Join us for an exclusive pre-conference meet-n-greet where you’ll have the opportunity to network with fellow attendees, distinguished speakers, esteemed editors, and members of the advisory committee. This intimate gathering by the Bay sets the stage for meaningful connections and collaborations, offering a chance to engage in insightful discussions, exchange ideas, and forge valuable relationships within your field.

Don’t miss this prime opportunity to connect with key influencers and experts before the conference officially kicks off!

Start your day with a delicious breakfast and the opportunity to build meaningful connections. Join fellow attendees on The Floor for engaging conversations and networking with like-minded professionals.

As firms strive for growth, integrating advanced automation and in-demand services, including sales tax compliance, into your firm’s tech stack is no longer optional—it’s the key to growth. By embedding various solutions, firms can streamline operations, elevate client satisfaction, and expand their client base. However, successful implementation requires more than technology; it demands a holistic approach that aligns people, processes, technology, and market strategies.

 This interactive session provides an opportunity to collaborate with industry experts and peers to develop a strong business case for adopting transformative solutions. Together, you’ll create a compelling value proposition and define actionable business objectives to drive innovation and secure stakeholder buy-in.

What you’ll learn:

• Identify high-impact services that support key milestones of the compliance journey.
• Learn why sales tax compliance can be a growth area.
• Discover proven practices for onboarding staff, identifying clients, and building a thriving services practice.
• Understand technology’s role in supporting clients at all stages of the compliance journey.

No one knows better how to grow an accounting firm than those who have done it – and this panel of the 2025 Fastest Growing Firms brings together some of the savviest: Firm leaders who have built thriving practices that are more than standing up to the biggest challenges in accounting. They’ll share their strategies for growth; for keeping clients, staff and partners happy; for managing technology; and much more.

With the accounting profession facing a critical talent shortage, firms must adopt innovative approaches to attract, hire, and retain top talent. This session will explore actionable strategies for expanding the talent pipeline, including leveraging internships, tapping into candidates with nontraditional backgrounds, and fostering an inclusive workplace culture.​ Attendees will leave this session equipped with best practices to address current hiring challenges, attract a new generation of accountants, and build a workforce ready to meet the demands of the future.

AI and automation are no longer buzzwords – they are essential tools for modernizing accounting firms. In this forward-looking session, Brent will share how Aprio’s AI-driven transformation has eliminated tens of thousands of manual hours, increased capacity, and set the firm on a path to double or quadruple revenue in key work streams by 2026. Attendees will gain actionable strategies for leveraging AI to streamline workflows, sustain profitability, and lead change in their firms.

What you’ll learn:

• Scaling Efficiency Through AI: Understand how to identify and automate manual-intensive tasks to drive efficiency, increase capacity, and free up resources for high-value client services.
• Capturing Value Without Losing Revenue: Learn how to monetize AI-driven productivity improvements while maintaining revenue growth through innovative service offerings and strategic pricing.
• Managing Change for Successful AI Adoption: Discover best practices for leading teams through the cultural and operational shifts required to implement AI solutions effectively.

With increased consolidation and competition from outside partners, M&A has become a strategy for survival. Many firms are rethinking their approach to growth based on current market conditions caused by the volatile M&A activity. Discover what progressive firms are changing and monitoring to maximize their value regardless if they plan to pursue an M&A transaction or remain entirely independent.

What you’ll learn:

• The different merger or acquisition options available to firms.
• Key metrics and factors driving or detracting from firm values.
• What the path forward looks like for those seeking to remain independent.
• How to analyze your firm’s current position in the marketplace.

This session will provide practical guidance on determining if an upward merger, outside investment, or remaining independent is the best move for your firm. Learn about the unique potential opportunities and risks associated with your firm’s determined path moving forward.

In a world where top talent seeks purpose and play, gamification offers accounting a fresh edge. This session unveils how firms can use game-based tactics—from skill badges to team competitions—to attract and retain engaged, motivated professionals. Discover how CPAcon leverages gamification to make accounting interactive and community-driven. Walk away with actionable ideas to build a vibrant, loyalty-rich culture that not only attracts talent but keeps them for the long haul. 

What you’ll learn:

• Engage with Play: Learn how gamification can make accounting more attractive to young professionals by transforming recruiting into an interactive, rewarding experience.
• Motivate with Milestones: Discover gamified retention strategies that keep talent engaged and motivated with progress tracking, skill badges, and team competitions.
• CPAcon as a Model: Explore real-life examples from CPAcon that showcase gamification’s potential in creating an exciting, future-focused accounting environment.

The accounting industry is grappling with talent shortages, increasing client demands, and mounting pricing pressures. While AI is often seen as a tool for efficiency, relying solely on AI automation falls short of addressing these challenges. When fully embraced, AI can be a transformative force—redefining how firms scale capacity, optimize processes, and elevate the client experience. 

In this session, discover how AI technologies, including AI agents, are enabling firms to take on more engagements without increasing headcount. Learn how AI goes beyond task automation to orchestrate workflows, improve decision-making, and empower teams to more easily meet client demands.

Using real-world examples, we will illustrate how AI is reshaping the future of accounting and provide a practical roadmap to help your firm thrive. Whether you’re exploring AI for the first time or refining your strategy, this session will equip your firm to maintain its competitive edge and leadership.

What you’ll learn:

• Learn how to scale capacity effectively: Discover how AI agents and other advanced tools enable your firm to deliver more with existing resources.
• See real-world success in action: Hear practical examples of firms using AI to meet client demands, reduce manual effort, and boost profitability.
• Understand what’s next: Explore the latest advancements in AI, including how AI agents are elevating workflows and setting new industry benchmarks.
• Maintain your competitive edge: Gain actionable strategies for integrating AI technologies to stay ahead in the industry.

In an era of constant change, many accounting practices can grow unwieldy—overrun by complexity, ad-hoc processes and scattered systems. In this session, we’ll explore how The Simple Firm model restores focus and intentionality by centering on five essential attributes: a clear, intentional business model; a streamlined technology stack; deeper, higher-value client engagements; an unforgettable client experience; and a culture that makes your firm a great place to work. You’ll walk away with practical strategies to simplify operations, boost profitability and create a thriving environment for both your team and clients.

What you’ll learn: 

• Define Your Business Model: Identify the vital services and client segments that form the foundation of a focused, profitable practice.
• Streamline Your Technology Stack: Determine the right solutions to support secure, efficient workflows while avoiding technology bloat.
• Go Deeper with Clients: Shift from surface-level compliance work to more meaningful advisory engagements that deliver real value.
• Create an Unforgettable Client Experience: Establish consistent processes and touchpoints that build trust, loyalty, and enthusiastic referrals.
• Build a Great Place to Work: Foster a team-first culture with clear roles, shared vision, and opportunities for professional growth.

Immerse yourself in a delicious lunch, discover cutting-edge tech solutions, and engage in valuable networking opportunities with like-minded attendees on the Floor.

Do you call yourself an Advisor, but instead you find you are stuck in the compliance work? Alternatively, maybe you are uncomfortable learning the advisory skills needed and instead choose to do the accounting work because it is more familiar ? Being an Advisor is a mindset. It is the relationship that the client desires so they can translate what the financial results of the business are telling them. During this session we will cover the 5 Traits to Activate the Advisory Mindset!

What you’ll learn:

• What is the difference between being an Accountant and being an Advisor
• The personal steps to take to change your mindset and create the boundaries between Accounting and Advisory
• What the Advisory communication techniques are in order to deliver the most value to your clients

As artificial intelligence becomes a cornerstone of professional workflows, accounting firms are discovering its potential to enhance efficiency, generate insights, and deliver a competitive edge. This panel will explore AI’s transformative impact on the profession, from streamlining operations and reducing errors to empowering staff with AI-driven tools and insights.

In this session, Nathen will share Whitley Penn’s journey of considering private equity funding, providing an in-depth look at the considerations and evaluations that ultimately led the firm to step away from pursuing PE investment. He’ll discuss key factors such as maintaining control over the firm’s strategic direction, preserving partner influence and majority equity, ensuring the appeal of a partner-track career path for rising CPAs, and safeguarding the firm’s culture and core values. This session will provide valuable lessons for firms navigating their own growth and funding decisions.

What you’ll learn:

• Growing with Purpose and Pace: Learn how to drive both organic and inorganic growth while staying true to your firm’s values.
• Exploring and Reconsidering PE Investment: Understand the process Whitley Penn used to evaluate PE funding and why the firm ultimately chose to move in a different direction.
• Alternative Growth Strategies: Gain perspective on how major growth firms can succeed without following the trend of PE-backed strategies, despite market pressures.

Experience an inspiring real-world success story highlighting the journey of two businesses working together, shedding light on the obstacles they overcame and their achievements. As a generational talent shortage grips the industry, tax and accounting firms are having to do more with less.  At the same time, expectations for client experience have never been higher. In this session, we’ll cover how automation software improves efficiency, streamlines workflows, and minimizes or even completely removes tedious manual tasks, all while empowering firms to deliver an unrivaled client experience. Learn how these tools empower your team to deliver a superior client experience while positioning your firm for sustainable growth.

What you’ll learn:

• Key challenges posed by the CPA staffing crisis and their impact on firms.
• How SafeSend One’s automation and machine-learning features directly address the needs of short-staffed teams.
• Strategies to integrate talent and technology, balancing immediate business demands with long-term recruitment and retention goals.

In this research-based panel discussion, industry experts will consider the increasing role advisory services are playing as accounting firms continue to expand their offerings.

Private equity investment can be a catalyst for growth and innovation in the accounting profession, enabling firms to scale rapidly and access new opportunities. This panel, featuring leaders from the 2025 Fastest Growing Firms who’ve taken on PE funding, will delve into proven strategies for scaling rapidly, retaining clients, engaging staff and partners, leveraging technology effectively, and more. Gain insights into how these trailblazers are navigating opportunities and challenges to achieve remarkable success.

Accounting Today is out to recognize the firms that are disrupting the profession, and one of the best ways to do that, of course, is through growth. The firms recognized here — which recorded the highest revenue growth in the profession in 2024 — represent the future of accounting.

Kick off our event in style at the Opening Night Cocktail Reception honoring Accounting Today’s Fastest-Growing Firms. Join us for an evening of networking and celebration as we gather to connect, converse, and toast to the start of an unforgettable experience.

Indulge in a delightful breakfast while nurturing valuable connections with fellow attendees.

Join industry experts for an extensive, immersive, accelerated experience and the latest hands-on skills. In an increasingly competitive market, standing out as an accounting firm requires more than just technical expertise. This session will explore the Triple Threat—a powerful combination of specialized expertise, technology-driven efficiency, and high-impact advisory services—that can set your firm apart. Learn how to identify and leverage your unique strengths, implement scalable technology solutions, and transition from compliance-focused work to value-driven advisory services. Walk away with actionable strategies to build a compelling market position, attract high-value clients, and future-proof your firm’s success.

What you’ll learn:

• Articulating Your “Triple Threat” – Functional skills aren’t enough to differentiate your firm from the competition. Learn how to articulate your “triple threat” and win more.
• Repurpose Compliance Hours & Expanding Revenue Streams Through Value-Added Consulting – Learn strategies to reduce compliance burdens and shift team efforts toward high-value advisory services that drive client engagement and business growth.
• Elevate Your Practice to Higher-Value Markets – Discover strategies to position your firm for more lucrative opportunities by attracting premium clients, expanding service offerings, and differentiating from competitors.

What clients value and what accountants believe they value are often worlds apart. In this impactful Day Two keynote, Joe Woodard challenges accountants to rethink their approach to value and reposition themselves in the eyes of their clients.  

Joe will share strategies to establish yourself as a trusted curator and interpreter of critical business information, a driver of financial clarity, and a protector of your clients’ businesses. By shifting how clients perceive your role—from a cost center to a strategic asset—you’ll address the systemic price-to-value issue that has long plagued the accounting and bookkeeping professions.  

Join Joe for this transformative session and learn how to elevate your value and grow stronger client relationships.  

What you’ll learn:

• Five ways to shift your clients’ thinking about your value 
• A 3-tiered model for packaging and pricing bookkeeping and tax services
• The 4-step communication map for getting the clients to agree to your desired price

In the past five years, Kristen Keats and Martin Moll have founded, invested in, or purchased six companies. They experienced a successful 7-figure exit and their current portfolio of companies gross over $10MM annually. This is their story of how they turned a 25 year friendship into a fruitful business partnership. Get ready to laugh, cry and learn how to harness the power of partnership for yourself. 

What you’ll learn:

• Partnerships are powerful. How do you ensure you are in a healthy partnership that allows you to go farther, faster?
• If you are part of a partnership, how can you tell if it’s working?
• If you don’t have a partnership, how do you find your people.

In the 2024 Accountants Annual Professional Satisfaction Survey, we uncovered key factors that drive satisfaction in the accounting profession, as well as those that contribute to dissatisfaction. In this session, we’ll explore these findings and discuss actionable strategies to enhance satisfaction, attract and retain the right talent, and create a thriving, people-first firm culture.

What you’ll learn:

• Identify Key Drivers of Satisfaction and Dissatisfaction: Gain insights from the 2024 Accountants Annual Professional Satisfaction Survey to understand what truly impacts employee satisfaction in the accounting profession.
• Implement Proven Strategies to Boost Satisfaction: Learn techniques and best practices for fostering a supportive firm culture, improving work-life balance, and enhancing overall job satisfaction.
• Attract and Retain Top Talent: Discover how creating a people-first culture can help your firm attract the right talent, retain high-performing employees, and build a thriving, engaged workforce.

Accounting firms must embrace technology to stay competitive and deliver exceptional client service. In her presentation, Samantha empowers accounting professionals to harness the power of technology to streamline workflows, automate tasks, and enhance client experiences. By exploring a strategic approach to technology adoption, attendees will discover how to optimize their practice without overwhelming their team with a complex tech stack. 

What you’ll learn:

• The Power of Integration: Learn how to select and implement technology solutions that work seamlessly together, from initial client contact to final report delivery.
• Client Vetting and Journey: Discover how to identify ideal clients and guide them through a smooth and efficient client journey, utilizing technology to streamline communication and collaboration.
• Secure and Collaborative Workspaces: Explore the benefits of secure, cloud-based portals that enable remote work, real-time collaboration, and efficient document sharing.        

In an era of rapid innovation and shifting client expectations, accounting firms face unprecedented challenges—and opportunities—for growth. This session will explore strategies and best practices to help firms thrive, from leveraging cutting-edge technology and expanding services to forming strategic partnerships and enhancing client value.  

Discover how to define growth on your own terms, balance short-term wins with long-term sustainability, and implement actionable tactics like mergers, acquisitions, and targeted marketing. Join industry leaders to learn how firms are adapting to stay competitive and position themselves for lasting success.  

Efficient processes are the backbone of a thriving accounting practice. In this session, we’ll explore strategies to streamline operations, reduce redundancies, and implement meaningful change. Attendees will learn how to identify inefficiencies, design practical solutions, and drive successful implementation using proven frameworks. Whether you’re looking to improve workflows, adopt new technology, or enhance team collaboration, this session will provide actionable insights to optimize your practice for sustained growth and profitability.

What you’ll learn:

• Identify inefficiencies in existing workflows and pinpoint areas for improvement using process-mapping techniques.
• Develop practical, scalable solutions to optimize workflows and reduce operational redundancies.
• Implement and sustain process improvements by leveraging team collaboration and change management strategies.

Advisory services have become a critical differentiator for firms to stay relevant and competitive. Adopting an advisory-first model is reshaping client experiences, enhancing the value of client relationships, and driving growth. Richard will share Aprio’s journey – the operational shifts needed, lessons learned, and transformative impacts, plus actionable insights to leveraging technology, cybersecurity, and PE expertise to meet modern client demands and position firms for long-term success.

What you’ll learn:

• Roadmap for Transition: Learn about the practical steps for evolving from a traditional accounting focus to an advisory-first model that increases client value and supports long-term growth.
• Client-Centric Services: How to create and communicate a client-centered advisory approach that highlights technology, cybersecurity, and other emerging areas to meet modern client demands.
• Advisory as a Talent Magnet: Insight into how an advisory focus can support firm recruiting and retention efforts by attracting top talent looking for innovation and growth opportunities.

Explore the potential of AI in accounting with real tangible and practical applications tailored to today’s accounting professionals. You will hear from a CAS practitioner and AI experts to demystify AI technologies. The goal is to show how AI can streamline accounting operations, unlock new levels of efficiency, and gain financial insights to stay competitive and deliver greater value to clients. 

What you’ll learn:

• Understand the foundational concepts of AI and how they apply to everyday accounting tasks like bookkeeping, reconciliations, and reporting.
• Learn specific examples of AI tools that can automate routine processes, identify anomalies, and improve data accuracy in accounting workflows.
• Gain a framework for evaluating AI solutions and implementing them effectively to enhance client service and operational efficiency.

Join a panel of newly minted partners as they share their journey to partnership and what inspired them to pursue this path. Gain insights into how they’re navigating shifts in the profession under new leadership and their approach to hiring and mentoring younger professionals.

This session offers a fresh perspective on the partner role, highlighting the unique stories and experiences of next-gen partners. Learn how their insights can help attract and inspire the next generation of CPA firm leaders to take a seat at the table.

In today’s fast-paced landscape, technology adoption is essential, yet firms often grapple with the ever-evolving influx of tools and the challenge of using them effectively. To thrive, leaders must prioritize investments in technologies that simplify workflows, enhance collaboration, and reduce administrative burdens — empowering employees and enriching client relationships.

This dynamic panel of technology experts will explore actionable best practices and innovative strategies. Attendees will gain insights into how forward-thinking firms are leveraging cutting-edge tools, and discover what steps firms and individual professionals can take to optimize their tech stacks for greater efficiency, collaboration, and career growth.

In our closing session, four well-known experts share their insights on the major issues facing firms, from keeping up with technology and finding the right service mix, to optimizing their client base, finding the talent they need, making the move to advisory services, and much more. Our interactive format encourages attendees to engage directly with our experts through live Q&A. So come prepared with hard-hitting questions and get ready for candid, off-the-cuff answers.

Wrap up the conference in style at our unforgettable karaoke party! Let loose and channel your inner rockstar as you choose from a wide selection of songs. Join fellow attendees for an evening filled with music, laughter, and celebration. Enjoy drinks and light bites while making lasting memories—the perfect way to end the conference on a high note!