Xerocon Brisbane 2018 takeaways: It’s all about the people

Our team at ApprovalMax has attended lots of different conferences in lots of different countries. But there’s one that stands apart as being truly special – Xerocon.

In this article, we recall the most inspiring topics mentioned at Xerocon Brisbane 2018, before sharing some advice to nudge you in the right direction if you’re still on the fence about visiting the next one.

 

Why should you attend conferences?

Some people think that attending conferences is about listening to speakers and learning something new. And while there’s an element of that, we believe it’s so much more. After all, you can usually find footage of the speakers online after the event, if you wish.

The most important aspect of a conference is meeting and communicating with people. If you visit without talking to anyone, you should have just stayed at home!

Walk the conference hall and connect with your fellow attendees. Listen to what they have to say, share your own expertise, and grow your network – it could be one of the most useful experiences you’ll ever have. And when you add to that the fact that Xerocon in particular has the most inspiring and incredible speakers, who all routinely push the boundaries and experiment with new ideas, it’s an event that’s not to be missed.

 

What were the most inspiring topics at Xerocon Brisbane?

The varied and inspirational subjects delivered year on year are what makes Xerocon so unique. Here are just some that grabbed our attention in Brisbane, and which we believe everyone should remember:

1) Keep your work/life balance.

If Xerocon has taught us anything, it’s that we all must learn to have a little more fun. Use modern technologies and cloud-enabled platforms to improve efficiencies and streamline workflows. Or, in other words, work smarter to play more!

2) Be human.

No-one wants to do business with a faceless organization. Put yourself out there, be warm, be humble, be genuine. Embrace the idea that people do business with people they know, trust, like, and value. A conference like Xerocon is a great place to start

3) Bookkeeping is just getting more interesting.

There’s no need to be afraid of artificial intelligence or machine learning; in truth, it’s only going to make your life easier, no replace you altogether. Remember point two (people want to work with people) and look forward to a brave new world where technology can help you work smarter and faster than ever before.

4) Do one thing and do it really well.

You might think you need to be a jack of all trades with a broad range of skills to be of value to a business, but the truth is, specializing is worth a great deal more. Focus on your one thing – that thing you do really well – and learn how to do it better than anyone else.

 

What advice can we give?

• For those of you who find it difficult to meet and mix with new people, we have one thing to say: Leave you comfort zone and talk! Yes, that isn’t always easy, but it’s always worth it.
• Start by chatting with the speakers as they will expect questions and feedback, and they’re usually happy to answer. Doing so should also give you something to talk about with your fellow visitors later.
• When listening to the speeches, try to outline and share your knowledge with colleagues. If a speech catches your attention, it’s all too easy to get swept up in it and then forget everything after a few days. This is where the notes can help.

 

We love you, Xero

Making the long journey to Australia to attend Xerocon Brisbane was a huge deal for us. It was great to see our clients, meet new ones, and share a great few days with other app partners and the incredible Xero team.

It was fantastic to meet so many people, and we are truly grateful for the warm welcome we received. And the event management was truly amazing too!

Thank you everyone who attended the event and the biggest pre-party ever. It was a great privilege to be one of the sponsors for this event.

Now our Team is getting ready for Xerocon London this November. We can hardly wait!

Here are some pictures of us meeting our clients:

Sebastian Mclarin from Ice House stopped by – one of our first clients!

Our team with Boris Zoulek – Director or Festival Services at the Pre-con party