Over 75% of accounting firms have fewer than five employees. The small size of most firms means limited opportunities for connecting with peers, networking, and earning continuing education credits. Accounting conferences are an excellent opportunity to fill this void and achieve these goals.
Whether you’re looking to obtain new industry knowledge, further your accounting education, learn about a new field, or earn some CPE credits, you’ll find there are several 2023 conferences available to help you achieve your goals.
Here’s Jetpack’s list of the must-attend accounting conferences in the U.S. for 2023. Note that this list focuses mainly on in-person conferences since networking opportunities are a bit more challenging in virtual conferences.
American Accounting Association Annual Meeting
The American Accounting Association Meeting consists of three days of in-person meetings with over 200 concurrent sessions to choose from that include all areas of accounting, from bookkeeping to auditing to tax returns. Attendees can pick the sessions that make the most sense for their career goals. The large number of attendees makes this conference an ideal destination for networking and education.
Best for: Small business firm owners and employees
Location: Denver, CO
Dates: August 5-6, 2023
Scaling New Heights
Scaling New Heights focuses on QuickBooks ProAdvisors, whether they are CPAs or bookkeepers. This conference focuses on new advances in Intuit software, managing businesses through the Intuit suite of products, and learning new ways to improve your efficiency when working in QuickBooks. Sessions also include presentations from third-party vendors whose software and products integrate with QuickBooks. With over 1,000 accountants and bookkeepers in attendance who are all devoted to the QuickBooks software, this large conference provides many opportunities for expanding your professional network.
Best for: Owners of small- or medium-sized accounting or bookkeeping firms
Location: St. Louis, MO
Dates: June 25-28, 2023
QuickBooks Connect
Though QuickBooks Connect is a virtual event for the foreseeable future, it’s worth adding to our list. All content is currently available for free online and includes topics ranging from best bookkeeping practices to client management. There is a lot of content related to QuickBooks and other Intuit products, but the sessions are helpful for firms using non-Intuit software as well. Though the online event does not provide networking opportunities, the depth and breadth of topics are useful for a wide variety of firms.
Best for: All accountants and bookkeepers (some sessions qualify for CPE credits as well)
Location: Virtual
Dates: Ongoing
Las Vegas Tax Forums & Expo
One of the shorter conferences on our list, the Las Vegas Tax Forums & Expo, still packs a big punch. Along with justifying a trip to Vegas, this forum features two full days of tax-related material. Taxes might be a dry topic, however the speakers include many real-world examples to make the content engaging and approachable. Because the tax laws are constantly evolving, the content is fresh each year.
Best for: Tax professionals
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Dates: October 3-4, 2023
NASBA Annual Meeting
The NASBA Annual Meeting will celebrate its 115th meeting this year. As one of the longest-running accounting conferences, they know how to run a successful event. The focus of this conference is on accounting education, licensure, and CPA exams. Though this conference is best for the education directors at the big four or people involved in state accountancy boards, anyone who has a vested interest in the future of CPA licensure might benefit from attending.
Best for: Big 4 Accounting Education Departments or state accountancy board employees
Location: New York, NY
Dates: October 29 - November 1, 2023
AICPA Engage
This conference features seven different educational tracks, including Corporate Finance and Controllers, Advanced Accounting and Auditing, EDGE Career Development, and Tax Strategies for the High-Income Individual. The separate tracks give you the opportunity to connect with other professionals in your chosen field. With more than four days of content included with the conference and continuing education credits available, this conference is a solid choice for staying abreast of industry developments.
Best for: CPAs, whether working in-house or in public accounting
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Dates: June 5-8, 2023
AICPA Forensic & Valuation Services Conference
The Forensic and Valuation Services conference brings together accounting professionals in these specific fields. Topics include the issues and insights experienced by forensic and valuation accounting professionals. This conference focuses on networking.
Best for: Forensic and valuation accountants
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Dates: November 6-8, 2023
AccountingWeb Live Summit
The AccountingWeb Live Summit is a forward-looking conference focused on the future of the accounting industry. Presenters include experts in their respective accounting fields along with accounting software developers. Over 30 tech companies will be in attendance to present their software solutions. Significant time is devoted to networking events within the conference.
Best for: All accountants, especially those in public accounting
Location: San Diego, CA
Dates: May 15-18, 2023
Deloitte Tax Accounting Conference
Deloitte’s Tax Accounting Conference offers continuing education credits for tax professionals. Sessions are meant to be attended live to allow for questions and discussion among attendees. There are three separate tracks: Tax Account Essentials, Tax Accounting International Essentials, and Tax Accounting Complexities.
Best for: Tax accountants
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Dates: December 5-9, 2022
PICPA Accounting and Auditing Conference
The PICPA Accounting and Auditing Conference will be held via webcast in 2022. This conference focuses on topics relevant to corporate accountants and auditors. There are several concurrent sessions to choose from, and previous topics have included the use of technology in audits, internal controls, financial statement disclosures, SOX, and managing audit teams.
Best for: Corporate accountants and auditors
Location: Virtual
Dates: December 8, 2022 - December 9, 2022
Synergy2022
Topics included advanced software techniques, advanced accounting, and current tax issues. The conference includes over 100 sessions led by professionals from various parts of the accounting industry.
Best for: Tax accountants
Location: Denver, CO
Dates: November 8-11, 2023
Women Who Count
AFWA’S annual conference brings professionals from all accounting and finance industry sectors together for four days of networking and education. The Conference featured speakers covering topics on accounting, tax, finance, leadership, communications, and more.
Best for: Accounting and finance professionals
Location: Reno, NV
Dates: October 25-27, 2023
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