Why I skip XeroCon!

I skipped Xero Con last week. To be honest, the idea of joining a swarm of over 3,000 accountants at an accounting conference didn't appeal to me. Why?

I genuinely fail to grasp the allure of investing in a conference organised by a software provider.

It's not just limited to Xero, though. Nowadays, every major accounting software provider seems to organize their own conferences. Even other service providers connected to accounting and some supposed "media" outlets in the field follow suit. It's an endless cycle of conferences, all mostly regurgitating the same content.

I've even been the key note speaker at an outsourcing conference aimed entirely at accounting firms wanting to outsource their work. Especially SMSF outsourcing!

As an accountant or bookkeeper, chances are you're already shelling out thousands, maybe even tens or hundreds of thousands indirectly to these platforms annually.

Is it really worth spending over $1,000, plus the expenses for travel, just to sit through a few mediocre keynote speakers and an elaborate overview of the software provider's past and upcoming activities?

I've even had the chance to speak at a few of these conferences, and honestly, I can't fathom why anyone would want to endure my presentations (you might want to stop reading or watching now). Let alone pay for the privilege.

"Maybe I attend to see what the sponsors bring to the table?"

Even if you do visit the sponsors, you're unlikely to adopt their offerings. And if you do, you'll probably try it out briefly and then cancel when your clients fail to see its value (as if software alone can solve your firm's advisory/consulting challenges).

There are a number of SMSF outsourcing providers and outsourcing providers sponsoring these conferences and attending as well.

Signing up with sponsors during a conference is unlikely, and any sponsor investing in a major accounting conference would much prefer visiting your office one-on-one or conducting online webinars to showcase their offerings.

If you're looking to outsource your accountancy work for your firm and especially SMSF outsourcing then you definitely should NOT sign up on the day!

At least the coffee is free at these things. Well, technically it is, but is it really?

We're enticed by the freebies.

We revel in the cheap trinkets from sponsors that we place on our desks back at the office, giving us a false sense of importance even though they cost a mere 8 cents to produce.

We relish the multitude of staff members approaching us, knowing our names from our tags. "OMG, they know who I am!"

We delight in the pre-conference and post-conference events, where we get free drinks just because we're accountants. How amazing is that!?

We fall for the flashy dance and light show accompanying the unveiling of a rather unexceptional roadmap, exclaiming, "Who would've thought accounting could be this cool?"

And there it is.

Deep down, we don't perceive what we do as cool, fascinating, or enjoyable. To such an extent that we're willing to pay anyone just to boost our self-esteem about our profession.

Believe me when I say that what you do carries significance. It's more valuable and far more important than being "cool"… and you certainly don't need a software provider to validate that.