Last week was busy in Australia with two overlapping conferences; the Accounting and Business Expo in Melbourne and Accountex in Sydney.

In the beginning, when we realised there would be overlapping conferences, I contacted both conference organisers, letting them know my focus was on providing the best outcomes for the accounting industry. I joined the Content or Advisory Crew of both conferences.

Close to 4000 people attended ABExpo. The first session of the day, a fireside chat with the longest-serving treasurer in Australia’s history Peter Costello, attracted a large crowd. Interestingly, I only knew about 5% of the vendors, and there was a jam-packed startup alley with about 20 new vendors, so it was fascinating to come across so many new solutions in the ecosystem.

During the day, I delivered two popular and educational panel sessions, which we all had a lot of fun with. I also scurried around the conference hall, eating free popcorn and pistachio gelato and finding interesting people to interview:

  • Jon Arrigo Managing Director at Microkeeper.  Microkeeper is an expert in HR, Roster, timesheet, payroll and workforce management, all in one spot and I strategically partner with them.

And, yes, I managed to interview more Daniels than I did females, I apologise for that oversight. I hope you enjoy the episode.

The Accounting & Business Expo is organised by Terrapin and I’ve enjoyed working with them for many years. The organisers have the philosophy “what Heather wants Heather gets”, which is a philosophy I fully approve of! I’m given free rein to design the session and the content and select the panellists. I’m also a confirmed speaker at their Singapore conference, Accounting & Finance Show Asia 2023, 10-11 Oct and the Sydney Accounting and Business Expo, 22-23 Nov – if you fancy a trip to Singapore or Sydney, register on their website to find out more information! Also, let me know if you’re attending, and maybe you can join one of my panel sessions.

Tropical Innovation Festival 5-9 Jun Cairns https://www.tropicalinnovationfestival.com.au/ 

Accounting & Finance Show Asia 2023, 10-11 Oct Singapore https://www.terrapinn.com/exhibition/accounting-finance-show-asia/index.stm

Accounting and Business Expo, 22-23 Nov Sydney https://www.terrapinn.com/exhibition/accounting-business-expo-sydney/index.stm

Several Queenslanders flew in for the conference, and we all stayed at the same location, so we had a fun couple of days. On the last night in Melbourne, Chris Wheatley, the moderator of the Small Business Accountants Brains Trust Facebook group, took us to his client’s tiny bar, Yarra Falls in Flinders Lane. It was an absolute delight, so if you visit Melbourne, check it out.

If this is your first time listening to the Cloud Stories podcast, please subscribe, and let me know where you are listening in from on social media; you can find me at HeatherSMITHAU everywhere.

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