Accountex Summit North: keeping you in the picture
Accounting Insight News editor Ian Moss shares his take on Accountex Summit North 2018...
I could easily (well, probably not that easily) write thousands of words about my experience of Accountex Summit North, but I won't.
Instead, I'll jot down a few considered recollections and let you look through our photograph gallery of some quality moments from the event, which was held for the first time at Manchester Central on Tuesday 6 March. After all, 16 pictures is, proverbially, worth 16,000 words. So that sounds like a pretty good deal.
Judging by the smiles of the 1,000-plus attendees and the subsequent social media feedback, the Summit was a success.
Keynote was buzzing
The exhibitor pods were packed, the keynote auditorium was buzzing and the break-out theatres were 'standing room only'.
Former BBC business reporter Declan Curry set the tone with a thought-provoking keynote presentation on the commercial landscape, from Carillion to Brexit.
I was lucky enough to catch up with the energetic Damon Anderson from Xero who put me in the picture regarding the future. James Ashford of GoProposal was equally high energy, affable and engaging.
Scary flight into the future
Also in the new breed category was Ed Molyneux, of Edinburgh-based FreeAgent. He's a former RAF fighter pilot and you can tell. His breakout theatre presentation, 'Rise of the Robots, Accountancy at a Crossroads' was a thrilling and at times scary flight into the future.
But he brought his accountancy audience back to earth safely with an example, bizarrely, of travel agents. Despite prophets of gloom saying online holiday booking would drive them out of business, the opposite has in fact happened.
There are now just as many out there as 30 years ago, but they provide a more bespoke, advisory service. Sound familiar?
Expert in his field
With his trademark bow-tie, Andrew Hubbard of Tolley Tax had the appearance of a university lecturer from the 1950s. He's certainly an expert in his field and his packed session on Making Tax Digital had the audience riveted.
"There is concern that the tax pilot has not tested enough of the sector," he said with a hint of irony that spoke volumes of the anxiety this issue has raised in the accounting profession. "Records for ALL VAT transactions MUST be kept digitally by LAW. Just think about that for a minute." He paused, and people thought...
Elaine Clarke of cheapaccounting, hosted two round-table discussions, on 'Women in Accountancy' and on 'Sole Practitioners'. Both were well attended and lively. Continuing the theme of MTD and accountant-client relations, Elaine asked: "Is it time we got the whip out?"
