In 7 and 9 November, the great and the good of the accountancy world will descend on the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers’ annual Bookkeepers Summit. A vibrant extravaganza of talks, networking opportunities and software providers; this really is a one-stop shop for any bookkeeper looking to keep their finger on the pulse and enhance their professional skills.

This year’s Summit will be bigger and better than ever, with a jam-packed agenda covering all that bookkeepers need to run a successful business, even in the current climate. Our in-person event, just a stone’s throw away from Waterloo Station will also get you back into the swing of networking at a truly breathtaking venue that overlooks the Houses of Parliament. Our virtual Summit is also simply bursting with content, fully interactive and completely on-demand.

If that’s not enough inspiration for you, we’ve listed a few reasons that we think you should come to our Summit:

1. Learning for life

Every day is a school day in bookkeeping, with tax and compliance changes that affect your practice happening all the time. The newly installed Government administration and the likely direction change in business and tax policy will also create an environment of flux. Bookkeepers and payroll professionals will need to negotiate this to effectively support their clients going forward.

This year’s Summit will seek to cut through the legislative confusion and provide bookkeepers and payroll professionals with the guidance and clarity they need to navigate these troubled waters. Superstars from across the accountancy sector such as leading light, Rebecca Benneyworth CBE FCA; accounting legend, James Ashford and payroll guru, Ian Holloway, will be taking to the stage to tell you what’s on the horizon in the accountancy world.

The changing compliance landscape can also feel overwhelming to bookkeepers, so we’ve asked star of the Dark Money Files podcast, Ray Blake, to team up with ICB Director of Compliance, Mike Jardine, to demystify the Anti Money Laundering rules and provide an electrifying insight into their experiences of financial crime.

2. On the shoulders of giants

Want to be a business mogul? Find out how at our in-person event when Jo Fairley, Co-founder of Green & Black’s Chocolate, takes to our mainstage to tell you about her journey as an entrepreneur and gives you tips on how to run a successful business. Check your free Summit delegate packs for a sweet treat she’s snuck in for our conference attendees!

3. Become a digital disruptor

It’s not just new legislation that’s important for bookkeepers to understand, but rather how advances in tech will affect their practices. With the move towards digital currencies and Making Tax Digital, it’s clear that tech is going to be a hot topic in the coming months. With that in mind, we’ve got the very biggest hitters from the software world like Xero Managing Director, Alex von Schirmeister, to talk to attendees about how you can use platforms like his to turbo-charge your practice.

Digitisation is not only affecting how we do business but what we pay with, and a knowledge of how to handle cryptocurrency will be increasingly important in bookkeeping. Never fear, though! We’ve got Joe David, Founder and Managing Director of crypto-accountancy firm Myna, to give you the inside line on crypto and how to deal with it in your practice.

4. Cut a deal

Bookkeepers across the country agree that updating your bookkeeping software is crucial to boost productivity, help serve clients and enable practice expansion. Our virtual and in-person Bookkeepers Summit will give you the chance to interact with around 30 different vendors to explore which products will work best for your practice and bag some exclusive discounts in the process. It’s a win-win!‍

5. Network, network, network

Life as a self-employed bookkeeper is highly rewarding but can sometimes be insular. With multiple deadlines to meet and clients to serve, it’s easy to remain glued to your desk, but as the poet John Donne once said, “No man is an island.”

We are incredibly proud of our uniquely dynamic and supportive membership base. For that reason, the Bookkeepers Summit is the perfect place to gather business intelligence and pick up those handy tips and tricks from colleagues that will really make your practice thrive. If you’re looking to start or expand your practice or need to find specialist bookkeeping skills or additional manpower to service your clients, coming to the Bookkeepers Summit is the way to go.

We’ve worked in a whole host of opportunities for attendees to meet and interact with peers, both at our online and in-person Summit. Our in-person event gives you a chance to get back into the networking swing, with pre-Summit drinks on 6 November, special break-out areas for mixing in the conference hall, and an exclusive parliamentary breakfast on 8 November. We’re also taking the party over to our virtual platform for the online Summit, with virtual lounge access and social events providing a great place to have in-depth chats with our incredibly friendly members.

As we’ve seen, attending the Bookkeepers Summit is great for updating your knowledge, upskilling and growing your practice. If you’re tempted and want to join 1,000 of your peers at the world’s biggest gathering of bookkeepers.