The silent benefit of FAB: Peer-benchmarking over coffee
Sometimes the most valuable data at the Finance, Accounting & Bookkeeping Show is traded in the queue for a flat white…
Spreadsheets tell you a lot about margin, utilisation and pipeline – but not how the firm down the road is really pricing payroll or handling AI risk. That intelligence lives in quick, candid conversations between partners, CFOs and heads of tech. FAB is engineered to spark exactly those exchanges.
With 82% of 2025 delegates already re-registered for 2026, you’ll be comparing notes with leaders who have numbers worth sharing.
From “nice to meet you” to “send me the deck”
We’re baking up structured touch-points into the show so serendipity doesn’t have to do all the work. Think:
- Sector-specific round-tables – 45-minute sessions on topics like post-merger tech rationalisation or ESG audit prep.
- After-hours meet-ups – gatherings of handpicked guests hosted by AccountingWEB journalists; think of them as live focus groups with drinks.
- Invite-only networking – a badge-controlled space where partners and FDs can swap KPIs away from the expo buzz.
Each session is capped for quality, making conversations worthwhile and offering up insights you’ll want to benchmark back at base.
What leaders can gain
- Pricing reality checks – discover whether your fixed-fee audit really is market-leading.
- Tech-stack proof points – find out which point solutions survive after a three-office roll-up.
- Talent tactics – compare graduate retention rates and hybrid policies before the next board meeting.
Make the most of the micro-meetings
- Arrive with two numbers you’re willing to share (e.g. effective hourly rate, AI budget %). Generosity invites reciprocity.
- Note the delta, not the anecdote. Capture where you’re ahead, behind or level; that turns coffee chat into Monday-morning action.
- Swap “what” for “how”. Replace “What tool do you use?” with “Walk me through how you rolled it out – training, costs, push-back.”
- Schedule the follow-up on the spot. A 15-minute post-show call in both calendars locks in momentum.
Ready to benchmark in real time?
Secure your free ticket for 11–12 March 2026 and step into a show floor – and general atmosphere – designed for frank, numbers-based conversations that don’t happen on LinkedIn.
FAB: the deal-making marketplace where senior finance and accounting leaders compare, calibrate and commit.
