SME global challenges spearhead heavyweight agenda for the IFA’s international conference

he current global situation and the challenges facing SMEs will be high on the agenda for this year’s international conference hosted by The Institute of Financial Accountants (IFA), as it announces details of one of its flagship events.

Taking place on 10 November, which is also International Accountants’ Day, the IFA’s second annual online conference will cover a broad range of internationally relevant topics chosen to meet the needs of those working in micro and small to medium-sized enterprises and accountancy practices.

This year’s educational sessions will be presented by several respected industry specialists including John Redwood, Chief Global Strategist at Charles Stanley, who will be discussing the global economic outlook. He will be in the company of fellow speakers Joe David of Nephos Group and MYNA; Alan Bryce from the Fraud Advisory Panel; and Senior Lecturer from Salford University Business School, Dr Chris Kelsall; all of whom will be tackling some of the industry’s most prominent issues to help small businesses worldwide.

Among the topics that will be discussed in the webinars will be sustainability and the role of the practitioner in advising business, cryptocurrency, cyber security and the future role of finance professionals working within an SME.

Last year saw the launch of the IFA’s first digital conference, which attracted a sizeable audience from around the world and was very well received. It is looking to build on that momentum and reach an even wider audience amid the growing global appeal of the IFA, which saw continued international expansion during coronavirus.

The IFA is part of the Institute of Public Accountants (IPA) Group and has launched a number of global initiatives and commercial partnerships with several international brands.

John Edwards, CEO, Institute of Financial Accountants, said: “Prior to Covid we ran our annual conference in the UK, primarily focusing on the UK market, but since our inaugural online event last year, the demand for education in the context of the global business landscape has became ever more apparent. As we face an unprecedented economic crisis among other emerging global issues, our conference’s focus as before will be on delivering the latest, up-to-date industry insight to finance and business professionals to ensure they are effectively armed to help deal with these current challenges.”