AAT news and viewpoints
BY AAT COMMENT ⋅ NOVEMBER 17 2015
AAT’s 2015 Annual Conference was one of the member highlights of 2015. As early bird places go on sale for 2016’s event, we give you six great reasons to book your ticket before they sell out.
Meet your new boss or find a great employee
For those just staring out in their accountancy career, AAT’s Annual Conference is the perfect place to network and meet potential employers. It’ll also give you the opportunity to find out what skills are in demand and what employers are really looking for. Conversely with a large number of students set to join this year’s event, the Annual Conference is an excellent way to scout emerging talent from within the organisation.
As AAT’s flagship event, you’ll have the opportunity to meet everyone from senior council members, industry experts and fresh faced students. AAT’s Annual Conference is also the perfect opportunity to meet some of AAT’s key staff – from our Member Engagement team and Marketing department to some of our senior managers and executives. We’ll be there to help you find your way and make the most of the conference. More importantly this is the perfect opportunity to let us know how AAT is working for you, how we can improve the organisation and how we can support you better.
Meet your peers in the swimming pool with the Annual Conference app
A common custom in Finland sees many businesses arrange their meetings in the sauna to get their most important work done. Full disclosure – there are no official sauna sessions booked at AAT’s Annual Conference, yet delegates who stay overnight get access to all the hotels facilities including swimming pool, Jacuzzi and spa. You can use the Annual Conference app (launching next year) to find out who’s attending, connect with your fellow delegates and book in time to meet up. Whether that’s at the formal sessions, the bar or somewhere more unconventional, we’ll leave that up to you…
Hear from the experts and sharpen your skills
Speakers from last year’s conference included Philippa Foster Back – Director of the Institute of Business Ethics, former Royal Marine and wargames expert, Chris Paton and cybercrime expert Rik Ferguson whose packed out session was so revealing that it left jaws on the floor – including my own.
While some of the speakers are yet to be announced (watch-this space), we can confirm the reappearance of tax guru Michael Steed, whose tax surgery was so oversubscribed last year that we’ll be running two separate sessions to accommodate demand. Elsewhere, Steve Collings will be walking us through the new UK GAAP regime. See the current line-up here.
Rub shoulders with a superhero
Last year’s conference fell on the same weekend as comic book convention The City of Heroes, where Brandon Routh, the star ofSuperman Returns was spotted wandering around the Birmingham Metropole. Elsewhere the Bodypower Expo took place at the Birmingham NEC with many of the stars staying at the conference venue where they could be seen flexing their muscles.
This year, the BBC’s much celebrated Gardener’s Word Live expo takes place over the conference weekend with horticultural superheroes Alan Titchmarsh and Monty Don in attendance, so make sure you’ve brushed up on your herbaceous borders, in case you bump into a horticultural superhero.
And finally…
Everybody loves the Annual Conference!
After a survey of 2015 attendees, 96% said they would be back in 2016. Book your ticket now before it sells out. With the AAT family in one place, a beautiful sit down meal, some light entertainment and a little wine, who could say no!
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