Practitioners Symposium and TECH+ Conference (as part of AICPA ENGAGE 2019)

This includes sessions from the conference: Practitioners Symposium and TECH+ Conference (as part of AICPA ENGAGE 2019)

Preview Available

Association and CPA.com Startup Accelerator: Investing in Innovation

Identification: ENG19OV01

The Association (unified voice of AICPA & CIMA) and CPA.com launched a shark-tank style startup accelerator two years ago with a focus on FinTech and EdTech. Its purpose is to foster innovation in the profession and provide members, the Association, and CPA.com more visibility into disruptive trends and emerging technologies. In this session, you will hear from the 2019 cohort – 3 startup companies that have a leading role in client workspace solutions, cash flow management and accounting task automation.

During this session you will:

1. Discover trends in FinTech that are impacting the profession and your role.

2. Hear from the front lines of disruption.

3. Learn about the 3 startups that are members of the second cohort of the Association and CPA.com Startup Accelerator - https://www.aicpa-cima.com/accelerator.

4. Get inspired to rethink how you can leverage financial and educational technology.

• Mark S. Brooks, MBA, Associate Director, Innovation & Strategic Partnerships, Association of International Certified Professional Accountants
• Judie McCarthy, Co-founder, Client Hub
• Kacee Johnson, MBA, Senior Director, Strategy & Innovation, CPA.com
• Jotham Ty, Founder and CEO, Gappify
• Blaine Bertsch, Co-Founder and CEO, Dryrun

Preview Available

PCPS Roundtables

Identification: PST19103

For small firm owners and sole practitioners, this roundtable is the perfect opportunity to share insights about fundamental issues concerning all small firms. Develop your own network of public accounting colleagues, who are ready to offer professional support and advice.

Upon completing this session, you will:

• Have a better understanding of practice management issues firms are facing and will have suggestions on how to tackle some of those issues

• Carl G. Peterson, CPA, CGMA, VP - Small Firm Interests, Association of International Certified Professional Accountants
• Cari Weston, CPA, CGMA, Director - Tax Practice & Ethics, Association of International Certified Professional Accountants
• Lisa Simpson, CPA, CGMA, Director - Firm Services, AICPA

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Stacking the Deck for a Successful CAS Practice

Identification: PST19104

The accounting profession is refocusing on accounting services and redefining their offering. Today CAS stands for client accounting advisory services, and employs a tech stack that creates scalability, and a level playing field for firms of all sizes offering high value advisory engagements. Join this session to gain ideas to deliver future ready client accounting advisory services.

Learning objectives:

1. Introduction to what it takes to effectively tool CAS.
   
2. Discover key decision factors you need to focus on.
   
3. Hear why cloud technology is foundational to today’s services.

• Samantha Mansfield, Founder, Samantha Mansfield LLC
• Janeen Stodulski, CPA, Partner - CAS Leader, MNP LLP
• Dixie McCurley, President & Co-founder, Trusted CFO Solutions

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Are You Guiding Your Clients Towards a Bright Future? Position Yourself as a Valued Retirement Adviser

Identification: ENG19VCC2

Advising your clients on their plans for retirement is more than just setting aside money in an IRA. Find out how to guide them through the important conversations about retirement plans including unique ways to save on taxes, attracting and retaining quality talent, and meeting fiduciary requirements. As your business clients’ most trusted advisor, you are well positioned to help guide them toward a dignified retirement.

Join our session to uncover critical retirement strategies and opportunities to further assist your clients in achieving their financial goals.

1. Review current state of retirement readiness and the regulatory environment.
   
2. Compare features and options to maximize savings potential.        
   
3. Highlight the exclusive benefits provided by the AICPA to help you and your clients prepare for retirement security.

• Matthew Brock, Direct Sales Manager, Paychex

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Key Challenges and Solutions to Achieve Financial Wellness - Presented by Prudential

Identification: PFP19SS03

1. Expert insight into the financial challenges impacting American consumers today including student loan debt, retirement, insurance concerns, etc.
   
2. Understanding financial wellness and its impact.
   
3. Solutions to help address the most pressing financial challenges.

Objectives:

1. Understand the financial challenges individuals are facing today.
   
2. Learn about solutions that can help address the most pressing financial challenges facing American consumers.
   
3. Identify ways to help empower individuals to synthesize and reflect on one’s own financial profile and develop a personalized financial roadmap.

• Julie Brandon, VP, Head of Financial Wellness Distribution, Prudential

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Tech Update: Today's Biggest Trends, Solutions, and Opportunities

Identification: PST1902

What to do? What to buy? What to watch for? What to avoid? Get your answers in Tech update where you will learn about who offers reliable solutions and what is changing the market. Specific topics included in this session are: technology trends, recommended hardware specifications, applications and licensing, and security. This session provides concentrated exposure to technology that may reveal ideas, trends, and options that you had not discovered through your normal channels.

Learning objectives:

1. Describe an optimum computer configuration for an accounting professional.
   
2. Identify a new Microsoft product that covers licensing for desktop operating systems and Office.
3. Specify a business case data compliance.
   
4. List three protection tools to use while connected to the Internet.

• Randolph P. Johnston, MCS, Founder, Network Management Group, Inc.

Preview Available

Practitioners Kickoff

Identification: PST1901

The accounting profession continues to evolve and Engage is helping firms transform their practice for the future. In this session Mark Koziel and Erik Asgeirsson will pull from their vast experience interacting with the Association’s 40,000 plus firms and the profession’s technology influencers - on how services are changing and the opportunities that lie ahead.

In this session you will learn:

1. Current changes that are driving growth and opportunity in the traditional services of audit, tax and accounting services.
   
2. How small, medium and large firms can each adapt to a new way of doing things.
   
3. Current tools available to all firms in transforming their firm services.
   
4. How to leverage the Engage conference to build out these changing services.
   
5. Examples of firms that have already transformed for the future.

You’ll leave this session excited and energized about the opportunities that lie ahead for firms of all sizes.

• Erik Asgeirsson, President & CEO, CPA.com
• Mark J. Koziel, CPA, CGMA, President and CEO, Allinial Global

Preview Available

KPI / KRI Technologies

Identification: PST1903

Identifying the right Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) is critical to you and your company’s success. When determining KPIs, many people make the mistake of putting together a list of everything that they can or are measuring. Figuring out your KPIs is really a matter of figuring out what your business objectives are, how to measure them and how to drill into each measurement to understand the underlying data.

This session will discuss:

1. How to determine good Key Performance Indicators.
   
2. Understanding the concept of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
   
3. Understanding an approach to determining good Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).

• David Kovar, Ph.D., Management Consulting Leader, Abaci LLC

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Meeting Client Sales & Use Tax Needs in the Wake of Wayfair

Identification: PST1905

The Supreme Court decision in South Dakota v. Wayfair has changed the landscape around sales & use tax (SUT), determining that states can broadly require online retailers collect sales tax even if they lack a physical presence in the state. States are responding with new regulations impacting businesses that sell remotely.

In this session, we will:

1. Discuss how you can help clients respond to these changes.
   
2. Explore different business models and the types of SUT services that we are seeing in firms today.
   
3. Learn how you can leverage technology within different business models to streamline SUT processes in your firm and meet client needs.

• Chris Gallo, State & Local Tax Director, BerganKDV
• Marianne Fisher, Product Marketing Manager - SUT, CPA.com
• Craig A. Cookle, CPA, Partner, Wipfli, LLC

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The Dark Web: Do You Know Who's Watching

Identification: PST1904

Cyber criminals are constantly upgrading their technology to perform more sophisticated, widespread attacks. Preventing breaches and account takeover begins with understanding how criminals operate. This presentation will guide guests through the criminal’s timeline and methods, as well as explain why existing prevention products aren’t providing the protection organizations think. More interestingly, we will demonstrate how this same data can be used to find criminals true identities! Learn how law enforcement hunts threat actors and how their tactics can be applied to corporate protection.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand the linkage between data exposed in third-party breaches and the perpetration of fraud by criminals.
   
2. Gain insight into what works, and more importantly, what doesn't work and why in the mitigation of breaches and account takeover threat.
   
3. Learn how to turn the tables on criminals by leveraging the breadcrumbs they leave behind in third-party breaches to feed investigations.

• Chip Witt, Head of Product Strategy, SpyCloud