Business & Industry Conference

Check in early, reconnect with familiar faces and friends, and get to know other CPAs you'll be spending the next couple days with.

In today’s rapidly changing environment, business partners expect better collaboration; customers demand personalized and frictionless interaction; and new regulations mandate different operating models. Change can be daunting; however, the alternative to adapting to new technologies is scarier than moving forward.

Credit: Personal Development - 1

Organizations must be intentional in cultivating environments where diverse team members can thrive, feel empowered to make recommendations, and take chances. Initiatives to help leaders — both men and women — identify unconscious bias will benefit the morale and increase the retention and advancement of diverse leaders. Kimberly Ellison-Taylor will use various scenarios and her own lessons learned as a STEM and finance leader.

Credit: Personal Development - 2

Employee retention is fast becoming a key competitive differentiator. A company's ability to hold onto its talent — especially in tight hiring markets — has profound ramifications for its ability to continue to operate at its peak performance, without the disruptions that employee turnover brings. This session will discuss ideas and strategies to keep employees engaged, challenged and employed, while ensuring your performance is at its highest.

Credit: Personnel/Human Resources - 2

The face of business used to be the brand — the Disney mouse, “Just Do It,” the Nike swoosh and the Burger King king. In the age of social media, business leaders are becoming not only the face of their companies, but also celebrities — like Richard Branson and Elon Musk. How does your online image portray you? Learn how to make a professional, powerful LinkedIn profile that portrays you and your business at your best. Explore five steps to maximize your presence on LinkedIn.

The speaker from this session will be livestreamed.

Credit: Computer Software & Applications - 2

Focus on the current private equity environment, including trends from companies across the country. Also review hot industries and market indicators to assess when determining the health of the private equities environment. Lastly, obtain insight into the recommended mix of debt vs. equity.

Credit: Finance - 1

Obtain an outlook on the financial markets. Discuss the major trends in the investment markets, as well as the metrics that gauge the health of the U.S. and global economies.

Credit: Finance - 1

Isolation, Zoom fatigue, overworking, burnout, constant interruptions, lack of boundaries — these are all common complaints about remote and hybrid work. As organizations adopt permanent flexible work arrangements, individual contributors, managers and teams must be able to prevent and overcome these issues so they can be effective in a distributed environment. In this session, learn the key skills and practices needed to not just work, but thrive, remotely.

The speaker from this session will be livestreamed.

Credit: Personal Development - 1

In this panel, we will bring together experts on data analytics from a variety of backgrounds to talk shop about how to best use your data — the best tools for different sizes of organizations wanting to get the most out of their data; how to build a successful business model that includes data analytics; and last but not least, where to start if you don't use your data currently. Join us for a frank and engaging session on the power of data.

The speaker from this session will be livestreamed.

Credit: Information Technology - 1.5

Employee benefits are a key employee attraction and retention tool. Benefits can be a costly endeavor for employers. Some benefits are mandatory; others are voluntary in nature and chosen by the employer. Options include medical insurance, life and disability insurance, retirement income, paid time off, and educational assistance programs. Selection and design are critical components in the total compensation package offered to employees. This session will focus on the options for employer investment, how to use communication in recruiting and retaining key staff, and thoughtful considerations to meet both employee needs and employer objectives for a package that is valued.

Credit: Personnel/Human Resources - 1.5

Explore the SEC’s regulatory agenda and discuss updates on recent rulemaking and interpretive activity. We will also address staff areas of focus, such as comment letter trends, recent enforcement focus areas, and a brief discussion of environmental, social and governance reporting matters.

Credit: Economics -1.5

Experts from one of Virginia's top human resources (HR) law firms will provide you with the MUST-know changes to HR laws in Virginia. Come prepared with your questions to make sure you get YOUR questions answered!

The speaker from this session will be livestreamed.

Credit: Personnel/Human Resources - 1.5

The radical changes of 2020–2021 disrupted almost every industry. The pressure of these changes showed us what we are made of. In some cases, the pressure crushed us; but other groups were able to adapt to the pressure and thrive. Explore the qualities of people who get stronger when they are placed under pressure. Where are we fragile? Where are our teams fragile, and how do we overcome that? Identify your own fragility as an individual and in a team, and learn steps to overcome it.

Credit: Personal Development - 1.5

After a day’s worth of learning, you deserve a break. Get to know other attendees over hors d’oeuvres and drinks.

Enjoy craft beers, food pairings and good company. No CPE credit will be awarded.

In 2022, the VBOA is moving to even more online activities with reinstatement applications, enforcement activities and cases. Get updates on qualifying CPE guidelines, the Board's agenda for the next 12 months, the importance of CPE, and accurately certifying during the renewal process.

Credit: Accounting - 0.5

CFOs and finance professionals have been thrust into the center of attention as they are called on to help businesses “survive and thrive” in these extraordinary times. While the focus starts with technology, the key is to then develop capability, skills and mindsets to maximize the change. In fact, 90% of CFOs say their teams lack the skills needed for this new environment in which we find ourselves. This session will feature the latest research and results from the AICPA-CIMA Future of Finance Summit in December 2021. Hear about the top trends and issues on the minds of finance leaders and how these translate into the top skills, competencies and mindsets required. You will leave with a talent game plan you can use to align with your changing business needs.

Credit: Specialized Knowledge - 1

Effectively entering the public markets requires significant consideration, time and resources; and a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) transaction is no exception. Completing the acquisition and preparing for the rigor of operating as a public company brings unique challenges on an accelerated timeline. Gain first-hand perspectives on properly preparing for a SPAC transaction and ensuring long-term success. Whether you’re in the consideration phase or nearing the de-SPAC process, this session will delve into the nitty gritty of entering the public markets via a SPAC transaction and help you evaluate, prepare and address the unique challenges and special considerations surrounding a SPAC transaction.

Credit: Business Management & Organization - 2

Join this session for an interactive Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) update. Focus on lease accounting and other recent changes that impact financial reporting in the upcoming year and beyond.

Credit: Accounting - 1 & Auditing - 1

Everyone has mental health. Think of it like physical health. There are Olympic athletes, and then there are mere mortals on the opposite side of the exercise spectrum. Both have and are influencing their physical health. The same is true for mental health and wellness! We can all experience anxiety, sadness and irritability, and struggle with focus and thought process. Just like physical health, it’s important to monitor our mental wellness but sometimes that is difficult to do — especially when stress and work are involved. During this session, we will discuss mental health with a focus on stress and its harmful effects if left unchecked, as well as ways we can address and reduce stress to improve overall mental wellness.

The speaker from this session will be livestreamed.

Credit: Personal Development - 2

Ransomware is one of the most common cybersecurity threats today. The impact of an attack ranges from a minor and isolated interruption to a complete and total work stoppage. There is no silver bullet to stop ransomware, but the risk of total technological calamity can be mitigated by implementing a variety of security layers, each one increasing the difficulty of a successful ransomware attack. Learn about some of the key things organizations can do to reduce the risk of ransomware focusing on it from three angles — prevention, containment and response.

Credit: Information Technology - 1

In 2020, the U.S. Census Bureau released the first round of results for its 24th decennial census, giving an early look at population changes since the last census in 2010. This session will focus on how census data, the pandemic recovery and the political climate are affecting the economic outlook of Virginia and the U.S. We will also explore labor markets and supply chain shortages.

Credit: Economics - 1

Interest on the part of investors and other corporate stakeholders in ESG matters has surged in recent years, and the current economic, public health and social justice crises have only intensified this focus. This session will give you foundational knowledge of what ESG is at its core; and an understanding of how it will affect your business, your clients’ businesses and the future of the accounting profession — and how to prepare for it all.

The speaker from this session will be livestreamed.

Credit: Specialized Knowledge - 1

Change and transformation can cause havoc and uncertainty, but they also bring an opportunity for growth and renewal. The CPA profession has been at this change stuff for a while, and we're finding more and more ways to address unexpected challenges and seize new opportunities. In this session, discuss the latest ways the profession is evolving and how the VSCPA and its members are facing the future with confidence.

Credit: Personal Development - 1

What should you expect when you receive an audit notification letter from a state agency regarding sales and use tax and/or unclaimed property? This session explains a company’s rights under an audit and what documents are okay to sign, what information is acceptable to provide, and how to effectively plan for the audit fieldwork. We will do a deep dive into the various sampling methodologies available to the taxpayer along with the pros and cons of these options. We will also discuss certain transactions that often present obstacles for your clients and how to handle them prospectively, so that they don’t have a negative impact under a state audit. We will also explore why unclaimed property audits are different than income tax and sales tax audits.

Credit: Auditing - 1 & Taxation - 1

Bitcoin, cryptocurrency and blockchain are in mainstream financial news every day, and these technologies will continue to be massively disruptive over the next decade. Clear descriptions of the fundamental concepts underpinning these technologies, however, remain elusive. The first half of this presentation demystifies these concepts for the non-technologist by gently wading into the details with the goal of giving you the foundational knowledge you need to enable your own independent research and eventually make better informed decisions for yourself, your business and your clients. The second half discusses the tax implications and treatments of a different type of crypto activity. The IRS’ decision to place a question regarding crypto on the first page of the 1040 clearly indicates their interest and attention. Buying and selling only scratches the surface of the taxable economic activity. We’ll cover these topics and more in the tax portion of our crypto presentation.

Credit: Finance - 1 & Taxation - 1

This session is dedicated to the possibility that even small organizations can create and execute meaningful strategic plans. Creating a well-defined strategy is hard work and not for everyone, as it requires us to begin to say "no" to stuff we usually say "yes" to. You are hereby invited to open a dialogue about how best to go about creating a strategy for your small organization.

The speaker from this session will be livestreamed.

Credit: Business Management & Organization - 2

Eva DeVirgilis believes in the power, privilege and opportunity we have to serve everyone who sits in our chair — across racial, political, religious and gender spectrums. We all have a chair — whether you’re in finance, sales, are a surgeon, CEO or a stay-at-home mom. Discover how to make your chair a space for connection, trust and transformation. Learn how the space the size of a chair can become a place for all to flourish.

Credit: Personal Development - 1

*This course has been approved by the Virginia Board of Accountancy (VBOA) to fulfill your 2022 ethics requirement.

You may add this optional session to your Business & Industry Conference registration for only $35 (normally $59).

This course is designed with information from actual "ripped from the headlines" ethics cases. Most of these cases are on the extreme end of ethical misdeeds, but there’s a lot that can be learned about "doing the right thing" from examining these cases. An ethical decision-making model will be presented in relation to each case. The key to utilizing an ethical decision-making model is appreciating how they each may be useful depending on the circumstances. By better realizing what is needed in a given situation, you can do a better job of choosing the right decision-making model to address necessary issues.

Credit: Regulatory Ethics - 2