As an accounting or auditing professional, you’ll want to keep apprised of accounting conferences, trade shows, training courses and industry gatherings. By regularly attending such events, you can refresh skills, discover new accounting tools and network with finance industry insiders.

Find reliable sources so you’ll have a constant influx of event listings and invitations for events for accountants. Consider signing up on a variety of group mailing lists that will automatically alert you to local accounting and auditing events. You can also stay current with educational and social industry happenings by seeking to:

1. Discover the websites of prominent accounting and auditing conferences and trade shows to track or receive notification of upcoming show dates.
2. Participate in auditing and accounting associations that organize accounting events like training seminars, networking opportunities and keynote addresses.
3. Tap informational industry resources like trade publications, journals, news websites and blogs that include listings of upcoming accounting and auditing events.
   

Action Steps
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Check the promotional sites of annual auditing and accounting conferences to track upcoming dates

Be sure to bookmark online directories listing accounting and auditing events so you can check them often. If you discover an older training class or conference that interests you, contact the organizing sponsor for the date of their next annual event.

I recommend: Microsoft Dynamics provides a listing of upcoming accounting events such as auditing conferences, business expos, accounting seminars and webcasts. Simply click the links for more information on individual events. Find an events archive and listing on AccountancyAge that primarily cover training seminars and continuing education opportunities.

Join industry associations to network and hear about training and social opportunities

Not only do accounting associations and organizations promote their own accounting and auditing events, they also provide additional auditing seminar and conference information through their websites or newsletters. You may also discover event news by networking with other members on forums and blogs.

I recommend: The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants provides a comprehensive listing of national and international accounting associations, many of which sponsor accounting events and training seminars. Find an association that interests you through the directory offered by Wiley Higher Education.

Gather published and online resources that provide news of impending accounting conferences

Although you can find details on industry conventions and classes in printed publications, getting accounting and auditing events news and trends online will also help you to stay current with smaller industry happenings since websites listings receive more updates than their printed counterparts.

I recommend: Subscribe to the Accountants World Daily Newsletter for breaking news on industry standards, practices, education, trends and upcoming accountant events. Accounting Web is a constant source of accounting and auditing events, news and training and networking opportunities.

Accounting and auditing events are an essential part of the job for the accounting professional. Whether you are a certified public accountant (CPA), or one of the many business professionals who number accounting tasks among their job responsibilities, events for accountants will keep you informed about the frequent changes in financial laws and practices. But there are other advantages to attending accounting events.

The benefits of accounting and auditing events are numerous:

1. Accounting conferences keep you up to date on financial laws and practices.

2. An auditing seminar can provide continuing professional education.

3. Accounting and auditing events encourage networking with professional peers.

4. You can share practical knowledge and experience at accounting conferences.

Action Steps
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Seek out accounting events sponsored by professional organizations

National organizations sponsor accounting conferences and seminars, including more specialized auditing conferences. These organizations have the resources to offer a wide range of events, addressing broad issues of concern to the accounting profession as well as more narrowly defined professional niches.

I recommend: The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) website provides a link to AICPA conferences and workshops, as does the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) and the American Management Association (AMA).

Consult providers of continuing professional education for an accountant seminar

Tax accountants, in particular, must obtain required CPE credits. For other accounting professionals, CPE providers are an excellent source of accounting seminars and other events.

I recommend: The National Business Institute (NBI) offers Accountant Continuing Professional Education Seminars. Among auditing events, check out AuditWorld, sponsored by MIS Training Institute, or auditing seminar and training sessions sponsored by the Institute of Internal Auditors or Osterio Group.

Attend a CPA seminar

A number of businesses offer exam review seminars for aspiring CPAs. Frequently, these courses provide attendees with the opportunity to earn required CPE credits and help in preparing for the CPA exam.

I recommend: The Accounting Institute Seminars (AIS) website offers in house seminars to employees of corporations and firms. Becker CPA Review provides a listing of review courses by location, as well as a selection of online courses.

Investigate local accounting events

Universities, business colleges, and local chapters of professional organizations may sponsor speakers or workshops.

I recommend: The National Conference of CPA Practitioners (NCCPAP) website provides assistance in locating local chapters. Also, try contacting the business college at your local university for information on upcoming events.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Join professional accounting organizations to receive promotional information about important accounting and auditing events, and to obtain discounted registration fees.
• •  Begin with local events to save travel costs and learn which types of events will be most helpful.
• •  Find out if your company will pay for you to attend professional events on company time.

Accounting and auditing events, contrary to what you might think, aren't just for dedicated CPA firms. Any accounting professionals in any major role in a company should get access to these events to figure out how to enhance business accounting and to keep it very legit for a new age where regulation matters. Get your accounting crew out of that smoky backroom and out into the mix for a better bottom line and transparent books.

For businesses that may not be savvy to the role of accounting events, there are some resources on the web that may assist in demonstrating the utility of accounting and auditing events for beginners that previously considered these conferences and gatherings something beyond their purview. Readers can find:

1. Info on the kind of accounting and auditing events that cover crucial regulatory news and views for federal compliance, open book-keeping, and safety from the liabilities associated with cooking the books.

2. Resources on what events are big for the auditing community and what internal auditors tend to focus on.

3. More on professional accounting meetings or accounting seminars from a business management standpoint.

Action Steps
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Look for beginner's sources on accounting events related to regulatory compliance

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) of the prior decade had a resounding effect on everything they will be talking about at the next big accounting conferences or summit meetings. Take a look at web resources demo-ing events (like a CPA seminar) that handle that kind of integral issue.

I recommend: Take a look at this "events page" from Compliance Home to find news about meetings with regulations compliance in mind, including SOX and other federal requirements. Find more at the Executive Enterprise Institute: "The Leader in Compliance and Best Practices Training."

Get more beginner's intros on auditing conferences and events

The world of internal auditing can have its own little quirks. Those interested in getting more knowledgeable about the auditing community can view events for the auditor conference world and think about how these will affect the solvency of the business or what auditors will bring back from these meetings.

I recommend: This Audit World 2009 page from the MIS Training Institute focuses on "summit" meetings for, of, and regarding the audit. Find out more about what audit events are coming up and how they impact the auditor's world at the site of the Institute of Internal Auditors (IAA).

Find more resources on accounting and auditing events for business management

There's more on the web regarding accountant conference events, the kinds of meetings that almost any business can profit from, and places where you may be sending a financial 'ambassador' in the near future.

I recommend: Get news on seminars offered from CPE Online: "America's Leader in Continuing Professional Education." Find out more at the web venue of the American Management Association.

There are many accounting and auditing events available to learn about various types of accounting and auditing standards and how to apply them to your practice. Since there are many types of accounting and auditing events including conferences, seminars, webinars and courses, it is important to know the key terms associated with each to ensure the event selected meets the needs of attendees. Learn the key terms for accounting and auditing events so that you can find the event that meets your business requirements.

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Mergers, acquisitions and divestitures workshops

Mergers, acquisitions and divestitures describes the buying, selling and combining of companies under one growing industry or company. Many accounting and auditing events feature information about this type of corporate financial strategy.

I recommend: Attend the mergers, acquisitions and divestitures seminars at the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) Controllers Workshop East.

Advanced cost accounting seminar

Advanced cost accounting is a tool used to determine the trust product cost of items. There are accounting events which offer instruction for accountants to learn and use this tactical overhead function so that they can help the businesses they work for to increase profits.

I recommend: Read the information about the Advanced Cost Accounting seminars given by the American Management Association.

Committee of Sponsoring Organizations (COSO) based internal auditing

Committee of Sponsoring Organizations (COSO) based internal auditing is an internal control that determines or measures the effectiveness of internal control systems. COSO based internal auditing covers many areas and events feature courses highlighting the functions and features of this methodology. Courses include information about risk management internal audits and internal audit project planning.

I recommend: Gather information about the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations (COSO) based internal auditing courses available at The Institute of Internal Auditors.

International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS)

IFRS standards establish rules and treatments for handling transactions. For accountants who work in global businesses, it is vital to learn about the changes and implementations of these standards to apply this to IFRS financial statements.

I recommend: Review the information about the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) class scheduled for the Institute of Management Accountants Annual Conference & Exposition.

Mark-to-market accounting

Mark-to-market accounting standards relate to the current fair market price of items. The use of this particular type of accounting standard has increased in the last decade so it is vital for accountants to attend webinars, seminars and courses to remain compliant.

I recommend: Learn about mark-to-market accounting at the webinar hosted by Traders Accounting.

Accredited Business Accountant (ABA) courses

Many accounting events feature crash courses and exams where accountants can learn and receive full accreditation as business accountants. Accredited Business Accountant (ABA) crash courses give accountants the ability to learn from professionals and apply the new skills in their businesses.

I recommend: Take the Accredited Business Accountant (ABA) courses at the National Society of Accountants Annual Meeting.