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2-3 November

Young Guns Workshop

The Young Guns Workshop 2023 has been created with the aim of enhancing the understanding of accounting firm operations, this program is intended for up-and-coming managers, supervisors, and members of accounting teams.

The Access Group Young Gun of the Year Award will run again for the second year!

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*13 CPE points will be available

After the incredible success of 2022, we are thrilled to bring back the
Access Young Gun of the Year Award

For full details CLICK HERE!

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Who should attend?

This program is tailored for aspiring young leaders who wish to strengthen their management expertise, gain insight into the accounting industry, and explore strategic prospects for both their firm and personal growth.

Why you need to attend:

  • Learn how to get business advisory services working in your firm in a divisionalised structure similar to financial planning and other diversified services.

  • Learn how to manage the most important asset in your accounting firm… People individually and in teams.

  • Discuss the emerging technologies and plan for their delivery now.

  • Discover the benefits of doing work with charities and other not for profit organisations.

  • Interact with fellow Young Guns who have succeeded in their firms and leverage their experience and viewpoints.

  • Develop and enhance your presentation skills with presentations that really engage.

  • Consider what the firm of the future looks like in an interactive workshop format.

  • Develop your questioning style and skills to engage with clients and expand your value added services.

  • Meet like minded young professionals and build a long-lasting network.

Objectives and goals:

Unlock your potential to create greater personal and firm success in the future.

  • Develop the skills and knowledge to become a future leader in the profession.

  • Manage the people within your teams and firms effectively.

  • Develop and enhance your presentation skills to get the right message across to clients.

  • Learn how to leverage the latest technology in your firm.

  • Develop diversified income streams in your practice that will really excite clients

  • Learn how to ask the right questions of clients.

Program

Get ready to spend two jam packed days developing the skills and knowledge that will help take your career to the next level.

Day 1

Thursday
2 November

8:00 am - 8:30 am

Registration

8:30 am - 9:30 am

Being a gun leader - have you really got what it takes?

For most of us, career (and salary) growth involves taking on a leadership role. When you are great at what you do now, you want to be great at the next thing you do too.

Join Pam Macdonald to explore what it takes to be a great people leader and truly set yourself up for success.

This session will cover:

  • the #1 thing that great leaders do (and that others completely miss)
  • tips to build your reputation in that #1 thing
  • where to watch out for this and who to learn from

Pam Macdonald, Broadspring Consulting

9:30 am - 10:30 am

How to be a Financial Storyteller

Today’s accountant, consultant, or coach must provide high-level diversified value-added services as well as people management. Learn how to be a proficient storyteller, turning numbers into knowledge and help clients understand their financial story, using smart techniques like the 4 Profitability Strategies, the Power of One and the 3 Big Cash Flow measures. Create success through client engagement and help your practice at the same time.

Mark Holton, Smithink

10:30 am - 11:00 am

Morning Tea

11:00 am - 12:00 pm

You need an IT strategic plan

Information Technology is a critical component of the modern day accounting business. Particularly, in a resource constrained world, we need to squeeze maximum efficiency out of our people by leveraging technology.

This session will provide a framework for a plan, discuss the opportunities to leverage technology and highlight where firms are achieving success.

Management of risks is also a critical component.

David Smith, Smithink

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

Accountant wanted; Must work well with AI

In this session, we will look at the changing landscape of personal and professional productivity in the next phase of technological advances.

What will change and what will stay the same, and what does this mean for career planning and professional development in professional services?

David Francis, The Access Group

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

Lunch

2:00 pm - 2:10 pm

T4 Group introduction session

Iain will share how his vision to provide international quality IT strategy, performance and solutions to Australian companies, particularly working with the accounting and professional services industries, lead him to start T4 Group.

Iain’s vision has seen the role of ‘IT provider’ progress from basic service delivery to one of a respected business partnership with his clients. By working closely with senior partners and business owners, Iain has changed the face of the IT industry from a basic trade practise to an elite business discipline. Find out why this is important for your accounting firm.


Iain Enticott, Managing Director

2:10 pm - 3:15 pm

Collaborative Industry Challenge - Part One

Join us for an exciting collaborative challenge. This unique opportunity will enable you to work closely with your fellow attendees on crucial topics for today's accounting firm leaders. During this session, you will meet your team and dive into one of the 11 important categories, such as Technology, Process Improvement, Leadership, or Marketing, based on your preferences. You will be able to learn from your peers, share ideas and develop new solutions. You'll have 45 minutes to brainstorm solutions, setting the stage for an engaging and productive experience at the second session on Friday.

Facilitated by David Smith + Mark Holton, Smithink

3:15 pm - 3:35 pm

Afternoon Tea

3:35 pm - 3:45 pm

Fathom introduction session

Fathom combines insightful reporting, fast cash flow forecasting and actionable financial insights into one refreshingly easy business management solution.

Tom is a qualified Chartered Accountant who initially worked in public practice and then finance and operations in private and non-profit sector companies until he decided mid career to follow his passions and explore a career in the technology sector which eventually led him to Fathom. In this session, Tom will share his passion of technology systems, processes and people being the driving force behind business improvement and productivity optimisation to help them grow and flourish and encourage you to do the same in your firm!

Tom Bilton FCA, Head of Advisory Channel - Fathom

3:45 pm - 4:45 pm

Public Speaking 101

Are you ready to take your public speaking skills to the next level and make a lasting impression on potential clients?

From the basics to preparing for a keynote speech, Steve Allan, renowned sports presenter and one of Australia’s leading emcees, is ready to share his secrets from close to four decades behind the microphone.

This session is designed exclusively for young accountants, empowering you to master the art of confidently presenting and engaging with new clients.

Be ready! This is a fully interactive 'hour of power' where you and your colleagues could be challenged to step outside your comfort zone and Say A Few Words.

Steve Allan, Say a Few Words

4:45 pm - 4:55 pm

Advancetrack Introduction session

Craig McKell, General Manager, Australian & New Zealand

4:55 pm - 5:25 pm

The Access Group Young Gun of the Year Award presentation

David Francis will announce the Young Gun of the Year Award!

5:25 - 7:00 PM

NETWORKING SESSION WITH DRINKS AND CANAPES, HOSTED BY PAM MACDONALD

Join us for a networking session after a big first day! Learn the importance of networking for your career, overcome barriers, and gain easy techniques to enhance your networking skills. Get ready to make meaningful connections!

Day 2

Friday
3 November

6:45 am - 7:15 am

Breakfast

When we heard Paul Dunn was in town we decided we needed to make room in the program to have him speak, and given the program was already full we invite you to join us for breakfast. 

Paul is a widely respected entrepreneur, four times TEDx speaker and master presenter. He has won numerous awards for his work including a Lifetime Service Award to the Accounting Profession in the UK for his contribution to education and business growth in the field, and was named a Social Innovation Fellow in his current home of Singapore. Paul now travels around the world educating people on B1G1, and sharing his plethora of advice on how to build a successful business.

7:15 am - 8:15 am

There’s Never Been a Time Like This [especially for you)

Steve Jobs once said: "You need to learn about Strategic Inflection Points, because sooner or later you are going to live through one.”

These days, it seems like we’re going through one ever day. And that’s precisely why the profession needs you (and perhaps why you need it too).

In a world where purpose, contribution, and meaning hold more value than conventional business metrics, traditional currencies of business success — profit, positioning, and power are undergoing a seismic shift. Paul takes you on a fast-track journey to navigate that shift to take you and your firm to a place of truly conscious leadership in the business space.

It’s a journey that you’ll remember and benefit from — for life.

Paul Dunn, Co-Founder, B1G1

8:30 am - 9:30 am

CLIENT SERVICE IS EVERYTHING

What we will work on during the session:

We will look at, why clients leave and do not come back, what makes you and your business stand out from the crowd, and what is unique about your business and you will understand how Global Business Camps gives you a unique opportunity to transform your client relations.

It is about the lifetime value of clients, the key is how do you win them and get them to stay with you long-term.

The session is a fun, fast-paced, workshop-style interactive session.

John Tsoulos, Global Business Camps + Indigo Financial

9:30 am - 10:30 am

KEEPING YOUR CLIENT'S ACCOUNTABLE - HOW TO RUN A CLIENT'S MANAGEMENT MEETING/BOARD MEETING

Business owners all too often get caught up in day-to-day issues and fail to set and effectively execute longer-term plans. This interactive session will workshop how you can play a critical role in client management/board meetings including setting agendas, creating an accountability framework, and helping clients to establish and manage effective strategic and business plans.

Development of the service offering to successfully engage with clients will also be addressed.

David Smith, Smithink

10:30 am - 11:00 am

Morning Tea

11:00 am - 12:00 pm

Working with Not for Profits…Is it for you?

Often we are asked to sit on boards of charities, sporting clubs, community organisations and like organisations. One consideration is “should I accept the appointment?” and or “is it for me”. The other is understanding the benefit of helping others and doing “your bit” for the community as well as making key contacts and developing your firm. This session will focus on my experience and the personal benefits gained from working with charities and other not-for-profits over 25 years as a Board Member and Treasurer and 15 years as a Chairman.

Mark Holton, Smithink

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

Burnout Prevention and Recovery

The World Health Organisation has referred to stress and burnout as the ‘health epidemic of the 21st Century’. This engaging session is led by an accountant who has walked the burnout path herself. It investigates what burnout looks and feels like, how to prevent burnout at both the employer and employee level and strategies to help you thrive more successfully in a demanding work environment. This is a raw, honest, practical, down-to-earth session with real examples happening right now. Leave with practical tools to help yourself and others moving forward.

Petris Lapis, Artisan of Change

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

Lunch

2:00 pm - 3:00 pm

IT'S NOT SELLING…IT'S JUST HELPING

This session will cover how speaking to clients about additional service offerings should not be looked at as upselling but rather just doing your job as their Trusted Advisor. In particular, we will cover; how to open the discussion, how to as the right questions, the importance of non-verbal cues and how to close an opportunity.

Matt Feehan, Salt Financial

3:00 pm - 3:15 pm

Afternoon tea

3:15 pm - 4:30 pm

Collaborative Industry Challenge: Presentation and Insights

In this session, you'll have the chance to showcase your innovative solutions and insights. After collaborating and brainstorming, each team will present their finding. With guidance from our facilitators, David and Mark, each group will have 10 minutes to present their ideas. Take the opportunity to shine and share your team's valuable perspectives. Don't miss this chance to contribute to the discussion and gain insights from your peers in the accounting industry for implementation in your firm.

Facilitated by Mark Holton + David Smith, Smithink

It is highly recommended for attendees to stay for the entire duration of our workshop in order to maximise the value and benefits they will receive. Our workshop is carefully designed to provide comprehensive insights, practical skills, and valuable knowledge that build upon each other throughout the sessions.

Please organise travel for after the end of the workshop.

Our 2023 Young Guns Workshop features speakers & innovative thinkers including:

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David Smith Smithink

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Mark Holton Smithink

David Francis

David Francis The Access Group

John T

John Tsoulos Indigo Financial & Global Business Camps

Steve-Allan

Steven Allan Say A Few Words

Petris_Lapis2

Petris Lapis Artisan of Change

Matthew Feehan

Matthew Feehan Salt Financial Group

Pam

Pam Macdonald Broadspring Consulting

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Paul Dunn B1G1

Venue

Hilton Hotel
Surfers Paradise

Accommodation

Rates at the Hilton Hotel start at $225.

We recommend booking as soon as you can as these rates are subject to availability.

Book your accommodation

6 Orchid Avenue, Surfers Paradise,
Queensland 4217, Australia
Tel: +61-7-56808000

Please refer to the hotel's cancellation policy on the booking link below.

Pricing

Super Early Bird Pricing until 30 June 2023

Smithink Members

(discounted pricing)

$895 First attendee
$750 Additional attendees from the same firm

Non-Member firms

$1150 First attendee
$995 Additional attendees from the same firm

Early Bird Pricing until 29 September 2023

Smithink Members

(discounted pricing)

$1095 First attendee
$850 Additional attendees from the same firm

Non-Member firms

$1350 First attendee
$1095 Additional attendees from the same firm

Standard Pricing from 30 September 2023

Smithink Members

(discounted pricing)

$1350 First attendee
$1095 Additional attendees from the same firm

Non-Member firms

$1550 First attendee
$1350 Additional attendees from the same firm

Event Cancellation Policy

If you can’t attend the workshop, we will provide a full refund for written cancellation requests sent to: [email protected] within 21 days of the workshop date.

Register Now!

Prepare yourself for two action-packed days dedicated to enhancing your skills and knowledge, enabling you to elevate your career to new heights.

David Francis

David Francis The Access Group

As a Business Consultant and Leadership Coach David has worked with established and emerging leaders in a broad range of industries on maximising their personal effectiveness.

For the last 10 years he has been working with the biggest and best Accounting Firms in Australia and New Zealand and is currently the General Manager of APAC Accountants Group at the Access Group.