I am definitely right in the middle of peak conference season at the moment.
Last month I attended my first European Association of Corporate Treasurers Annual Summit in Brussels, where around 250 treasurers from across Europe came together for two days to talk about the current challenges they are facing, the threats and opportunities from new technologies and geo-political changes, and some perennial challenges of growing & retaining talent and leading teams & organisations. I learned a lot, including improving my technical knowledge of some processes and regulations impacting the day-to-day work of treasury teams. It was also lovely to celebrate the successes of different associations and their members at the EACT awards evening. And I lost count of how many new people I met!
Back in London – and not strictly treasury-related – I joined a couple of ACT colleagues to attend the annual MemCom conference. MemCom is an organisation which works with and supports all kinds of membership organisations, and there was plenty to learn about what the members of professional bodies want in the post-pandemic age. Everything from upcoming political elections and the rise of AI to hybrid working patterns and choosing effective finance systems was on the agenda. In the coffee breaks it was reassuring to share frustrations and opportunities with my opposite numbers across different sectors, and realise we share many of the same questions.
Of course, the most significant conference of all for me is now just around the corner, as I pack my bag for Liverpool and the ACT Annual Conference. As you might expect, I have a mixture of a little nervousness and huge excitement about joining so many of you (over 1,000 attendees) for my first Annual Conference as CEO – although I really enjoyed being a normal ‘delegate’ in Newport last year. Our theme of ‘Tomorrow’s Treasurer’ seems very timely, and I am proud of the rich and engaging programme that the team has brought together and grateful to all of the speakers taking part in 40 sessions, and the 75 sponsors and exhibitors who will bring this year’s conference to life. If you’re joining us, do come and say hello and share your personal conference highlights with me.
My conference season doesn’t quite end in Liverpool, though, as I head back to Europe that same week to join the Treasury360 Nordics conference in Copenhagen as a speaker – talking about how the ACT works and what we do to support our members and influence policy & regulation.
In literal terms, a conference is, of course, a place to ‘confer’. The speakers and sessions are important for us to learn and think, and the tour of the exhibition halls can inspire and sometimes intrigue us with new ideas. Personally, the unexpected introductions and interesting conversations with old friends and new colleagues – those moments where we ‘confer’ on what’s next – always seem the most memorable part.
Whatever conferences are in your schedule in the coming weeks I hope you find them useful and enjoyable. Perhaps I’ll see you in Liverpool or Copenhagen…