We are in an era of significant change, and business and wider society are pedalling fast just to keep up. Our flagship conference, Accounting for the Future, on 26–28 November 2024, will give you the insights, strategies and skills you need to thrive throughout the seismic shift.
Conference highlights
Join us – and thousands of fellow ACCA members – to explore critical trends shaping the future:
Day 1 | Technology: the opportunity
Learn how to leverage AI, automation and intelligent systems to build future-ready businesses.
Day 2 | Climate change: the profession steps up
Discover how finance professionals can spearhead the transition to a more sustainable world – from assessing climate risks to enabling green strategies for businesses of all sizes.
Day 3 | Skills: ready for the challenge
Gain new competencies – from data analytics to creative thinking – that finance leaders need to stay ahead of the curve.
Thriving in the reality of a turbulent business environment
Hosted by the BBC’s acclaimed technology editor Zoe Kleinman, our panel of financial and technology experts dive into the opportunities for finance professionals and the choices they can make to succeed in the current turbulent business environment. With an introduction from senior leaders of ACCA and CA ANZ, we will shine a light on how accountants will remain responsible for driving outcomes, ensuring there is nothing artificial about the reality of a new technological frontier.
Rise of the humans: our future in an AI world
We stand at the precipice of a transformational technological landscape. Everyone will be affected. The winners will be those who reinvent what they do and how they do it, increasing value for their business, not merely looking for efficiencies by automating today’s tasks. In this lively and engaging session, renowned former Microsoft UK chief envisioning officer Dave Coplin will look at problems, mistakes and assumptions before ultimately focusing on how we can best ensure our organisations thrive in this new era.
Accounting expertise meets machine intelligence
How should we approach implementation of AI in our businesses? Our panelists will highlight strategic approaches, examining common challenges and innovative solutions employed by industry leaders, informed by ACCA's report ‘The Smart Alliance: accounting expertise meets machine intelligence’. We'll uncover valuable lessons, emerging best practices and actionable insights for accounting professionals looking to understand the potential value of AI, with practical strategies for successful implementation and value creation.
Technology, audit and the opportunities for small firms
Technology is increasingly helping auditors produce high-quality audits. Recent advancements in off-the-shelf solutions mean there is significant potential for smaller audit firms to compete with the large. In this session, experts will discuss the opportunities for small and medium-sized practices and the practical considerations, including what to focus on in the next 12 months. We will also address standard-setting developments in relation to audit and technology.
Supporting clients on their AI journey
Many small enterprises, short of knowledge and resources, may view the benefits of AI as being out of reach. But small accountancy practices (SMPs) can help their clients profit from AI just as much as any other business. This panel discussion will focus on the way SMPs can build their own expertise and help their clients identify use-cases, select the right AI tools, manage the transition to AI competency and overcome key challenges such as data-quality issues, cost and integration with existing software solutions.
Unlocking the data and AI skills dividend
The rise of data analytics and rapid adoption of generative artificial intelligence technologies are having a dramatic impact on the financial world. But there are many interpretations of these terms, with different skills required to reap the benefits from the different technologies. In this session, experts will demystify these technologies, bust through the jargon and set out what finance professionals need to know, now and into the future.
Global economy 2025: could rising populism put green transition at risk?
What will be the state of the global economy in 2025? Our panel of experts will highlight the latest economic trends and discuss the consequences of elections that are taking place in half the countries in the world this year, and the impact of ongoing geopolitical tensions. Could slow growth, strained government finances, rising populism and green protectionism increasingly put a green transition at risk? Could technology save the day? Are sustainability policies the next battleground in geoeconomic fragmentation? Join us to find out.
Leading the green transition with climate risk assessments
Organisations need to disclose the climate-related risks that are likely to have a material impact on the business, the governance and risk management processes related to these risks and how they affect strategy, business model and outlook. So how can professional accountants not only support their organisations in this activity but in fact lead the green transition? What are the risks if they don’t? This session will look at key issues including skills for scenario-planning across whole risk landscape.
The new era of nature reporting
Momentum is building for companies to report on biodiversity and ecosystem risks and opportunities. The International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) is working on a new biodiversity-related standard, while the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) has already revised its biodiversity standard. As corporate reporting enters a significant new era, with some jurisdictions already adopting advanced disclosures, this session explores the current landscape of nature reporting. Join the session to learn about emerging trends, best practice, and practical advice for businesses.
Connecting sustainability to business strategy
A connection between sustainability information and financial information, and decision making, can create a virtuous circle that propels an organisation’s success. Unfortunately this connection is either absent or inconsistently applied across many organisations. This panel session will explore what is meant by connectivity, the information that needs connecting for value creation and the processes, data, technology and people needed to do so.
How to grow a sustainable SME
Small businesses are under pressure to be more sustainable. Public opinion and stakeholders facing regulatory demands impose ever greater expectations on SMEs to adapt and change. But this is not just about compliance; it is an opportunity to thrive. The key players are practitioners and SME finance professionals guiding small businesses to adapt and succeed. This session will examine the consequences of failing to change, and share the tools and skills available to SME finance experts seeking to become specialist sustainability advisers.
Global Talent Trends: 2024 perspectives
Employers face a struggle to attract and retain key staff at a time of growing anxiety about the future of work. Our expert panelists explore the future of key workplace concerns as revealed by ACCA's flagship survey of 10,000 members worldwide: improvements to diversity and inclusion, support for mental health and upskilling for artificial intelligence.
Skills for thinking critically about creativity
Creativity is of growing importance given that AI can increasingly do many of the routine and predictable tasks at work. However, creativity is not one thing. In this session, ACCA's resident talent adviser Dr Rob Yeung will introduce various frameworks for developing your creativity skills. Rather than providing you with simplistic (and misleading) answers, this session will equip you to better assess and augment business creativity.
Improving the allure of a career in audit
Attracting and retaining talent remains a challenge for audit practices around the world. How can firms make this vital line of service appealing to the next generation, and what are they doing to keep the talent on board? Our experts will delve into insights from ACCA/CA ANZ research to reveal the key strategies firms need to adopt to ensure their talent pipeline remains healthy, treat their people fairly and offer new opportunities, such as in the emerging space of sustainability audit and technology.
Rising to today's new ethical challenges
ACCA research reveals a multifaceted, interconnected and evolving landscape of ethical challenges for the accounting professionals in the 21st century. Join this session as our panelists examine the key issues identified in ACCA's research, IESBA's perspective on leadership and culture, and the skills we need to draw upon in dealing with the challenges.
Evolving the finance function: talent and transformation
Finance functions continue to evolve as transition brings the non-financial and traditional financial worlds closer together. But with value and a pre-emptive, autonomous outlook at the function’s core, what are the new skills finance professionals need to enhance their careers? With accelerating career pathways, transformative technologies and new accountabilities emerging while businesses transition to a more sustainable future, our panel of experts analyse the opportunities.
Upskilling for changes in IFRS presentation and disclosure
In 2027, we will see IFRS 18 replacing IAS 1, and IFRS 19 substantially reducing the disclosure requirements for eligible subsidiaries. In this session, we will hear directly from the IASB about the drivers behind these new standards and how users of financial statements will benefit from the new information. Our panel of experts will then analyse the practical implications and the skills required for preparers and auditors.