19th June, 2019
In the accounting and bookkeeping professions, there are hundreds of events clamouring for your attendance and there’s no way you can do them all. Here’s why MYOB Partner Connect 2019 will be at the top of your list.
Every year, MYOB invites thousands of bookkeepers and accountants from across Australia and New Zealand to join in a multiday smorgasbord of world-class keynotes, practical information sessions and entertainment.
The event is known as Partner Connect and while it’s primarily designed to act as a platform for those accountants and bookkeepers that form MYOB’s Partner network, it’s also open to anyone in a relevant profession, whether they’re already MYOB Partners or not.
In 2018, MYOB hosted 1,300 professionals across two locations. This year, the online accounting leader is bringing it all together in the largest Partner Connect event ever held.
READ: What you missed at Partner Connect 2018 (Melbourne)
And if the thought of gathering the greatest minds in accounting and bookkeeping together under one roof isn’t tantalising enough, here are five more reasons this event is bound to blow you away.
If you’ve never attended an MYOB Partner Connect event in the past, you’d be forgiven for thinking they might be dry, information-centric affairs aimed at forcing as much practical knowledge into the heads of attendees as possible.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
From the very moment you step in the door at Partner Connect, you realise there’s a different atmosphere at this event; an ambience more like that of an extended family reunion than a school assembly.
In several keynote sessions last year, the event saw great outpourings of heartfelt emotion as the audience empathised with the stories shared by their peers. And between speakers, it’s not unusual for the odd spot of dancing to spontaneously break out.
And this year looks to be no different, with an agenda filled with accounting and bookkeeping experts led by an ensemble of keynotes that will take MYOB Partner Connect to new heights.
Attendees will be inspired by the likes of Holly Ransom, chief executive of the strategic consulting firm Emergent and one of the youngest people to be listed in Australia ‘100 Most Influential Women’, will also be presenting one of the headline keynotes.
Having presented in six continents, Ransom was listed by Sir Richard Branson as one of his dream dinner guests. She’s also a nominee for Wired Magazine‘s ‘Smart List’ of future game changers to watch and, in 2018, was personally requested by Barack Obama to moderate an hour-long conversation during his only speaking engagement in Australia.
Beyond these tales of inspiration, MYOB will also be providing a glimpse into the future of accounting and bookkeeping with the help of leading futurists and hosts of the award-winning tech and science podcast ‘Future Sandwich’, Steve Sammartino and Tommy McCubbin.
Drawing from insights from the yet-to-be released MYOB Radar Report, Sammartino and McCubbin will impress with their deep understanding of disruptive technology and its impacts on the wider economy.
Long-time attendee, MYOB Partner, Stacey Price of Healthy Business Finances said she’s already purchased her ticket for this year’s event, and a big part of her motivation is the speaker lineup.
“The guest speakers are always top notch,” said Price. “And the line-up this year truly excites me.
“I love that they are not ‘accountants’ but still inspire me to be a better accounting and bookkeeping professional.”
Once you’ve had a taste of the motivational content and peered into the future of the industry, you’ll be hungry to discover how it all relates to you.
The good news is that MYOB Partner Connect 2019 has multiple ‘streams’ of content presented across multiple stages – meaning you can tailor the experience to meet your needs or bring some colleagues, so you can divide and conquer the event in its entirety.
The suggestion to bring backup to Partner Connect is even more salient when you realise there’s a whole expo showroom going on beyond the hubbub of the speaker stages. Here, MYOB showcases all the great work of the add-on partners we work with, allowing you the opportunity to meet and talk through your needs with whichever provider you choose.
Pam Pitt of Two Peas Pty Ltd listed the expo and presence of relevant add-ons as an integral part of her Partner Connect experience.
“It’s really important for me to know what the latest add-ons are, which ones we are going to adopt and to build relationships with the suppliers,” she said.
“Being able to have one-on-one conversations with them on the expo floor is one of the primary reasons I return to Partner Connect year after year.”
For Debra Anderson of Anderson Tax & Consulting, the same is true for getting facetime with MYOB staff – the internal product experts who are on hand to answer just about any software-related question you can imagine.
“Being able to get that rare face-to-face time is always a highlight of my schedule,” said Anderson.
“It doesn’t matter what you do, business is ultimately about people, so being able to foster relationships with the talented staff at MYOB is important to me.”
It’s those business relationships that make MYOB Partner Connect such a roaring success year after year, and it’s a core reason why event staff, MYOB staff and attendees alike always have a great time.
Not only does the two-day agenda include plenty of opportunity for coffee chats, lunchtime pow-wows and corridor conferences, MYOB also includes an optional Gala Dinner for attendees to sign up to.
Each year the Partner Connect Gala represents an opportunity for unadulterated socialising. As always, there’ll be more illumination, conversations and libations than you can shake your tail feather at. And that’s before we even arrive at the business end of all this fun: The Partner Awards.
You’ve never experienced an MYOB Partner Awards like this year’s. That’s because the ceremony has changed shape to deliver a night that not only dials up the fun and excitement, but the status and reputation of the awards themselves.
Every highly coveted award recognises the Bookkeeper, Certified Consultant and Accountant who has stood out and excelled – according to data-driven insights from the Partner Program and online tools used within a practice. And we also have several awards open to the public.
So be sure to nominate yourself or a colleague to make sure you’re in with a chance to win – we know the competition is already gearing up. (Hurry, entries close 26 June!)
After all the networking and inspiration-filled content available at Partner Connect, it’s hard to imagine what else could possibly left to entice.
But that’s only because you haven’t seen what MYOB has in store for you in 2019 and beyond.
The Partners, bookkeepers and accountants who have been following us over recent years will be aware of The Connected Practice vision and many of the recent features, updates and upgrades we’ve introduced to start bringing this vision to life.
“We must know what MYOB has introduced, as well as what’s planned to be introduced, so that we can adopt the best tools for our business and to help advise our clients on using them, too,” explained Pitt.
“MYOB Partner Connect is the best place to get all the right product information in one place.”
But even this group of dedicated individuals don’t know what’s coming.
Of course, we can’t let you in on any details now (where’s the fun in that?) but suffice to say we have a host of updates in the release schedule that you won’t want to hear about secondhand.
Are you ready to get better connected to your industry and to the future of your profession? Hurry! Early bird ticket specials finish soon, so book your place today.