This one-on-one discussion will focus on the various impacts COVID-19 has had on the entertainment industry and their financial practices. We will compare those that have thrived vs those who have had struggled and the phenomenal dominance of online streaming platforms during the pandemic vs the closing of Disney theme parks. Discover how each of the organizations have had to adjust their businesses and plans. 

No one wants to hear that she isn't doing a good job. Thus no one wants to tell her. Telling your boss you're frustrated or aren't hitting your targets is even more difficult, and thus many of us don't. Worse, is that most feedback, positive or negative, is useless because it's vague. Get a simple formula to make even the most difficult conversation easier. Conversations will be short, specific and on point. They won't be personal. They will be actionable. You'll be able to say what you want to say, when you want to say it, in a way that the other person can hear you and take action.

The CPA profession remains overwhelmingly white and male, particularly when you look at our leadership ranks. By now, most of us understand the importance of embracing diversity in the workplace. Not only are there countless business benefits (e.g., increased creativity, enhanced perspective, improved performance, global impact and more), it's simply the right thing to do. Yet, we continue to struggle in making meaningful change when it comes to diversity, equity and inclusion. 

Are you struggling with how to preserve the boundaries of your remote team? Do you worry if they are working too little or too much? While some staff feels socially isolated, others may relish in the quiet. Balancing the personalities of your remote work team is crucial. This session will cover the topics you need to respectfully manage your remote employees without sacrificing your own time, health, or productivity.

Security is consistently listed as one of the AICPA's Top Technology concerns, but few accounting firms take it seriously until they have been impacted by a breach. Roman will walk through the necessary components of accounting firm's security, including the latest information breach statistics and the specifics of how to minimize your firm's greatest exposure: YOUR PERSONNEL. He will also provide participants with the necessary resources to review their IT Policy/Governance infrastructure and to conduct their own firm security training.

In this session, the group of panelists will share perspectives on technology challenges from around the globe. Attendees will gain an understanding of how technology today is the "global language" and the challenges experienced in North America are similar to those experienced in every corner of the globe. The panelists represent audit, tax and advisory, with experience ranging from very small to Big 4 firms within various continents. The attendees will realize quickly that "they are not alone" when it comes to dealing with technology issues, as well as how technology is the driving force behind growth and revenue opportunities in all of our practices. 

Robotic process automation (RPA) bots, custom apps, and digital plumbing are revolutionizing how work gets done in today’s economy. Many firms and their clients have been embracing “best of breed” solutions and would like to automate the exchange of data between different business solutions using solutions like the Microsoft Power Platform (Power Automate, Power Apps, and Power BI), which already work with over 300 different platforms. While these technologies have already been adopted by many enterprises, their uses in small and mid-sized businesses are still emerging, and accounting professionals must understand the implications of their use on their internal control structure. Attend this session to learn the fundamentals of these innovative automation solutions, see how others are effectively using these solutions and watch a demonstration of an RPA being built in session.

Major Topics:

• Overview of RPA and other process automation technologies
• Discussion of how RPA, digital plumbing, and custom apps can impact workflow automation
• Bot capabilities and script creation approaches – pro-code versus low-code/no-code
• Walk through building an RPA to automate data entry into tax software

Sharon Kreider and Karen Brosi, in their usual fast paced style, will update you on individual tax news that you missed while you were suffering through another brutal tax season. The session will include 2021 changes included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 and the American Rescue Plan Act, highlighting planning issues for the balance of the year. A discussion of 2021 Tax Court decisions and IRS rulings will illustrate exam targets for your individual clients.

The topic of allyship is more interesting and valuable to everyone today, but what are the rules of engagement and how do you define success? Most leaders understand that people connections are essential, but what are the elements of allyship and being an ally that are critical to greater performance leadership and outcomes? By the end of this session, you will not only be able to define allyship better, but you will know how to assess your effectiveness as an ally and the benefits of getting it right – to you, your teams and your organization. Join former AICPA Chairman who is immediate-past Chair of the NCDI, Rich Caturano and RSM National CDI Leader, Tracey Walker, for this engaging and interactive discussion on allyship. 

Does the thought of waking up at 5 AM to get your day started make you nauseous? Me too! But as Robin Sharma says, "Own Your Morning. Elevate Your Life.". This session is based on Sharma's book, The 5 AM Club, and will provide invaluable resources to change your mindset, set routines, focus on personal growth, and elevate your work and life productivity. Topics such as the 20/20/20 Formula, Habit Installation, and the 4 Interior Empires of ourselves are just a few ways we will deconstruct and apply secrets to elite performance and personal contentment.

Your content says a lot about you. What are you sharing and how are you sharing it? In this session, I will share tips to help you create compelling content that makes you stand out and helps you become a thought leader. We'll go through exercises to help you explore your strengths and display your subject matter expertise. This is for individuals who want to strengthen their digital presence and enhance their credibility in the profession by sharing thoughtful content on social media, writing a book, creating a podcast, and building their portfolio of work to attract their target audience.

Not only has the pandemic reset the world's economic system, it's resetting behavior, customer behavior, purchasing patterns, customer tastes and preferences. Businesses have had to reimagine their business models and serve their customers in a completely different way. Hear how AWS/Amazon have reimagined their business model and continue their strong performance and are ready for the next normal. Christina Kite will share the role that finance has played, not just in the crisis, but to set up the business for the future. 

Most M&A deals typically go through five stages: preliminary discussions; transactional detail meetings and negotiations; an initial agreement outlined in a memo of understanding or letter of intent; due diligence; and the transaction agreement and signing of the partner/shareholder agreement. Determining and agreeing on the best criteria to achieve a successful merger is imperative to making the right decision at the right time. Developing a plan to guide the merger transaction and related checklists starting with selecting the best firm to partner and combine with and the ensuing pre- and post-merger activities, is crucial to a successful merger. 

In this session, Angie discusses the enormous opportunity that professionals have to step into the Most Trusted Advisor role with clients and how this positioning will pay dividends for years to come. Setting yourself up as a Trusted Advisor starts internally with team members, can be expanded into your network and community, and can then be carried over into your relationship with clients. No matter what level of experience team members have, certain actions and behaviors can be learned and strengthened to improve positioning as an advisor. In this session, you will take away ideas for how to immediately improve your credibility, reliability and intimacy scores while focusing on the interest of your team members, COIs and clients.

What trends are emerging in firm practice management that you should know about? How are firms recruiting and retaining talent, dealing with succession challenges, keeping up with technology that changes rapidly, managing the impacts of COVID? We'll explore these questions and more.

What are the latest tools and technologies available to make the life of a road warrior a little easier? In this session, we will take a closer look at the practical and mobile technologies supporting and empowering remote employees to work smarter.

The new reality of work today would be unimaginable to most of us even 5 years ago. Everything is different. The workforce, the tools, the laws, the workplace — and companies that don’t focus on these stunning shifts can find themselves quickly left behind. We’re looking at what’s new: the who, what, when, how, where, and even why. There are critical trends to know about — and we’ll help you pinpoint the best game plan for getting ahead of them.

By helping clients recognize and address these areas, you can elevate your position to be more consultative — rather than transactional — and continue to strengthen your relationships with them.

Tony Nitti will take you through what's new in the world of business taxation. Nitti will address recent legislation and administrative rulings, and also take a look at potential changes over the coming months.

Join members of the AICPA's Individual and Self Employed Tax Technical Resource Panel (ISET TRP) for a debrief of key issues to be aware of for this filing season, along with a review of current legislative developments- including COVID-19 relief and how the AICPA is working to advocate for our members. The panel will also cover new cases and revenue rulings, as well as report on significant code section cases that may affect your practice. Attendees are encouraged to bring their questions to the session as well as get feedback and tips on how to complete the 2021 filing season and start planning for a better 2022 filing season.

Corporations are leading the way in creating policies and programs that ensure equality for LGBTQ+ people. But research shows that roughly half of LGBTQ+ adults still remain closeted at work. The problem is often in workplace culture, and the solution lies in supportive allies becoming more visible and engaged. In this session, participants will find out why this issue is relevant at work, whether LGBTQ+ or not. They’ll learn the ways to reframe who allies are, the power they have to create change. We’ll also provide space to honestly discuss the barriers that allies face in expressing support in the workplace. Finally, participants will get new strategies and tools needed to help allies break through the barriers and be part of creating real inclusion. 

Do you know why someone should choose to do business with you? If you don't know why someone should choose you, then chances are your prospective clients don't know this either. As the accounting industry shifts focus to add more advisory and consulting type services, the importance of understanding your unique value and building a personal brand has become the key to success.

In this interactive session, we will explore ways to help you determine your unique value, provide a formula to clearly articulate that value as well as a framework to establish yourself as an industry leader in your niche area of expertise.

We've learned a lot from COVID and how CPA firms have been impacted. Based on two surveys we've completed and anecdotal information, we will discuss what firms should expect for growth and what they can learn from what worked/didn't work.

Why does generosity matter? Join Jen and Amy to learn how generosity leads to sustained happiness and health of your team and prevents burnout. When you serve in a leadership role, the most important attribute you can generate within your team is trust. And the easiest way to produce trust is to be an unselfish leader. Attend this session to explore the impact that a culture of generosity can have on your firm’s success.

When you are a giving leader, others give back. Leave this session with a clear picture of the impact generosity can have on the success of your team, your clients and your firm. 

Firm Managers play a critical role in the success of any professional services firm. This session will focus on a current state discussion of the accounting profession, and an evaluation of what activities successful Firm Managers employ to add measurable value to their respective growing CPA firms. We will hear from several successful Firm Managers that will highlight their respective successes (and failures) as they engage with fellow firm leaders and future leaders to grow their respective firms.

This session covers Excel tips and tricks, such as Flash Fill, instantly foot and cross-foot, and other Excel features and functions. 

In this session, the attendees will gain an understanding of how technology is quickly changing the audit. From artificial intelligence to machine learning, technology's role will be a driving factor in helping to insure audit quality and transformation well into the future. Attendees will get a peek at some of the best practices in this space, including an overview of the AICPA's Dynamic Audit Solution and its new transformative approach to audit, and hear a discussion on evolving standards.

COVID-19 has resulted in catastrophic losses estimated in excess of $16 Trillion dollars world-wide. The effects that COVID-19 has had on businesses will be long felt after the pandemic has subsided. In this session, we will discuss current policies and tax strategies centered around making the most of a bad situation.

S Corporation Update and Planning Session. It will cover tax legislation, cases, regulations and rulings that have been issued over the last couple of years that affect S Corporations. The focus will be the tax planning that was done or should have been done.

Recent changes in tax law have affected real estate owners and investors. In addition, the current administration is proposing further changes that could have a dramatic impact on taxpayers holding real property. This session will look at recent laws, rulings and court cases as well as possible legislative changes and provide practical tips and planning ideas to pass along to your clients.

A continuous cycle of feedback is imperative to a healthy working relationship. However, while most have become better at the feedback process, many still hold back in the process. This session will explore ways to provide feedback that is so valuably needed, to learn how to receive and process these areas of improvement and to be a cheerleader to those along the way. 

A dive into one aspect of personal growth and leadership that cannot be tackled alone. We all have behaviors and habits that do not come across to others the way we think they do. These are not called visible spots or awareness spots. They are called blind spots. We need people in our lives who are willing to help us identify them. We need to become aware of how we are "showing up" and this session will start us on the path of widening our perspective and removing our blind spots.

The pandemic has reset the global operating system, challenging every organization to rethink and reimagine their very business and operating models. The CFO needs to have a clear vision of preparing their teams and organizations for the “Next-Normal” to harness the opportunities that abound in a post pandemic landscape.

This session will focus on crafting the CFO agenda to drive resiliency and growth. Tom Hood and Ash Noah will discuss the imperatives and shifts that Finance teams need to make and summarize the key actions and take-aways from the Finance track.

The writing is on the wall - traditional compliance services are being disintermediated by advancements in information technology. Firms need to expand their practice to a more advisory focus if they want to grow and thrive in the future. Roman will present a number of approaches and resources to support this conclusion as well as how to effectively transition your firm and personnel to being their client's "trusted business advisor."

Proposals are living documents that encompass the communication and the spirit of the engagement that was set during your sales cycle. Proposals are the foundation of the legal relationship between you and your clients, and help set clear expectations for both sides. Failure to properly set the tone can create friction in your working relationship, potentially costing you the client. How can you mitigate some of those risks when you provide this first deliverable to your client? Join Liz Mason as she shares ways to perfect client proposals.

It's impossible to overstate the importance of linking a firm's strategy to the "Big Four" issues of owner compensation, succession planning, profitability and buy-outs.  While the fundamental concepts of these issues are common, there is a uniqueness to how you address them based on your firm's overall core values.  These core values create your unique performance-based culture which, in turn, informs how you lead in these important areas.  This session will provide you with tools and strategies to both understand the connectivity of these issues while empowering you with the information to lead.

Everyone wants to know that their information is secure. Companies are relying upon SOC examinations to provide their customers and auditors with an independent report of their internal controls and cybersecurity. There are tremendous opportunities for CPAs to provide SOC services to their existing clients and new clients. SOC 1, SOC 2, SOC for Cybersecurity and SOC for Supply Chain are all products with great potential for practitioners. In this session, learn how to ramp up your firm's resources to provide these money making services.

As firms are challenged to evolve during these uncertain times, one thing became clear: cloud-based technology is essential, and the age of automation is here. By strategically aligning technology and automation with client accounting advisory services (CAS), firms can save time on traditionally manual processes, and focus on helping clients improve inefficiencies and grow their businesses.

Not only does technology and automation add value to your services, it provides new revenue opportunities.

When you look at the adoption of accounting technology automation on a curve of evolution, where do you stand now, and how will you reach maximum efficiency?

In this session, experts will showcase what a “highly automated firm” looks like, discuss the journey to get there, and help you understand:

• The value cloud-technology brings to you and your clients

• The three different levels of the automation curve

• How to develop a plan to get ahead of the curve, and on the path to a successful, profitable, and efficient CAS practice

This session will take you thru the mechanics of a 7508A filing delay to preparing returns for taxpayers with casualty losses. This session will also provide the participants with an update and review of the necessary information for CPAs to prepare returns for taxpayers affected by natural disasters and assist clients with other recovery matters.

Major Topics include:

1. Code Section 7508A and how it affects returns
2. Personal Casualty Losses
3. Business Casualty Losses
4. Involuntary Conversions
5. 121 Exclusions
6. Personal Property

This session will cover all of the updates to international tax that you need to know about. this includes any recent legislation, regulations and case law as well as proposed legislation impacting International Tax.

Opportunities and obstacles presented by recent legislation and the 2021 final regulations governing partnership and partner §163(j) business interest expense will be covered during this session -- including tactics involving aggregation of gross receipts, trading partnerships, self-lending, debt-financed distributions, tiered partnerships, guaranteed payments, electing real property trades or businesses, relief for BBA partnerships, and CARES Act benefits. We will discuss strategies for carried interest holders to avoid being inadvertently trapped by the TCJA three-year holding period rule in light of the 2021 final regulations -- including ensuring relief for partnership capital interests, avoiding the look-through rule for dispositions, and understanding the special rule for transfers to related parties. In addition, we'll cover tax advantages of converting partner loans to a partnership interest rather than modifying the loan, along with distinguishing debt from equity.

Do you ever feel stuck? As if you can't break through to the next level? Chances are you are holding yourself back. Don't let fear and doubt take control. Once you learn how to expand your comfort zone, you will be able to achieve your maximum potential. 

Many accountants think they face one of two paths in their professional life: working at a public accounting firm or getting a corporate accounting job. Join this session to learn about a third path as Lance CPA Group founder Joshua Lance shares his experience founding a firm of his own. Whether starting your own business or building a niche within a larger firm, your entrepreneurial passion may be the key to a fulfilling career.

Many firms are working harder than ever, but aren't being fairly compensated for their knowledge and strategic work.

If you're charging for your time and labor, but feel like you're giving away your "expertise" for free, that could indicate your client roster is misaligned.

This session will cover exactly how you can optimize your client roster through better client management - landing and keeping the right clients while firing or reorganizing the rest.

Applying the strategies in this session will allow you to:

• Significantly increase your cash flow by matching the right service level with the right clients.
• Reveal how to simplify your workflows so you can stress less and focus your time on work that matters.

Join four experienced CPA Firm Managers as they provide an overview of the top operational issues facing accounting firms post pandemic. Daniel Gregory, PAFM, firm administrator with Genske Mulder & Company, LLP and Alan Alexander, CPA, PAFM, chief operating officer with Jackson Thornton will review the issues those managing the day-to-day operations of a firm will need to deal with going into 2022. The issues include the “new” work model, staffing, wellness and managing the remote worker. While several of these have continually appeared on top issues survey results, each will need to be re-examined with strategic plans and current firm initiatives retooled by the firm’s leadership post pandemic. Kristine Latchaw, CPA, PAFM, director of administration with Maner Costerisan and Kim Fitzgerald, PAFM, director with Squire Lemkin & Company will review how the CPA Firm Management Association will be addressing these issues and supporting today’s firm manager. From collaborative work sessions to in-person education, firm managers will learn the proactive approaches to turn these challenges into results-oriented success stories. At the end of the session, the CPA Firm Management Association’s Firm Manager of the Year Award will be presented.

Knowing how to make the most impact when networking in a digital space has never been more important. However, the idea of networking digitally can feel impersonal, awkward, and inorganic without a clear approach on how to make the most of your online connections. Building great business relationships virtually takes practice, intention, and a willingness to give your network in a generous and reciprocal way. In this session, we will share best practices for networking online, discussing everything from building an authentic presence to attracting and building genuine relationships with the people you truly want to connect with most.

Take this exceptional opportunity to meet with and discuss the latest developments in IT for the CPA. We will be discussing the latest developments in the industry and how it affects you and your practice. You will have an opportunity to talk to industry leaders and ask them the questions you need to take back to your practice. Don't miss this unique opportunity to discuss cybersecurity, SOC reporting, and more.

This session will review the challenges and opportunities that confront debtors and creditors in an insolvent or bankrupt setting. 

Big changes are ahead for 2021 Partnership K-1s.  Forms K-2 and K-3 have been added to provide greater clarity for partners on how to computer their U.S. income tax liability with respect to items of international tax relevance.  This session will highlight the changes coming for 2021 as well as the already challenging changes from 2019-2020.

This session will focus on the impact of work-from-home (WFH) on the business landscape, with specific implications outlined for the accounting profession as well those individuals employed therein. Specific topics will include, but are not limited to how WFH influences corporate culture, communication within the firm as well with clients, and the challenges WFH can post for developing and maintaining consistent workflows and operations. Additionally, examples will be provided as to how WFH arrangements - on the side of practitioners as well as clients - can (and are) reshaping how engagements are planned and performed. Examples will be provided around audit, tax, and advisory engagements. At the end of the session there will be time for Q&A

Learning Objectives: At the end of this session attendees will be able to

1) Define and explain what WFH is and how it is different from other hybrid work arrangements

2) Differentiate the types of WFH arrangements that do exist

3) Explain how WFH can challenge practice management and firm development

4) Articulate the opportunities around WFH for recruitment and engagement planning

5) Detail how WFH is changing audit, tax, and advisory engagements

The COVID pandemic brought forth an alphabet soup of federal financial assistance programs, including the Payroll Protection Program (PPP), Employee Retention Credit (ERC), Provider Relief Fund (PRF), and Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF), among others. Accountants and practitioners must understand what those programs are about and how to report them properly in the financial statements. This session covers the nuts and bolts of accounting for the more common federal relief programs, including financial statement and disclosure implications.

• Participants will be able to apply technical literature and other practice guidance relevant to addressing the topics covered in this program.
• Participants will be able to recognize issues related to the accounting and financial reporting implications of governmental COVID relief funding.

An in-depth discussion of the role of charitable planning in a client’s overall tax, estate and financial planning and the tax efficient strategies to consider in implementing that plan.

Learning Objectives:

• Why charitable planning should be part of – or at least discussed in – every client’s estate plan.

• Discuss lifetime outright charitable gift techniques and the tax implications of each including gifts of appreciated securities, real estate, life insurance policies and qualified charitable IRA rollovers.

• Discuss testamentary charitable gifts including bequests, life estate deeds and the insurance and retirement account beneficiary designations.

• Discuss charitable remainder trusts and charitable lead trusts and what client facts would result in their discussion.

Firms are embracing formal initiatives and confirming the substantial benefits that offer to help enhance their firm's ability to attract, retain and advance women. But there is still progress to be made. What should women examine when entering a partnership? Is there unconscious bias in partnership offers? And if so, how do we combat this with your firm's diversity and inclusion efforts?

Roth conversions have always had the potential to unlock hidden value. However, in 2021 may be an especially effective year to consider a conversion as many expect market volatility and marginal tax rate increase seems clearly on the horizon.

Moreover, the SECURE Act expands the impact of Roth conversions beyond a quantitative arbitrage game to a strategic estate planning issue. The shift from life expectancy distributions to a 10-year distribution is at its core a mathematical problem. Therefore, quantitative driven strategies can mitigate the impact of lost deferral and Roth conversions will be the primary tool for most families.

Specifically, this webinar will cover the following topics:

· Low value Roth conversions

· Critical Roth conversion concepts after SECURE

· 10+ Reasons to convert to a Roth IRA

· Taxation of Roth IRA conversions and distributions

· Mathematics of Roth IRA conversions

· Estate tax considerations and why a Roth conversion is much better when an estate tax exists

· Hedging Roth conversions with life insurance

Virtual work is a part of many companies and while most employees prefer this type of arrangement, it doesn’t mean that there aren’t challenges to it. With “life” and new ways of doing things, many employees feel burnt out, stressed, tired, and disengaged. It’s more important than ever for leaders to truly engage with their employees in this virtual world so they feel heard, understood, connected, appreciated, and fulfilled. To accomplish this, leaders need to practice emotional intelligence (EQ) techniques. Join me to explore the world of EQ and learn how you can deeply connect with your virtual teams!