Intuit® Thrive Conference 2015 – An event that encompassed amazing talent, over 300 attendees and an unanticipated level of excitement – to say that Intuit Thrive 2015 was a success would be an understatement!
When guests walked through the entrance of the beautiful Westin Harbour Castle in Toronto, Nov. 10-12, they immediately felt the energy of the conference and shared their enthusiasm and anticipation of what the 3-day event would bring.
THOUGHT LEADERS, BREAKOUT SESSIONS AND ONE-ON-ONE INTERACTIONS
Accounting professionals from across Canada were awestruck at the incredible event. Expecting to see some Canadian speakers, they were treated to more than they could have possibly anticipated.
Here are some highlights:
Ron Baker’s Value Pricing Keynote. He shifted the audiences’ paradigm from pricing as a time commodity to a commodity of intellectual capital. The audience was furiously scribbling away as he walked them through the eight steps of implementing value pricing and how this change can dramatically impact their practice and bottom line.
Frank O’Dea’s Motivation. His powerful story chronicling his personal journey of a once homeless panhandler fighting through adversity to become the co-founder of Second Cup had the crowd speechless. His gripping story, coupled with the simplified messaging of ‘It takes two people and an idea,’ left a distinct impact and the audience feeling empowered.
Perry Monaco’s Building Your Brand Keynote: Google Yourself: The Importance of a Social Media Strategy. This LinkedIn customer success manager spoke on why the accounting industry needs to implement social media, sharing key takeaways on how to address social media strategies and how to measure its success.
Breakout Sessions. The breakout sessions were so popular that some ended up being standing room only. They offered four streams that provided guests with valuable learnings and insights into how they can streamline their practice:
- Big Tax – Michael Ford provided an overview of ProFile’s most time-saving features in preparation for season, and Jennifer Moore led a conversation about why preparing taxes should be a part of every bookkeeper’s regimen.
- QuickBooks® Connect – QBO power-users Rachel Fisch and Elaine Morgan went over how to get the most out of the cloud.
- Appification – Real-life accounting professionals covered what they believe to be the best possible combination of technology in today’s cloud-based FMS ecosystem.
- Firm of the Future – Great digital thought leaders, such as Steve Loates and Andrew Wall, spoke to how firms should be communicating with their clients for the sake of competing in the new economy. Meanwhile, Louie Prosperi, President of the Institute of Professional Bookkeepers of Canada (IPBC), spoke to how their research shows that the industry has and continues to change.
Connecting with Sponsors and App Partners. In between breaks, guests visited the showcase floor where they engaged with nearly 20 app developer partners that integrate directly with QuickBooks Online.
Sunset Social. As day turned to evening, the room transformed into an energized concert venue and dining space that catered to the ambiance of the room, cityscape backdrop and social vibe.
Guests were treated to a gourmet culinary experience from the renowned chef, Corbin Tomaszeski, who served up an array of tasty tidbits.
The evening rounded out with a special musical treat from Jim Cuddy of the legendary Canadian band Blue Rodeo.
A full day of training. Attendees chose between four streams of training. QuickBooks app partners delivered a full day of training on how to use Hubdoc, T-Sheets, ReceiptBank and Jobber. Accounting professionals who were new to QuickBooks Online learned the basics, while seasoned QuickBooks users moved onto the Advanced Training, where they were taught best practices, such as converting clients from Desktop to Online, inventory management and multi-currency functionality. Last, but certainly not least, there was training on ProFile for those guests who wanted to get more familiar with the product before the tax crunch time, learning about time-saving CRA features and the basics of the T1 module.
Intuit feels honoured to have hosted so many amazing accounting professionals. We hope that you enjoyed it as much as we enjoyed having you. If you’d like to hear about what Intuit’s guests thought, check out the event on Twitter using the hashtag #IntuitThrive, and make sure to tag us with the @IntuitAcctsCA handle if you would like to join in on the conversation. Also, stay tuned for Thrive recordings.
Interested in participating in future training and events? Find out what’s coming to your area.
