A quick guide to the least stuffy accounting conference we’ve been to.

It’s been confirmed that QuickBooks Connect is happening in Las Vegas again (yay!) on November 13-15, 2023.

Last year I was part of the FIFTY PERCENT sitting in the room that were first-time attenders. First-timers in a room with individuals who have been attending the event for decades. Which led me to believe, how many of us excitedly searched the internet to find out aaaaall of the details on the conference with no luck. We had the agenda, the dates, the hotel, and a general idea of what an accounting conference might be like. But what about the food (I’m so food motivated), what to wear, and how to truly connect with peers and our QuickBooks support partners? So here’s your guide to the questions you might have that probably didn’t show up in a search for last year’s event.

The Venue
The conference will once again be held at The Aria, which is a top-tier location to experience the energy of Las Vegas with minimal effort or travel. The venue is located directly on the strip and has everything most seek on their mission for a good time in Las Vegas. From polished casinos, to Jewel Nightclub (more on this later) to first-class shopping and dining (hellooo Mastro’s), to convenient Starbucks cafes, the hotel has you covered.

The Atmosphere

Being a first-timer, I was worried that I might feel intimidated or even worse, bored at a conference that could have focused on the technical accounting points of our industry. Yet, from the moment I walked through the green glowing welcome tunnel, I sensed the shift Intuit is making as the accounting industry continues its passage into digital modernity. The conference seemed alive and no details were spared when it came to creating a fun, energetic, space. From the champagne reception on the first day to the glow party on the last night, the conference was a great mix of work and play and the atmosphere made me feel comfortable to do both.

The Goodies

There were a lot of freebies handed out over the 3 days so make sure you leave room for the extra weight in your suitcase. And there’s plenty of time built in to walk around the exhibit hall and meet with the sponsor companies that support our work as accounting professionals while also grabbing their free goodies. QuickBooks handed out free branded Yetis (pictured below) with customizable stickers. Of the not-so-standard swag items we received were chances to pet puppies (thanks Avalara), professional headshots (Mailchimp), a complimentary cocktail bar (Expensify), a boba bar (Paypal), coffee bar (DIGITS), and sweet shoppe (ADP). It was worth it to walk through the exhibit hall several times to see what might have been missed the first or second time.

The Food

People literally come to Vegas for buffets. While the provided breakfast and lunch buffets weren’t those reknown AYCE crab adventures, they still did the job to fill us with a wide selection of hot and cold dishes. I think my favorite meal was lunch on Day 2 which had a spread of meatballs, chicken scarpariello, Mediterranean sea bass, Gnocchetti sardi, Tuscan roasted vegetables, and rosemary focaccia. Along with tiramisu, which needed its own sentence out of respect. The breakfast buffet had easy-to-grab breakfast burritos along with the other standard breakfast items. And there was always coffee and tea. For those with dietary restrictions, the food items were labeled with V, GF, VE, and DF designations.

What to Wear

I put way too much thought into this before I left so I’m here to tell you: wear what makes you comfortable. Wear what makes you, you. There was no standard outfit. Many people wore business casual, which was to be expected. A lot of people wore jeans and blazers. Being in Vegas, I saw lots of sparkles. My favorite outfit that I felt most like myself in was pleather pants with a blazer and black boots. I did bring a fun sparkly jumper for the Glow Party which made me feel ready for the fun, however many people at the party were in their every day clothes too.

The Education

This is definitely last but not least. My top priority was to learn from others and leave the event as a better accounting professional. We had 96 breakout sessions to choose from. My agenda (which I was able to create weeks ahead of time through the amazing QB Connect app) consisted of workshops on CEO mindset, advisory services, becoming an empowered bookkeeper, building tax road maps for my clients, creating year-end readiness checklists, and how to deliver the services clients crave. I loved how the offerings were a mix between entrepreneurial and accounting mindsets. The speakers were individuals running their own firms who wanted to share tips from the success (and failures) they found within our industry. We also had the opportunity to setup our own small group discussions called Braindates. I was not able to attend one but the space for it in the exhibit hall always seemed to be filled with lively discussions on various topics attendees could sign up for before and throughout the conference.

The greatest privilege was to sit in the audience and listen to the dynamic guest speakers. We were honored to hear advice from Serena Williams, Simon Sinek, and Malcolm Gladwell. Their genius will live on and to have been in the same room as them was monumental

One Last Takeaway

I’ll never forget stepping into Jewel Night Club for the Glow Party on our last night of conference and seeing so many accounting professionals letting loose and enjoying themselves. Having worked in the industry for 16+ years and going through many tax seasons, I know how hard accountants work. The hours are long. The seasons are longer. QuickBooks Connect was truly a place we were able to come together and realize that we don’t have to do this alone. We can learn from each other and have fun doing so.

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