Six questions finance & business leaders should ask before any trade show
Trade shows can fill your diary and drain your travel budget. Before you block out two days and book the train to Birmingham (or anywhere else), pause and run through these six questions. They will help you decide whether the event earns its place in your diary – and whether your team should be there with you.
1. Does the programme translate upcoming regulation into practical steps for in-house finance teams?
Choose an event whose speakers break down new rules—whether MTD, ISSB sustainability standards or consumer-duty tweaks—into checklists, timelines and software tips you can deploy on Monday morning.
2. Can I schedule one-to-one meetings with suppliers whose tools integrate with our existing systems?
A well-run show lets you pre-book slots with vendors’ product specialists, so you can explore API fit, data-migration paths and ROI calculations in a private setting rather than on a crowded stand.
3. Will presenters share real-life case studies from finance departments in similar-sized organisations?
Look for sessions where FDs or controllers walk through dashboards, workflow changes and lessons learned—not theoretical slide decks—so you can benchmark your own processes.
4. Are there workshops on talent: attracting, upskilling and retaining finance professionals in a competitive market?
The best agendas tackle hiring bottlenecks, hybrid-working policies and training frameworks, giving you playbooks to build a future-ready team.
5. Is there space to discuss strategic topics such as ESG reporting, risk management and business resilience?
Seek dedicated panels or roundtables that move beyond compliance to long-term value creation, letting you stress-test your roadmap with peers and experts.
6. Can I earn recognised CPD credits while attending, justifying time away from the office?
Verify that the show is affiliated with CIMA, ACCA or ICAEW accreditation, allowing you and your team to log structured hours while sharpening strategic skills.
Why these questions matter
The right event accelerates that growth; the wrong one burns budget and momentum. By testing content depth, speaker quality and networking design, you make sure every train fare converts into insight, partnerships and revenue.
The FAB answer
The Finance, Accounting & Bookkeeping Show is built on these pillars. The AccountingWeb newsroom tracks policy changes the moment they land, and with more than 30,000 professionals visiting the site for straight‑talking coverage of tax, tech and regulation every day, our connection with the industry is unmatched.
We have also listened to our 2025 attendees, and among other improvements, the capacity for pre-booked 1-2-1s has been doubled. Arrive with a problem; leave with a shortlist, a quote and a peer reference.
Sound like the event for you? Book your tickets today and put FAB 2026 in your diary.
