Xerocon London: Why you should bring your team along (if you can)
You wouldn’t send your friend to a music festival and ask them to report back on what they enjoyed. It’s something you need to experience for yourself. In our opinion, the same can be said about Xerocon. The more members of your team that can attend, the more your practice will benefit from it as a whole.
But don’t take our word for it. We chat with Lauren Harvey, Chartered Management Accountant at Full Stop, who has attended no less than eight Xerocons. We want to find out what keeps her coming back, and the reasons she believes it’s important to bring as many team members along as possible.
Why you should come to Xerocon even if you’ve attended before
Full Stop are long time users of Xero, and seasoned Xerocon veterans. They already have a deep understanding of utilising Xero. So what keeps them coming back to Xerocon year after year?
“In the early years it used to be about learning what was happening in the world of technology and meeting new people,” Lauren says. Now they use it to re-energise the team and bring some perspective on the purpose behind what they do.
“Xerocon is like a shot in the arm – I think everyone needs that sometimes to get them excited about what they’re doing.”
Even if your practice is running efficiently and you feel like you’re getting the most out of the Xero platform, you’ll pick up lots of small gains that will add up in the long run.
“This year, we’re going for little improvements. That’s what makes Xerocon stand out above the other conferences. We don’t need to go and get a whole new suite of tools. We really just want to go in and hone in on a few little improvements. Even just picking up a few things would be really great.”
Your team will pick up new tips and skills
Sometimes it takes hearing something from a fresh perspective for it to sink in.
“I can comfortably talk about what our industry is doing. The team hears that, and we have our way of communicating it. But at Xerocon, you’ll often hear somebody talking about it in a really different and applied way.”
There was a specific instance at Xerocon that Lauren recalls where one of her staff had that ‘Ah-Ha’ moment. “I remember bringing a member of the team along a couple of years ago and there was a feature that I thought they had a complete understanding of, but just from hearing it in a different way the penny actually dropped.”
It’s moments like this that you can’t replicate without actually attending the event. Everyone will pick up different things and cumulatively your practice will come away with knowledge that you didn’t even realise you didn’t have.
Form stronger bonds with your team and connect with the Xero community
When asked to describe Xerocon in three words, Lauren chose “inspiring, collaborative, and fun”. It’s not your standard accounting conference. There are so many ways that you’re able to have fun with your team. In previous years we’ve had karaoke rooms, bumper cars, a merry-go-round, virtual reality games, a pub on the green, and an indoor cricket pitch to go along with the multiple hours of keynote speakers.
“Our team still talks about shared Xerocon experiences years after they happened.”
There’s also the famous Xerocon party. It’s not only a chance to let your hair down and have a great time with your team, but another great networking opportunity.
“Some of the best conversations happen in the evening. Make sure you stick around for the party. Most of the people who I still have relationships with to this day – those conversations started in the evening.”
Don’t let attending alone put you off
If you’re attending solo, don’t let it deter you. Lauren has been to Xerocon on her own and found it to be a great opportunity to meet other advisors and Xero staff members. In fact, she’s still in contact with the first person she met at her very first Xerocon back in 2012!
If you’re a little nervous about attending alone, there’s no need to worry. There will be plenty of opportunities to mix and mingle outside of your practice throughout the event. The Xero community of advisors are also a welcoming bunch. In fact the team at Full Stop actively seek out solo attendees and embrace them as their own. According to Lauren they “have photos on their pinboard at the office to this day with people who they met on the night”. That person could be you in 2022!
Join us at Xerocon London
Our second release of Xerocon tickets are on sale now for £280 (excl VAT) until 4 June 2022 – that’s 20% off the standard price of £350.
Your ticket includes two jam-packed days of entertainment, keynotes, breakout sessions, and the famous Xerocon party at the end of day one. Plus it’s all fully catered and you’ll leave with some of the finest swag the accounting industry has to offer.
The post Xerocon London: Why you should bring your team along (if you can) appeared first on Xero Blog.
Source: Xero Blog
