I can’t begin to tell you how excited I am that the 2023 Unique CPA Conference will be an in-person event this year. Scheduled to kick off with an evening event on August 28, followed by two comprehensive days of informative and collaborative sessions at the Loews Chicago O’Hare Hotel in Rosemont, Illinois, our conference will feature a speaker’s list that is a who’s who of our industry and several hundred colleagues looking to enhance the accounting profession and their individual careers.
The Unique CPA uses our podcast series, webinars, and conferences to create a thriving community of accounting professionals who are physically and mentally healthy, fulfilled, and energized by their work. By fostering collaboration and knowledge-sharing among visionaries in accounting, we can build a better, healthier, and more sustainable profession.
The theme of this year’s gathering is Bridging the Gap: Between the Generations. To demonstrate that theme, I have already invited several of my mentors, outstanding accountants who gave me my first opportunity several decades ago. Much has changed in our world and our profession over those decades. This conference will lay the groundwork for the next generation of accounting professionals and help invigorate and define this industry for the next few decades.
Our focus will be on prioritizing the well-being of those working in our industry. At The Unique CPA, I have taken up the mantle of promoting mental wellness by embracing the whole person. Some of our speakers will discuss the ways in which our industry can rebound from a declining appeal to young men and women by valuing what we do and who we are. We’ll discuss case studies that show how the old “burn and churn” method is not efficient, sustainable, or as profitable as an industry that uses new technology to work smarter and creates a culture in which people feel valued, respected, and rewarded without having to run the gauntlet of 80-hour weeks to prove they belong. In addition to presentations by some of the most respected names in the industry, we’ll act out our vision. At registration, you’ll be asked to share what your passions are outside of work so that during the conference and at our three evening receptions, you can connect with like-minded colleagues with whom you can discuss more than work.
The only downside to the 2023 Conference is that space is limited. I encourage you, whether you are looking ahead to retirement or just getting started in the profession, to set aside August 28 – 30 to join us in Rosemont for The Unique CPA Conference. Together I believe we can continue the vision of attracting, retaining, and rewarding the best minds in the country while creating an industry that is known for efficiency, achievement, and profitability in the healthiest and most fulfilling workplace anywhere.
I look forward to seeing you in August.
-Randy Crabtree