IRIS World 2018: What’s in it for you?

IRIS World Twickenham and Manchester are now fully booked. Registrations are closed and behind the scenes, we are gearing up for an exceptional year.

There will of course be an update from IRIS; how we are shaping our business and product strategy to help accountants thrive in the digital economy. We will be exploring the future of the industry and HMRC will explain what lies beyond Making Tax Digital (MTD) for the Government. 

But with technology at our fingertips, why take a whole day out of the office? Why attend an event in person?

From my perspective, one of the huge benefits is that IRIS World drives the whole business to an outcome. We publicly commit to progression each year and this means we need to do it. If a product launch is announced, it must happen. If we make commitments to supporting legislation such as MTD, we must work throughout the year to drive the change. It propels our behaviour as a business.

Customer experience is topping the discussion as we move towards advisory-based services. Your experience of IRIS and exchanges during the day are equally as important to us. We cannot deliver this interaction in any other forum, as there is no substitute for seeing you in person. It gives us an opportunity to talk about practice requirements, the issues accountancy businesses face and your plans. We listen, digest and take on as much as possible following the conferences. Without your input and feedback, we cannot fully understand how IRIS can help the industry evolve.

Attending IRIS World also means accountancy professionals can mingle with each other. Catching up with industry contacts and friends is not only enjoyable but provides time to gain an understanding of how others are managing the tumultuous changes impacting firms.

It's also a chance for all of us at IRIS to thank you, our customers. This year, we have extended our gratitude by launching IRIS Awards, allowing us to publicly acknowledge best practice across many areas of accountancy businesses.

The way our industry has evolved continues to excite us all but the most important aspect of everything we do at IRIS is you, our customer.

Looking through the entries, we are in awe of the services and consultancy IRIS customers provide. You are the unsung heroes of the financial world. Practices have gone to the most enormous lengths to support businesses large and small in a myriad of ways.

From the local hairdresser to the national service specialist, accountancy practices are always at hand, whether providing virtual CFO services, filing accounts or paying employees. They would not be able to function without you. And as the entries suggest, the consultancy your firms provide stimulates growth opportunities for your clients. You are the backbone of UK Plc.

Thank you for choosing IRIS as your partner.