! But if you’ve never been before it can be a little overwhelming, so it’s really important to come prepared with a game plan, to ensure you get the most out of the event.
Here are our top tips for making the most out of the day.
1. Set your goals and objectives
As with all good plans, deciding how to tackle Accountex should be down to your objectives. So, start by asking yourself, what do I want to get out of this event?
- Are you looking for new software or thinking about changing providers?
- Do you want to source new tools to help drive growth for your practice?
- Are you hoping to grow your network?
Being clear about what you want to achieve from attending Accountex will help narrow down who you need to meet.
2. Create your target list
You may think you know off the top of your head which stands will be useful for you to visit, but it is always worth taking a look at the exhibitor list to make sure you’re not missing out on anything.
Make a note of all the stands you want to visit so you’re prepared on the day. The Show Preview on the Accountex website has a floor plan so you can even map out where you need to go before you even get to the event.
3. Touch base with your current contacts
Conferences like Accountex offer the opportunity to make lots of new connections and expand your network, but it’s also a great opportunity to catch up with current contacts.
When casting your eye over the exhibitor list, be sure to make a note of companies you’re already familiar with and have contacts at so you can use the opportunity to pay them a visit.
Particularly as we’re all working from home more, conferences offer an opportunity to build on those existing relationships.
4. Choose your sessions ahead of time
Take advantage of the breadth of content available from industry thought leaders by attending the talks and seminars relevant to you and your practice.
The free, CPD accredited education programme at Accountex is led by industry thought-leaders and includes over 200 sessions.
With so many sessions to choose from, it can be a little overwhelming, but the organisers have helpfully set out the timetable for each day of the event based on different categories including client experience, practice innovation, small practice and bookkeepers, tax and compliance and many more.
Revisit the objectives you set earlier and highlight three talks most relevant to you. As the sessions are set times, your day should be planned around them with the time in between spent exploring the stands, experiencing demos and meeting people.
Spaces at the sessions are on a first come first served basis, so make sure you arrive in good time to avoid missing out.
5. Utilise social media
Why wait until you’re at the event to get the ball rolling? Share that you will be attending the event with your social media networks.
Be sure to use official hashtags to reach a wider audience. If you’re not sure what this is, head to the event organisers social media pages and see what they use on their posts.
Connect to your new contacts on LinkedIn and other social media networks to lock in those new connections.
6. Follow up
To ensure you continue to make the most of your time at Accountex well after the event, you need to follow up properly with both new and existing contacts.
You can book in follow up meetings when you’re at the event to save you a job later on.
You’ll meet a lot of new people, so it will be difficult to remember them off the top of your head. Make a list of all the people you met at the event – try to do this straight away, so you don’t forget and make notes to remind you of small details for later.
Afterwards, be sure to keep the conversation going by reaching out to them, whether that be on LinkedIn or by email. Explain it was nice to meet them, and you hope to see them again in the future. You never know where it might get you.
7. Enjoy it!
It can be hard to pull yourself away from client work to attend events like Accountex, but there are countless benefits for you, your practice and ultimately your clients.
Look at Accountex as an opportunity to meet new people, expand your network, get up-to-speed with the latest technology and hear from industry experts.
Don’t forget to visit Clear Books on stand 670! Our friendly team can’t wait to see you at the event and are looking forward to showing you what we have been working on for MTD ITSA.
Clear Books Online Accounting Software
Clear Books is the online accounting software of choice for small practices, sole practitioners and new-to-practice firms. Thousands of accountants, business owners, contractors, freelancers and sole traders across the UK use our easy-to-use online accounting software to manage their business finances. All users benefit from the outstanding free telephone and email support. Clear Books was launched in London in 2008 and offers a free 30 day trial with free ongoing support and bank feeds. We’re rated as ‘Excellent’ on Trustpilot.
Get a free 30-day trial of Clear Books online accounting software here.
