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.
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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.
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
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.
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.
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.
Stoning
...you can kill several birds with one stone so to speak.
Shall we all aim for Iris???
@ Howard
...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.
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.
Awards Dinner
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.
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!
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!
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.
It's in half term
And my family are more important. Also why London and not more central and where hotels are cheaper.
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'.
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!
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.
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.
Well...
This has gone really well hasn't it... (monkey with hands over eyes iPhone emoji)
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.