“I’m quite shy! If I can have a good time at Xerocon, anyone can”

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We’re super excited for this year’s Xerocon London, which runs from 13-14 November 2019 and promises to be the best yet.

Xerocon London is an event where everyone thrives – including those who attend solo.

Sophie Admasu, founder of Asmara Accounting, and Andy Housley, owner of Square 1 Accounting, attended Xerocon London solo last year.

Here they share their top tips for those attending solo.

Find common ground

Sophie is a big Xero fan, one who sees the real appeal in a platform “made for the end-user, not just the accountant.”

Andy has a similar opinion. “Xero lets you do everything,” he says, “which makes things much easier for accountants and their clients.”

But despite their enthusiasm for the product, it can be daunting to attend a conference when you don’t know anyone who’s going. This was a particular concern for Andy, “I wasn’t quite sure what it was going to be like when I first signed up,” he said.

Once he arrived, though, he received a warm welcome. “Everyone there was really friendly and happy to strike up conversation,” he recalled. “We were all there for the same reasons, so you instantly have something in common.”

Sophie was a little nervous, as she had a lot going on at the time of the event. Nevertheless, she was keen to make the most of it – and said that she easily started chatting to people once she began asking questions and approaching people’s tables.

“It was nerve-wracking because a lot of people go in big groups or as part of a company,” she said, “but there is such a buzz to the place – which makes it much easier to connect.”

Start small

Be confident and push yourself to talk to others. Doing this means you’ll meet more people who you can share ideas and learning with.

Sophie particularly recommends sitting in groups: “Push yourself. Introduce yourself to everyone. Ask them about their business, and about how they’re enjoying Xerocon. People are really welcoming.”

She also suggests going to the smaller gatherings of the event such as pre-registration drinks. “They tend to be more relaxed, making it much easier to talk to and meet like-minded people.”

On the financial side of things – who says going to events has to be expensive? Andy suggests consulting with a network group to see if a group of you can organise an Airbnb.

In general, he advises attendees not to be too nervous about going it alone. “I’m quite shy! If I can have a good time at Xerocon, anyone can.”

When asked to sum up her experience in three words, Sophie said it was “inspiring, connecting, innovative.”

Andy kept it simple. “Absolutely bloody awesome”.

Make sure your business benefits too

Both our solo attendees walked away equipped with the knowledge and tools to help them grow their firms.

Sophie says it helped her decide which apps were right for her firm and her clients. “When you’re on your own, you don’t have time to look at all the apps. It can be quite overwhelming deciding which tools to choose. Xerocon really showcased the best of the bunch.”

She was also able to take away a lot of ideas from various presentations and has been able to implement several suggestions she received at the event.

Andy, meanwhile, said Xerocon acted like a “one-stop-shop”. “It really encapsulated everything I wanted to know.”

Xerocon London will take place on 13-14 November and you can get 30% off your ticket now.

The offer expires 31 August 2019 at 11:59pm so make sure you don’t miss out. Just enter the promo code XAUG30* at the checkout to get your ticket for £245 (reduced from £350).

(*This offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer).

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