How to accelerate your learning at Xerocon San Diego

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As Xerocon San Diego draws closer, we got in touch with some of our accounting and bookkeeping partners who will be joining us in Southern California. Continue reading to learn more about what they’re looking forward to at this year’s event.

This post was authored by Liz Mason, Xero National Ambassador and CEO of High Rock Accounting.

From the moment I entered my first Xerocon (Denver 2015), I was met with a wave of excitement and enthusiasm that mirrored my own. You can instantly tell from the energy at the event that everyone wants to be here to share advice, support one another, and be on the cutting edge of technology and the accounting industry. I still feel this same excitement year after year.

While Xerocon is known for the networking and fun environment, it’s also an ideal place to learn more about the Xero platform and uncover strategies that will keep your practice ahead of the curve. If you are thinking about attending Xerocon San Diego this year, here are my recommendations to accelerate your learning at the show:

Meet with exhibitors

Meet all the exhibitors! Okay, maybe you will not have time for all of them, but make sure to allow yourself plenty of time to check out the exhibitor space at Xerocon San Diego (which is double the size of the exhibit space in Atlanta and Austin). Some of my biggest software relationships have stemmed from informal Xerocon conversations. With exhibitors like Hubdoc, Expensify, Bill.com, and more, you’ll learn first-hand how these products and services can benefit your firm and clients. Hint: they also love to share their most recent products at Xerocon, which is a definite plus.

Take in the keynotes

Keynotes at Xerocon spotlight key Xero leaders, as well as the ideas from leaders in a variety of fields. These keynotes inspire, challenge, and motivate attendees for the year ahead. Two years ago at Xerocon Austin, Keri Gohman got on stage with some statistics that blew my mind. Did you know that small businesses are more likely to succeed when the have an advisor in their books? And, half of small businesses fail within five years. But, if a business is on Xero and using an accountant, the odds change: 85% of SMBs survive past five years and they are 23% more profitable each year. Logical, yes, but Xero synthesized that data to present it in an impactful way to support the Xero advisor community.

This year, we will hear from Maysoon Zayid, actress, comedian, writer and disability advocate; Kelly McGonigal, health psychologist and lecturer at Stanford University; and Shawn Kanungo, disruption strategist. To see the full lineup of keynote speakers, check out the schedule for Xerocon San Diego.

Map out your breakout sessions

With sessions covering topics like products, workplace culture, and blockchain, there are many learning opportunities at Xerocon. By reviewing the sessions in advance, you can determine what sounds the most interesting or valuable to your practice.

If you’re attending Xerocon with other team members, think about how you can divide and conquer to attend different sessions. After the conference, you can compare notes and insights with the rest of the team, so you can implement best practices into your firm.

If two days aren’t enough, add Day Xero

Before Xerocon officially kicks off this year, start by attending Day Xero (formally known as Pre-con). This is a unique full-day opportunity to connect and start your Xerocon experience with learning and development for your practice.

You will have the opportunity to network with peers during workshops focused on topics such as attracting talent, marketing your practice, using KPIs to track success, and more. I will be presenting a session on Owning Automation where we review utilizing streamlined and integrated technology stacks to maximize efficiency. Day Xero is a great way to uncover new strategies and walk away with actionable next steps and tools you can take back to your practice.

Join me at Xerocon to build a stronger community, learn how to take your practice to the next level, and be the first to know about what’s happening in the near future of our profession.

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