How do we revamp Australian accounting events for maximum impact, and how did we get here?
Australian accounting events are in a dire state. I'm not here to highlight the problems; I'm here to advocate for real change.
The current landscape is bleak – events are becoming increasingly stale, un-engaging, and frankly, a complete waste of time and resources.
Vendors are pouring money into events that accountants and bookkeepers simply don't want to attend. More concerning is the trend of every vendor wanting to host their own event next year. I've heard this sentiment echoed at least nine times in the last three months alone. This is a recipe for disaster – a proliferation of micro-events all vying for the attention of the same audience, leading to even more poorly attended gatherings.
The content being served up is underwhelming at best, often feeling like a rehashed webinar from the week prior. Like many of you, I'm utterly fed up with the same old talks and lacklustre networking opportunities.
So, what's the solution? Here are a few thoughts on how conference organisers can truly shake things up:
We need real, actionable content. No more theoretical fluff. Give us the nitty-gritty details on how to navigate significant changes within a firm, such as exiting a partner, buying into a firm, or flipping 3,000 clients to the cloud. Show us the step-by-step process, the challenges faced, and how they were overcome. Don't just tell us the grass is greener; show us how to tend to the soil.
It's time to rethink networking. We need curated meetups with purpose, not just awkward gatherings with a limited bar tab.
Create environments where meaningful conversations can happen, and ensure there's a fun element too. Accountants and bookkeepers want to enjoy themselves, not shout over a dated rock band or play pin the tail on the idiot.
Attendees should leave with practical skills they can immediately apply. Workshops should cover mastering accounting tech usage, effective client communication strategies, and navigating complex regulatory changes. Real skills for real-world application are what's needed.
The frustration from both vendors and professionals is palpable. Conference organisers have the budget and capability, yet often seem out of touch or too focused on who's paying for stage time. I understand it's a business, but it's high time for a change. The heavily discounted stands I've seen recently are a clear indicator that it's time to either step up or step out.
We're at a tipping point. It's time to transform these events from snooze-fests into valuable, engaging experiences that truly add value to our professional lives. Let's not settle for mediocrity. It's time for a revolution in Australian accounting events.
Following this call to action, a question has been circulating:
"Trent, I hear you're running your own accounting events this year. Is that true?"
Let me address this directly:
No, I'm not.
At this point in time, I'm not remotely interested.
If last year I vocalised how dire the state of accounting events is in Australia (and some of you mentioned abroad as well), then it stands to reason that adding more events into the mix is not the solution we need.
So, no.
Not right now. The last thing I want to do is add the wrong fuel to this already blazing fire.
What we need is a reset, which, in my opinion, means fewer events, not more. A few of these large-scale events will need to fail and exit the scene first. We need to let the dust settle, focus on our businesses, our client work, and perhaps then we'll be ready for something new.
The draw card for future events should not just be innovative content. The need for community, fun, and bringing people together will likely be a bigger attraction. Building connections and shared learning experiences with your crew holds more value than a big-box event with 100 talks, where 70% come with a sales pitch disclaimer.
So, if you've been wondering what my stance is on the future of accounting events, there you have it. Now you know.
The path forward should be about quality, not quantity. We need to create spaces where real learning, meaningful connections, and genuine enjoyment are the priorities. Let's focus on making the few events we do have count, rather than flooding the calendar with more of the same. It's time for a change, and it starts with us demanding more from the events we choose to invest our time and resources in.
In 2024, Journey helped clients generate $17M in revenue, supported 180% growth for key accounts, and brought 20,000 attendees together across global events.
Year 2 as a business is in the books for Journey. It’s been a huge year of ups and downs and today I’m giving you the Journey WRAP!?
Like everyone else, I’m always motivated for a good wrap-up following my Spotify wrap, which we can all admit is the real OG for end of year reviews.
This year, the Journey team helped accounting SaaS orgs break records, navigate challenges, and achieve incredible milestones. From driving $17 million in client sales to bringing 20,000 people together across all the events and webinars, this has been our most impactful year yet.
When we started Journey, I’ll be honest, we didn’t really know what this was going to be.
I had 15 years of experience at my disposal, a long list of connections who I thought could use my help and an appetite to run something of my own, build it fast and build it big.
It’s a testament to our entire team. Collectively we’ve got 22 real-life humans (and 100s of AI bots) that are absolutely crushing it for our clients and new projects. I’m incredibly proud of everyone's contribution and importantly how much they all give a damn about the work they do.
A huge shout to both our APAC and EMEA teams. Liss, Jordan and I are in awe of the work you do and the fact that you love bringing your all to the business - it’s incredible to see.
We are open to welcoming new clients in 2025 and remain steadfast in our mission to help enable and scale accounting SaaS all over the world to grow revenue, brand and trust with accountants and bookkeepers.
I’ll now take a minute to share the wins, the lessons and the opportunities. If you’re not currently working with us - hopefully you’ll pick up a few things you can take back to your team.
Our team grew significantly in 2024, with 22 talented individuals now spread across the globe. Each new addition brought fresh ideas and skills, enabling us to push boundaries and deliver even more for our clients.
This year, we worked with 44 outstanding brands and companies across the accounting and SaaS industries.
These included global giants like Intuit, FloQast, Constant Contact, Sage, Change GPS, The Access Group, and Experian as well as industry bodies and media partners such as the ACCA, ABN, CAANZ, XU Magazine and AccountantsDaily.
Together, we’ve raised the bar for what’s possible in the accounting tech space and made a huge leap of clients we serve and were able to execute for in market.
Journey played a pivotal role in some of the biggest accounting industry events in 2024. From virtual summits to in-person conferences, our efforts brought together 20,000 attendees across the EMEA, AMER and APAC. These events were well-attended; they were highly engaging, impactful, and full of value for everyone involved.
One of our biggest achievements this year has been helping our clients reach new heights:
We’re incredibly proud of the results we’re getting for clients in market and look forward to bigger challenges to solve in 2025.
Too many brands are expecting sales/growth without putting in the hard yards of earning trust with the accounting community. I mean who do you think you are? These folks are inundated with countless late nights due to government changes, client queries and software updates (not to mention the price rises).
It’s important more then ever that you invest the time to build trust with this audience, add value to the community and showcase how you’re solving key challenges in their business operations.
Trust building comes down to:
This year proved that the right GTM partnerships can make a world of difference. Collaborating with other SaaS brands and accounting thought leaders helped amplify our clients’ reach and credibility.
Creating brand advocates and getting them in front of your customers is still one of my biggest and best recommendations for all accounting tech folks.
Letting customers tell your story is one of the most effective marketing strategies. Their testimonials and success stories drive trust and engagement like nothing else.
Another nod to my comment on brand advocates above.
Video remains one of the most powerful tools in marketing, and we saw this again and again in 2024. From social clips to customer interviews, video content drove strong results across campaigns.
We went hard at tools like Riverside to help bring this content to life and the results and impact as been staggering. With recent changes to Linkedin focusing on more video content, expect to see more of it in 2025.
This year reinforced the importance of clear messaging. Being clever is great, but clarity ensures your message lands effectively. Don’t over complicate, don’t try to be to smart.
Just tell me what the damn thing does and how it will help me, is the short answer.
You can’t rely on just one channel. Success comes from a balanced approach that includes email, word-of-mouth, sales enablement, and even product marketing.
Not enough companies are leveraging in product displays, messages and pop-ups to help communicate with your clients.
We rely so heavily on email marketing that you’re struggling to fit it all in your schedule.
You can’t be emailing clients and prospects 3-4 days per week, you’ll burn them all out.
While 2024 was a strong year, the industry as a whole missed out on a few key opportunities:
Excited to take the lessons from 2024 and build on them for an even bigger year ahead.
To our clients: thank you for trusting us with your goals and allowing us to play a role in your success. To our team: your hard work, creativity, and dedication have been the foundation of everything we’ve accomplished this year.
Here’s to making 2025 even bigger and better—together.
Signing off,
Trent, Liss & Jordan
Founders & Directors @ Journey
Journey announces a strategic partnership with Adfin, an accounts receivable & payments platform designed to help businesses get paid: faster, cheaper, easier.
Journey, the leading go-to-market (GTM) agency for accounting technology, announces a strategic partnership with Adfin, an accounts receivable & payments platform designed to help businesses get paid: faster, cheaper, easier. This partnership will help to launch Adfin’s platform to the market, available for use both by accounting & bookkeeping firms, and their clients.
Getting paid isn’t easy. Late payments, high payment fees, and fragmented systems mean that managing & chasing payments is a time-consuming and expensive exercise for many professional service businesses. Adfin plans to tackle this challenge by providing a single platform containing automated invoice sending, chasing, and reconciling, along with a world-class payment experience consisting of direct debits, card, and open banking payments, providing a complete solution for businesses to manage payments efficiently.
All of this is supported with a simple, no-nonsense, transparent pricing model. No tiers, no monthly fees, just a flat rate that will only ever come down. Read about Adfin’s ‘Transparency Manifesto’ here.
“We’ve been working with Adfin on some early product feedback and all of the signals suggest there is a strong need for this, both with accounting & bookkeeping firms directly and their clients’ businesses,” said Jordan Vickery, Global Director and Head of EMEA at Journey. “It’s an exciting product combining fragmented payment methods together into a single platform with some intelligent workflows for chasing and failed payment options. We’re excited to partner with them on their journey”
Tom Pope, Co-Founder at Adfin, added, “Partnering with Journey is a significant step in expanding our reach and impact within the industry. Their extensive experience and deep understanding of the accounting-tech market will be invaluable.”
Key features of Adfin include:
You can learn more about Adfin and get started here.
.png)
Journey has entered a multi-year partnership with ACCA UK. This collaboration will focus on two key initiatives aimed at enhancing professional growth.
New collaboration to deliver national roadshows and member benefits focused on the future of accounting tech.
Journey, the leading GTM agency for accounting-tech, is proud to announce a strategic partnership with leading global accountancy body ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants. This multi-year partnership will see Journey become an events partner for ACCA UK, organising national roadshows and providing exclusive member benefits through access to innovative software solutions.
Journey, renowned for its expertise in go-to-market strategies for accounting technology, has entered a multi-year partnership with ACCA UK. This collaboration will focus on two key initiatives aimed at enhancing the professional growth and technological advancement of ACCA UK members.
The first initiative involves Journey taking on the role of an events partner for ACCA. This partnership will kick off with the 'Accounting Futures' roadshow in October, which will tour six locations across the UK. The roadshow will feature industry experts discussing critical themes such as People, Process, Technology, and Sustainability. Attendees will gain valuable insights and learn directly from peers about solving the challenges of today whilst preparing for the future of tomorrow.
"We are thrilled to partner with ACCA UK on these national roadshows," said Jordan Vickery, Global Director & Head of EMEA at Journey. "Our goal is to provide ACCA members with unique opportunities to engage with industry leaders, explore new technology, and equip themselves with the knowledge to navigate the evolving landscape of accounting."
In addition to the events, Journey will collaborate with ACCA UK to offer exclusive member benefits. By leveraging its portfolio of innovative software vendors, Journey aims to provide ACCA UK members with access to the latest technological advancements designed to support their firms and clients effectively.
"Partnering with Journey allows us to deliver significant value to our members," said Mark Jackson, Partnership Development Manager at ACCA UK. "The combination of expert-led events and cutting-edge technology solutions will empower our members to stay ahead in the dynamic field of accounting."
Last year's roadshow organised by Journey attracted over 500 ACCA members from various UK locations, demonstrating the strong interest and demand for such initiatives. This new partnership aims to build on that success and further support ACCA members in their professional journey.
About Journey
Journey is the leading GTM agency for accounting tech globally. SaaS leaders work with Journey to accelerate revenue growth, scale brand awareness and eliminate wasteful spend using 30+ years of proven playbooks, industry knowledge and global connections.
