Combined AICPA TECH+/Practitioner's Symposium a Hit

It seems the AICPA’s TECH+/Practitioner’s Symposium is a real hit.

This is the first time the AICPA combined the two conferences, and if there is strength in numbers, it’s very evident at this year’s conference, held June 6-9 at the Bellagio Hotel in Vegas. Rumors for the number of attendees range from 800 to 1,000+. Pretty impressive.

The exhibitors seem pleased, albeit the occasional grinch that there is too much time between breaks while attendees are in session. There’s also the thinking on the part of attendees, of course, that once you’ve done the trade show floor … well, you’ve done the trade show floor.

The sessions I attended were fine, although there is not much new in terms of trends other than lots of talk about SaaS (Software as a Service) or cloud solutions. There’s quite a bit of buzz about this, despite reports that accountants are still slow to adopt cloud-computing solutions. I think that’s going to change in a big way, thanks to the efforts of many vendors who are implementing and promoting cloud solutions.

Several announcements were made during the show. One event was the Press Appreciation Reception sponsored by SpeedTax and Fujitsu ScanSnap, at which the companies released a new, joint white paper authored by CPA Tech Guru Jim Bourke of WithumSmith+Brown. I understand the white paper will be available soon from SpeedTax and Fujitsu, so as soon as it’s available, I’ll update this post with a link.

CPA2Biz and its CEO Erik Asgeirsson hosted a press luncheon with the company’s six “Trusted Business Advisor” Solutions Partners: Bill.com, Capital Confirmation, Copanion, Intacct, Paychex and XCM Solutions. Applause to CPA2Biz for continuing to grow and serve the market. I’m impressed with Eric’s vision for the company that certainly has taken its share of criticism over the years. They certainly seem to be headed in the right direction.

More to report in another upcoming blog.