Are you going to Xerocon?

Are you going to Xerocon?

Didn't find your answer?

Anyone planning a trip to London for Xerocon next week? I'll be there for all the days covering the event. If you come across a tall South African man, it's almost certainly me. Say hello! Our esteemed editor John Stokdyk will also be making an appearance. And if you're hitting the conference floor, make a spin by PracticeWEB's stall. 

Replies (27)

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By exceljockey
04th Feb 2016 12:54

If you see a fat Zimbabwean man

its me!

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By cheekychappy
04th Feb 2016 13:13

Xero>con<

£325+VAT per ticket isn't cheap for small practice owners. Add on hotels and travel and it is comparable to taking the wife abroad for a long weekend.

No thanks.

 

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By Howard Marks
04th Feb 2016 13:00

If you see a large plume of smoke

It won't be me...honest.

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Man of Kent
By Kent accountant
04th Feb 2016 13:04

No

NO!

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Glenn Martin
By Glenn Martin
04th Feb 2016 13:13

Was thinking about it

as thought it might be quiet time for me so didnt commit to tickets.

I unexpectantly am actually quite busy now so deiced against as was going to cost me over £1000 and couldnt see the benefit for amount of clients i look after, 3 days is also a bit much for one product IMO.

Although I had I known there was an opportunity to meet a fat man from Zimbabwe I might have been swayed. LOL

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By Tim Vane
04th Feb 2016 13:23

I'm washing my hair that week. Sorry.

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Teignmouth
By Paul Scholes
04th Feb 2016 13:59

Do they really still charge??

Even with my background with Clear Books, I have clients using Xero and have always been interested in attending.  

I started applying a few years back and was shocked when it asked me for money and so stopped.but I'd honestly believed that they'd soon get the message that partners (who get them the business in the first place) see it as perverse to be asked to pay for what is a marketing event.

After similar criticism in the past we were told how expensive these events were but how is it that other companies, wouldn't dream of charging.  Iris run their Iris World once a year and huge events at several locations around the UK and, even though the marketing element is very low key, they wouldn't dream of asking for a sub,

If it's so expensive then cut costs, use a church hall or something.  Gary Turner tweated the other day that he'd ordered a bigger screen for this year's event!

Worth noting that in last year's accounts, Xero's marketing spend was up 70% to $93.5M, that's 75% of operating Revenue.  So 75% of my monthly (more expensive that the other cloud systems) subs already go to pay for Xero>con.

It seems that it is still the case that Xero consider they are doing us a favour by allowing us to use their software and attend their parties.

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By Mouse house
04th Feb 2016 14:16

No, at those prices!

I already pay lots of money to Xero every month for my clients' Xero subscriptions.  Agree with posts above, this should be a free event.

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Glenn Martin
By Glenn Martin
04th Feb 2016 14:24

For Me Accountex is Better

As everyone and his brother who you would ever need to meet if in practice/industry is there under one roof so you can kill several birds with  one stone so to speak.

The business start up event which is on next door is also worth a look around.

If your organised you can also pick up a load of CPD points and a bag full of cups and pens.

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Replying to KevBlue:
By Howard Marks
04th Feb 2016 14:30

Stoning

Glennzy wrote:
...you can kill several birds with  one stone so to speak.

 

Shall we all aim for Iris???

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Replying to KevBlue:
Glenn Martin
By Glenn Martin
04th Feb 2016 14:45

@ Howard

Howard Marks wrote:

Glennzy wrote:
...you can kill several birds with  one stone so to speak.

 

Shall we all aim for Iris???

They were the first stand through the door last year so you could box that off first thing then enjoy the rest of the day.

I am sure a few others would keen to hold your bag whilst you got stuck into them.

 

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By cheekychappy
04th Feb 2016 14:55

The biggest [***] take for me is making the awards dinner compulsory, and having to pay for it.

Many of the attendants will not be nominated for an award, won’t give a toss about those that are nominated, but still have to pay for the luxury.

I suppose the ticket price will also include flying over some of the execs from NZ at further expense to Xero customers.

Given the money I hand over to Xero every year, every time Xerocon comes around, I feel as though Gary has just taken a massive steamy dump on my desk and said “thanks for your subscriptions”.

Their payroll is also sub-standard but they won’t admit it.

Xero are really starting to get my back up and I will be considering my options in the coming months.

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Replying to Jlied03:
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By Cloudcounter
04th Feb 2016 20:33

Awards Dinner

cheekychappy wrote:
The biggest [***] take for me is making the awards dinner compulsory, and having to pay for it. Many of the attendants will not be nominated for an award, won’t give a toss about those that are nominated, but still have to pay for the luxury. I suppose the ticket price will also include flying over some of the execs from NZ at further expense to Xero customers. .

That's exactly why I won't be going, having been to all the previous UK events..    I wouldn't go to the awards dinner if you paid me (well, I suppose everything has its price) and find them tedious and frequently vomit inducing.  Being forced to pay for it is bad enough,  but they actually ask if you are going to turn up so that they can not book your place and trouser your cash.  That is the biggest [***] take in my view..  I don't actually mind the charge at the early bird prices.

I see that 2020 have now done the same thing with their autumn conference, so we won't be going to that either and I've been to far more of those than Xerocons.

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Locutus of Borg
By Locutus
04th Feb 2016 15:34

Well said cheekychappy

I have no intention of going.

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By MissAccounting
04th Feb 2016 15:49

They expect us to get their customers and collect their money and in return they charge to go to their conference and then really confirm what they think of us by signing agreements with the big 4 so they can take our clients off us. Thanks Xero, think I'll pass!

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Red Leader
By Red Leader
04th Feb 2016 15:44

ridiculous

That is a ridiculous amount of money to ask. Maybe £100 to weed out the tyre-kickers but not £325! And an Awards dinner? - oh per-lease!

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By ireallyshouldknowthisbut
04th Feb 2016 15:57

.

What a bunch of miserable, cyncial tight fisted so and so's 

I feel right at home :)

 

 

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FT
By FirstTab
04th Feb 2016 16:18

What is Sift's angle?

Is Sift getting paid to attend this event? 

John when you ask Xero's top brass any questions please bring out the Jeremy Paxam part of you. Watching current YouTube, they are let off too easily. Uncomfortable questions are not asked. They sound more like PR YouTube than independent journalism. This could be because of Sift's commercial interest. Is it?

Ask about Xero final accounts and why there is not a clear decision from senior people from Xero. What is being done about it? Why devote resources to payroll and not final accs. I can guess the answers but these questions need to be asked and recorded.  

Why the entrance fee to attend? Why did Xero not listen to its partners on this aspect? 

Will Sift's cameras will be rolling purely for Xero's PR and Sift's current and future commercial interests? If so, fair enough, but it needs to be disclosed. 

 

 

 

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By NPT1
04th Feb 2016 22:50

It's in half term
And my family are more important. Also why London and not more central and where hotels are cheaper.

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By Sheepy306
05th Feb 2016 09:29

So out of touch
Quite why accountants are happy to accept this is beyond me, I understand that people like to feel part of a club and that some people fall for the marketing hype but where do you draw the line? Especially when there's a myriad of other almost identical cloud providers.

Good luck Francois, it sounds like it will be a great 'con'.

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By BigBadWolf
05th Feb 2016 10:02

XeroCON

Xero "partners" i.e. the accountants already market their software, Then they expect you to pay for the privilege of listening to them tell you how great their product is??? What a nice Thank You!

They charge all the add-on's for having stalls there!

They now even have Microsoft as Platinum sponsors, Receipt Bank & Expensify as Gold+ sponsors!

Even money grabbing IRIS manage to put on a free event!

So no I won't be going!

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Glenn Martin
By Glenn Martin
05th Feb 2016 11:11

Are we taking bets

On KPMG winning some top award after the deal they did which put them No 1 Xero reseller, with the 5000 prepaid licences they allegedly bought to make them triple gold platinum or whatever.

 

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By Cleggy1
05th Feb 2016 12:05

Add on Partners

Is anyone else fed up of all of the Add-on Partners contacting about meeting up with them at XeroCon and if not would I like a brochure/chat/meeting.

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By Howard Marks
05th Feb 2016 12:12

Well...

This has gone really well hasn't it... (monkey with hands over eyes iPhone emoji)

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By mwngiol
05th Feb 2016 13:47

Name change

Sounds like they should change the name from Xerocon to Majorcon

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Locutus of Borg
By Locutus
05th Feb 2016 15:52

It might be quite empty there

... If this thread is anything to go by!

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By Alex_T
08th Feb 2016 14:22

Going to Accountex

I went to Accountex for the first time last year and thought it was excellent. I plan to go again this year.

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