5 Reasons you shouldn't miss XEROCon San Diego

XEROCon San Diego is just around the corner, with a mere three weeks to go, we’re pumped to be at our very first XEROCon in the US. If you’ve never attended a XERO Con yet, and you’re pondering making your first one. What does XERO and its event bring eight years after their US Launch?

XERO’s been around since 2006 and officially launched in the US in 2011. Roadshows and XEROCon have certainly been one of the key customer acquisition drivers as they seek to build further brand equity and establish themselves as the new big name in the accounting industry. However, XEROCon is not merely a sales event. Whilst it does highlight what XERO has to offer there’s plenty more that you could take with back to the office.

1. Latest XERO & Ecosystem Updates

The primary reason many XERO users and accountants go to XERO Con, to get a sneak peek on the new things before anyone gets to use them.

XERO Con is the location where most product updates and launches get announced. Knowing things before they actually are available gives many accountants the edge to be able to deliver a better product to their clients. Attendance at the event also gives early-access to some of these features before they are rolled out to the whole userbase.

A number of product and feature walkthroughs throughout the event also serve as training and refreshers allowing attendees to continue to maximise day to day usage of XERO.

2. Build Relationships with the XERO Team

I do sincerely believe that this is one of the critical reasons one would want to attend. Nowadays we work remotely on most of our accounting work, especially when using cloud-based solutions.

However we all know that relationships are equally important, that’s why we strive to build them with our client base. Equally important, however, are our supplier relationships.

Take the time to speak to your account managers, if you have one. Or if not pick up a conversation with various XERO folk, sure they’ll help show you the product if you need. But this is not just about trying out XERO but ensuring you have a listening ear on the other side.

These relationships come in pretty handy, whenever you encounter something that isn’t quite your run of the mill expertise and needs to get some help to get something done right. The stronger your relationships are the more likely you’re going to get taken care of.

3. The XERO EcoSystem

As Cliche, as it may sound, going to XEROCon, is not just about XERO. Since their launch XERO have been well aware that to succeed in the cloud market, you need a host of integrations.

Indeed XERO may not be a full Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, however, the strength in numbers, quality and depth of the ecosystem allows you to build very strong connections of apps which flawlessly integrate to make any business operate smoother.

As such attending XEROCon means walking around the booths, interacting with app and developer partners to understand what they can help bring to the table. With the introduction of Integration Partners down in the UK, and I do expect similar rollouts around the world, there could also be opportunities to find partners that help you identify the right tools to bring to your clients.

It’s very likely that simply making a leap from just XERO to it’s whole ecosystem that your business and that of clients could transform completely, saving you more time and costs in the long run.

A whole list of Exhibitors present at XEROCon San Diego can be seen on the exhibitor page. However, you can find anything from Time & Attendance, Payroll, Milage Tracking, e-Commerce, PointOfSale, Receipt Scanning, forecasting and many more. PS. we’re also exhibiting as Developer partners this year - so anything these guys can’t do for you - there’s a good chance we might.

4. The Talks & Speakers

Yeah, we did mention some talks before, but not all talks are product-centric. The best keynotes are indeed not from anyone in the industry.

From experience attending previous events in the UK, the talks can be very moving and motivating. Going from the inspirational keynotes such as those expected by Maysoon Zayid and Kelly McGonigal to more practical things such as Marketing Your Practice by Matt Wilkinson from Bizink.

I will not dive into the full merit of these talks, speakers and a full XEROCon schedule can be found on the respective pages.

5. Networking and the Parties

I’ve been told that accountants are boring, that they don’t know how to have fun. I kind of stood by that until my very first XERO Con, I recall we stayed till the very end of the said part, which I think ran until 1 or 2 am - with the dancefloor still full. So I’d say it’s certainly something that may tip you over if you haven’t been convinced before. And oh- it was the first time I had seen so many accountants congregated in a single place.

But it’s not just about partying, the whole 2-3 days, or rather the duration of time that you opt to hang around in San Diego is an opportunity to meet like-minded people. Accountants who like yourself have committed to the cloud, to XERO. This creates unique opportunities to create synergies with partners across states and share knowledge of what’s working with your own clients.

When having these conversations, keep in mind, its an abundance mindset. There’s plenty of business for everyone to go around. Keeping your secrets to yourself does nothing but keep you from learning and identifying better apps, workflows and processes. Hence you’ll only help each-other become more profitable.

PS. if you decide to make it to XEROCon reach out, I’d love to talk about your XERO Experience.