What Xerocon London means to me | Stacey Morrison

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As Xerocon London inches closer we got in touch with some of last year’s award winners to talk everything Xerocon and why they continue to go year after year.

Stacey is a Chartered Accountant at Old Mill. She looks after her clients’ Xero implementation alongside her team, which holds platinum partner status. Old Mill was awarded Xero’s 2016 Emerging Partner of the Year Award.

What do you enjoy about Xerocon?

Each year Xerocon just keeps growing. In our first year we had no idea what to expect, but by our second year – while it was so much bigger – we were veterans!

What I really like is the relaxing and enjoyable atmosphere. You just feel like there is a lot of excitement around you – the noise, the buzz, the energy – it’s palpable. I also like the amount of add-on partners who exhibit their products. It was so useful to have all of this information in one place, to talk to the developers and ask questions.

The information and presentations that Xero gives are really relevant. We always spend time back in the office after Xerocon going through these presentations to check we are all on the same page when it comes to implementing this knowledge for our clients.

Why do you choose to go?

Because I’m always really interested to hear what Xero has up their sleeve. I know there’s a lot of information around artificial intelligence for example, and where that’s going over the next couple of years. And then there is the unveiling of Xero’s roadmap, which we know will be a focus for us over the next 18-24 months. Then there are the new apps we want to learn about – and of course the industry relationships that are important to maintain as well.

What was your most memorable moment?

Well, I was fairly heavy pregnant at last year’s Xerocon, so I could have gone into labour any minute – that was pretty memorable!

But on a serious note, winning Emerging Partner of the Year was very memorable. And from a practical perspective, the advice on managing change resonated with me; it’s something I continue to take on board even now.

What do you learn from Xerocon?

I think it’s the realisation each year that there are a lot of firms both bigger and smaller than us out there – and we’re all going through exactly same thing. It can be all too easy to think on a day-to-day basis that you’re doing it alone.

Going to an event like Xerocon gives us the opportunity to meet a lot of likeminded accountants trying to tackle the same problems. That’s something that I personally value at Xerocon.

How has winning an award helped your business?

This award meant that the power of the cloud – and of Xero in general – could be really embedded by everyone at our firm. The hype of winning the award helped to consolidate just what we are doing for our clients when we transition them to Xero.

It proved that this is not just a passing phase or a fad. It’s serious. It really helped to reiterate internal and external buy-in for us.

What are you most looking forward to this year?

It’s always interesting and good to hear from Gary Turner. He doesn’t just comment on technical updates. Instead, he always speaks about how Xero is developing too. It’s a personal message that brings us in on Xero’s own journey. I enjoy learning about how Xero functions behind the scenes, and how they’re getting on. It feels like we’re part of the Xero family – it’s not them and us.

I love that we’re working together to achieve something for our clients. That’s what I really like about Xerocon each year.

Xerocon London will be at ExCeL London, 4-5 October. Register for tickets today.

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