How to make the most of Xerocon London 2018

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We’re all gearing up for Xerocon London on the 14th and 15th November at ExCeL London. And with two days packed with exclusive content, awards, networking events and a long lineup of inspiring speakers, it pays to have a plan for what you want to get out of your Xerocon experience.

Here are some tips to make sure you’re ready for what’s in store.

1. Make time to meet our exhibitors

We have 75 exhibitors showcasing their products and services at Xerocon this year, so allow yourself plenty of time to check out the exhibitor space. You don’t want to miss out on discovering the ones that could help your firm and clients grow.

Take a look at our exhibitor list and shortlist the ones you’re keen to find out more about. You’ll have plenty of time over the course of the conference to get to know them, starting with our welcome drinks reception on Tuesday night from 6pm to 8pm.

Grab a drink and make the most of this great opportunity to mingle with your fellow guests, speakers and exhibitors on the evening before Xerocon. Plus you’ll have plenty of breaks during the conference to check them all out.

2. Plan, plan, plan!

With a lot of quicktalks and breakout sessions covering topics ranging from product, growth and workplace productivity, it’s easy to get overwhelmed with the choice. Have a read of the schedule and pick the sessions that sound most interesting or valuable to you and your practice.

Here’s some great advice from Sian Kelly, one of our partners from Inform Accounting: “If there are a few people from your team attending, it’s a good idea to plan in advance assigning different members of the team to various sessions, so they have a clear purpose and can report back on the most valuable topics for your firm.”

“It’s important to have a clear focus in mind, plan your time carefully, follow up on findings, then do some testing to make recommendations. Don’t come back with lots to do, because the danger is nothing will get implemented. Cherry pick one or two useful nuggets to present back to the team.”

Another one of our partners, Alex Falcon Huerta from Soaring Falcon Accountancy says it’s important to look carefully at the exhibiting apps and try and speak with the ones that will ultimately help you with the transformation to digital, and those which will help compliment your advisory business. Alex also says it’s important to research which apps will fit your client base.

3. Download the Xerocon app

The Xerocon app is a great tool to use during the conference for networking and to get all the information you need about the schedule, speakers, exhibitors and more. Plus you’ll be able to collect plenty of information including action cards from our sessions and documentation from the exhibitors via your smart badge.

You’ll be able to download the Xerocon app very soon for iOS and Android. To log in, just use the email address or telephone number you registered to Xerocon with.

4. Spend some quality time with your account manager

Xerocon is an excellent opportunity to catch up with your dedicated account manager in the flesh – to say hi, have a coffee, and have a chat about how Xero can help your business grow.

Why not flick your account manager an email and lock in a time to catch up. And if you don’t know their name or email address, just send a note to partnerteam@xero.com and we’ll point you in the right direction. Alternatively, you’ll be able to send them a message using the Xerocon app!

5. Wear comfortable shoes and keep hydrated

The conference can be long and tiring – but oh, so fun! The exhibition hall is big and scattered with our exhibitors, refreshment stations and fun activities all over. So while you may want to dress to impress, keep those heels at home.

Make sure you keep well fed and hydrated with some of the delicious food and drinks on offer. There’ll be plenty of snacks, a hearty lunch each day and a tasty dinner to put you in good stead for a night of dancing at the Xero party.

Louise Partridge from Merryhill encourages those attending Xerocon to “Get a good night’s sleep before arriving; wear comfy shoes; talk to anyone and everyone; keep an open, enthusiastic and enquiring mind.”

6. Get social

Xerocon gives you awesome opportunities to network, but it’s also a great chance to get social online too. Share your photos, insights, learnings and fun times using the #Xerocon hashtag – we’ll be looking out for those insightful tweets, beautiful Instagram photos and fascinating Facebook posts. Join the conversation and check out what others have to say on our Xerocon social wall.

Jonathan Bareham, a partner from Raedan shares his networking advice at Xerocon: “Be open, speak to everyone! This will be my fifth Xerocon but it took me a while to realise this wasn’t just another accounting conference and that people were actually happy to talk to each other. The more open you are the more you get back from others.”

7. Don’t go home empty handed

One of the perks of Xerocon is without a doubt the swag. All Xerocon delegates will go back to the office with some cool gear.

This year we’re taking it one step further by bringing the Xero store to life at Xerocon. Be the hero back home by visiting the pop-up Xero store to buy those with Xerocon FOMO a swish new Xero tee, coffee cup, drink bottle, cap or beanie… the list goes on. Swing by the store for a spot of Xero retail therapy or even just to see what’s available instore and online here.

And if you’ve got any burning questions before we kick off, check out our FAQs or email xerocon.london@xero.com.

Still don’t have your ticket? There are a few left and it’s not too late to grab one. Get yours here!

We can’t wait to see you there!

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