Note: this article is a semi-annual rewrite/update of my original publication on QuickBooks Connect 2023.

One of my favorite books when I was a kid was “Hail, Hail, Camp Timberwood,” about a girl who goes to summer camp for her first time. She’s standing around, feeling (and probably looking) uncomfortable as all the return campers are running around, hugging each other, excited to be reunited. All of a sudden, someone runs up to her and gives her a big hug and says how happy she is to see her again. After a moment of total confusion, the girl leans in and says, “Don’t worry – we don’t actually know each other. I was just feeling left out and figured I’d join ‘em.” The two of them become fast friends and go off hugging others who looked out of place and letting them in on the joke. Before you know it, the entire place was full of everyone running around hugging each other and laughing.

While I can’t say this is likely to happen exactly like this at the upcoming Intuit Connect conference in Las Vegas, I also wouldn’t be that surprised if it did. There will be heaps of people reuniting for the first time since last year, or at least since Scaling New Heights (check out my old video blog about some of those amazing takeaways, which includes some bonus suggestions for Connect). But there will also be loads of first-timers attending, who are nervous and out of their element. Find the other wallflowers and go up to them – tell them it seemed like maybe they didn’t know anyone there, either, and do they want to eat lunch together or go to a vendor booth or grab a drink? You’ll be delighted and surprised at how many of these folks you’ll stay in touch with through the years. Remember, progressive accountants and bookkeepers such as the kind you’ll find at Connect – especially those who go year after year – are excited you’re there, and they want to help make your experience better. Introduce yourself to someone who looks like they “belong” and say that you’re new, and not sure where to begin. I am sure they’ll point you in the right direction, take you under their wing, or introduce you to someone who might be a great conference buddy.

For today’s blog post, I’m going to be that conference buddy, and share with you my Expert Tips for Attending Intuit Connect 2025.

Tip One — PLAN AHEAD

1. Attend a prep session webinar or podcast for individual insights. So far I haven’t seen any pre-Connect sessions, but keep your eye on this space, as I’ll be updating the article as I learn about new events.
   – Heather Satterley and Liz Scott will be broadcasting ‘Appy Hour live from Intuit Connect at 4 pm ET on Oct 28.
   – Dan DeLong and QB Power Hour will do a wrap-up on Nov 11.
   – Alicia Katz-Pollock will have a special wrap-up episode Nov 13 on The Unofficial QuickBooks Accountants Podcast.
2. Plan ahead, make a schedule, but be comfortable diverging from it; that way you don’t waste time figuring out what to do in the moment, but you also don’t miss the organic opportunities that arise.
3. Check out the sponsor section of the Connect website and make a list of vendors you’d like to meet; they’re often very busy during open Exhibit Hall time; it might be helpful to set up a time with them to meet during a session when the Hall is less busy. Bring a list of questions you’d like to have answered. Narrow your scope… it’s impossible to visit everyone. Pick a few areas of interest, look into which vendors serve those areas, and focus on them.
4. Connect on social media with others who will be attending, whether it’s in a Facebook group like QB Power User Community, LinkedIn, or other platform — you can always use the official hashtag #IntuitConnect to find out who you already know that might be going. Engage and make plans ahead of time.
5. Check with your sales reps and vendors for the tools you love best – whether you’re already using them or plan to implement this year – to see if they are hosting any customer dinners, happy hours, or get-togethers. Same with professional associations you’re either in or are considering joining, like my own ‘Ask a CPA’ community, Bookkeeping Buds, Realize, or Roundtable.
   
   
   
6. Register for parties that aren’t already in the Intuit Connect app! In addition to the Welcome Reception on Monday evening, and the always-fabulous ConnectFest on Tuesday evening, there are always a bunch of RSVP-only sponsored parties, such as
   – Sunday, 10/26 1-6 pm Forwardly & Levvy’s “Women Who Lead” Poolside PreCon
   – Sun 10/26, 5-7 pm Woodard & Human Interest Social
   – Sun 10/26, 7-9 pm Ignition’s PreCon
   – Sun 10/26, 7-11 pm Unfollow the Rules: Book Launch Party (invite-only; contact Sharrin Fuller for details)
   – Sun 10/26, 8-10 pm Woodard & Financial Cents Social
   – Mon 10/27, 5-7 Intuit Connect Welcome Reception, Expo Hall
   – Mon 10/27, 7:30-10:30 pm Tax Hack’s Monster Mash
   – Mon 10/27, 8-10 pm Woodard & Brex Social
   – Mon 10/27, 8-10 Anchor’s Customers & Partners Night
   – Mon 10/27, 8-11 pm Avalara’s The Ultimate VIP Party
   – Tue 10/28, 12-6 pm Levvy & Forwardly’s Cabana Splash
   – Tue 10/28, 7-9:30 pm Intuit ConnectFest, ARIA Jewel Nightclub
   – Tue 10/28, 10 pm-12 am The Anchor Afterparty
   – Wed 10/29, 3:30-6 pm Zenwork Unwind: Be Gaapsavvy

There are also some customer-specific dinners and get-togethers for vendors and professional associations – check with reps for the apps you already use or are planning to implement and ask if they are hosting anything.

Tip Two: DOWNLOAD AND USE THE MOBILE APP

1. When you log into the Intuit Connect website (same credentials you used to register for the conference — not your QBOA login), you can select sessions ahead of time by selecting the “Add to my agenda” button. Keep in mind that some are 50-minute sessions and some are 100-minutes. One of the nice things about the app that Intuit uses is that you can sign up via the website or the mobile app.
   
   
   
   
2. On your phone, you can log into the Intuit Connect website and scroll down about half-way to download and sign into the conference app; or go here for Android and here for Apple. If you still have the app on your phone from last year, it will still work. You just have to click the “update” button in your phone’s app store.
3. The app and the website sync with each other, making it easy to “Add to my agenda” in either place.
   
   
   
4. You can also click on the “Add Personal Time” button, which allows you to include items in your agenda that aren’t part of the official conference.
5. Once you’ve got your calendar just the way you want it, you can then export it so that everything shows up on your personal calendar, by clicking the dropdown at the top of the “My Agenda” view.
   
   
   
   Or in the mobile app, you can set up your “Calendar Sync”:
   
   
   
6. It’s definitely helpful to the community if you “Add to my agenda” ahead-of-time for the classes that interest you (such as “Balancing Automation and Advisory Without Losing the Client Experience,” my session at 10:30 am on Monday, October 27^th)! This is how they determine which rooms will be assigned for each one. If there’s a lot of interest in a particular topic, they’ll give it a bigger room, and that makes life easier for everyone.
   
   
   
7. You can also “heart” (aka “favorite”) a session without signing up for it. (Heart on the desktop app = tab on the mobile app.) Although you can only add one session to your agenda per-slot, you can “favorite” more than one, giving you an excellent way to select backup classes. (There’s one small bug – in an attempt to make sure you’re not signed up for two sessions simultaneously, they accidentally made it so that you have to choose between LUNCH and meetups that are being held during the lunch hour.)
8. The app won’t let you “Add to agenda” if it’s full. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try to attend anyway! Lines will form for the “sold-out” sessions, and they will let additional people in if there’s capacity, which there usually is – get there early to be near the front of the line. There is almost always extra room and I’ve rarely been turned away.
   
   
9. If you click on the session, it will show you the description, as well as speaker info. If you click on the speaker, it will show their bio and all the sessions they’re teaching at the conference. This is a great way to research which instructors you’d like to hear.

Tip Three — PACK WISELY AND COMFORTABLY

1. Wear comfortable shoes – there’s a lot of walking, even though it’s a confined space. Three floors, plus events at neighboring properties. (And of course, dance parties!)
   
   
2. Pack an extra collapsible duffle bag for swag if you’re into it – but remember… you can also say “no thank you”. It’s easy to get lost in the freebie frenzy, but do you really need another stress ball? That said, some of the stuff will be too good to pass up and you want to make sure you have room to carry it home. Personally, my QBO wine stopper from two years ago is a treasured memento – no joke!
3. The breakout rooms are often FREEZING! Bring a wrap or sweatshirt. Also, Vegas is in the desert… it’s chilly this time of year.
4. However, there are a couple of hot tubs in the pool area, so also bring a swimsuit. Keep in mind that they close very early — 4 or 5 pm depending on the day.
5. Bring a refillable water bottle (or reuse a plastic bottle) and/or coffee/tea mug; there will be dispensers, and also, the water in your hotel room is fine to drink. Pro tip: the gym is 24/7 and has great filtered water.
6. Bring battery packs and chargers – often the rooms are in a basement and your cell struggles and chews up your battery; plus you’ll want to be on the conference app, your association’s Slack or Circle app, and you’ll probably text or WhatsApp a lot.
7. Conference hotels are pricey! Buy food & drink at a nearby convenience store if you’re going to want snacks or a bottle or box of wine outside of the usual meals and parties… but there are lots of those, so it’s not strictly necessary. Also, ordering delivery food or groceries is a lot cheaper than eating at the casino. (While you’re at the convenience store or ordering online, grab some Epsom salts to soak your feet. You’ll be glad you did.)
8. Speaking of the hotel restaurants, the reservations book up very quickly. If you know you’ll want to eat out on a given night, go ahead and reserve as soon as you can.
9. There are no coffee-makers in the rooms, and the line at the café winds through the casino. Bring a portable tea kettle or coffee-maker; this is ours. I wish I had an affiliate link because I recommend this thing to everyone.
   
   
10. Carry small bills for tipping bartenders at the various happy hours, socials, parties and receptions. They work hard and many attendees don’t think to bring cash.
11. Bring earplugs for sleeping and loud parties.
12. All that said, don’t overpack. We’re only there for three days and you can re-wear some of your clothing. You don’t want to get stuck spending most of your final night re-packing your whole wardrobe. You’ll probably need less stuff than you think.
13. Anchor is hosting a service on the final day from 6:30 am-5 pm where you can store your luggage after checking out (rather than with the hotel concierge) — register here. They did this last year and it was a huge help for everyone… and they’re incredibly nice people, too!
14. Dress code: BE YOURSELF. Many people are in sweats and jeans, others are in power-suits or dresses, and some of us love dressing up in-costume and wearing tiaras or wigs whenever we get the chance. There’s even a whole group that wears tutus on Tuesday. Wear what makes you feel most like yourself.

Tip Four — TRAVEL CONSIDERATIONS

1. Taxis from the airport to the ARIA typically run $25-35, and unlike rideshares, they are prohibited from surge pricing. Their designated pickup area is on the second level of the parking garage, whereas taxis are readily available at the airport’s taxi loading zones; however, lines can be long if there’s a big event in town. The hotel can arrange alternative private transportation if you’re interested.
2. Related: plan for ample travel time while in Las Vegas, whether you’re on foot, in a vehicle, or using the ARIA Express Tram from Park MGM to Bellagio. Keep in mind that the lines to grab a taxi outside each property can be long. Stick with over-street pedestrian bridges, trams and monorails when possible.
3. Once you’ve met a bunch of folks at the conference, consider coordinating to share a cab back to the airport when you depart.
4. Check in early and skip the Intuit Connect registration lines. On Oct 26 from 11:30 AM-7 PM you can head to the ARIA Convention Center East Wing on Level 2. Remember to bring your ID.

Tip Five — NETWORKING

1. Represent your tribe… for example, last year the Bookkeeping Buds wore our tiaras to show support when a member was competing in a QBO Tips & Tricks session. I often bring either my favorite Bookkeeping Buds bag or my NATP Taxposium bag to use instead of the conference one (it not only is a nice talking point, but it also is easier to find if you leave it behind somewhere). And I love my Bridging the Gap water bottle to refill throughout the day. Many folks love wearing tee-shirts from their favorite apps – Kim Noh even has her own tee that has logos of her tech stack! And of course, make sure to pick up an ‘Ask a CPA’ sticker (as well as a badge ribbon if you’re a member) and a “She Counts” pin from me when we meet!
   
   
   
2. Stay connected via Slack, WhatsApp, social media, and texts throughout the conference (again, bring a battery pack or charger).
3. Bring business cards – digital, paper, or a paper one with a QR code (or QR code stickers). I used HiHello for my first time a couple years ago, and there are loads of others out there. These days the vendors usually just scan your badge to get your info, but they do sometimes have raffles where you can drop an old-school card in an old-school fishbowl; I have a different set of b-cards I use for these with an email that routes to a different folder.
4. You can also connect with new colleagues on LinkedIn by scanning their badge QR code with your phone. And you can also arrange one-on-one meetings with fellow attendees through the Intuit Connect App.
5. Prepare your elevator pitch – who are you, what do you do, why are you here, what makes you different? What will I want to remember about meeting you?

Tip Six — TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF

1. Sleep well the week and weekend leading up to the conference – the sessions start early, the parties go late, and there’s always something happening in the hotel bar.
   
   
   
2. Put your badge on the inside of the doorknob when you get back to your room, so that you remember to grab it on your way out — a great tip I learned from Lynda Artesani. They are strict about not letting anyone in without it.
3. If you’re getting groceries delivered or stopping by a 7-11 or Walgreens, consider picking up some epsom salts to soak your feet.
4. It’s okay to skip the morning session if you were up late, or to take a nap during a mainstage or between events. Give yourself some grace.
5. But be careful about how late you stay up and how much you drink. You don’t want to miss something valuable or feel sick just because you lost track of yourself. (There’s a cool “bracelet trick” I learned years ago… put as many bracelets on your left wrist as drinks you’ll allow yourself. Move one bracelet to the right wrist with each adult bevvie. Once your left wrist is empty, cut yourself off. Another trick is to re-use the same glass each time you get another cocktail — filling it up with water between drinks. You have to finish the water before allowing yourself a refill. And this may go without saying, but make sure to eat a full meal to soak up all that fun.)
   
   
6. Consider arriving a day early or leaving a day late so you can see the sights in Las Vegas. If you haven’t been to Absinthe, the Sphere, a Cirque de Soleil show, the Fremont Street Experience and the downtown Vegas lights, or the Museum of Neon, I can highly recommend taking the extra time to make it happen. And it’s a great way to form a tighter bond with some of the new friends you met at the conference!

Tip Seven — SET YOURSELF UP FOR SUCCESS

1. There are always seats up-front, even when a session looks full. Don’t be nervous about walking right up there, even if it’s a few minutes into the session. No one’s looking at you, and no one cares.
   
   
   
2. That said, feel free to ditch a class if it’s not what you were hoping for or expected. There are other workshops that will be better worth your valuable time – or maybe it’s an opportunity to visit with vendors or network with colleagues.
3. Take a screenshot of the Exhibit Hall map so you can easily zoom in/out and orient the phone so that you’re pointing the right direction.
4. Issues with QBO or another Intuit product? You can actually schedule one-on-one appointments in the app with their product experts at Customer Care in the Expo Hall; they bring their A-team! (Many of these same folks are doing regular demos at the Intuit Theater; if you’re curious about how something works or want to learn about a new feature, ya gotta stop by.)
5. If you attend the fireside chat on Wednesday, October 29 at 11:30 AM you’ll receive a copy of Brené Brown’s latest book, Strong Ground: The Lessons of Daring Leadership, the Tenacity of Paradox, and the Wisdom of the Human Spirit.
6. Take lots of notes – notebook, e-ink pad, tablet, laptop… however works best for you. (In fact, as a paper-note-taker, I plan to check out my friends’ Remarkables and Supernotes as one of my research goals for the conference.) Make one page a list of client-specific takeaways and one page a list of non-client actions you’ll perform when you get back to the office. Try to restrict that second list to only 2-3 things – it’s impossible to implement every shiny new idea you come across. Those will hang around in your head and you’ll get a chance to learn more at the next conference, by which point maybe you’ll have a new set of goals.
7. It’s natural to be nervous, but you can do this! Even extroverts struggle with meeting new people sometimes. Move through that shyness or fear and lean into the fact that almost everyone here came alone; everyone had a first conference where they didn’t know anyone; and everyone is here to meet other people and develop their practices. We have so much in common… sit at a lunchtable where you don’t know anyone and introduce yourself. Ask why they’re here and what they’re enjoying most. Find out where they’re from and what their specialty is. Tell them your goals and ask if they have advice. Ask them what their tech stack is, how they’re using AI in their practices, what communities they’re members of, and share your struggles with your choices and vendors and all the things. We will never run out of topics to talk about with each other, because there is so much to learn in our industry. Plus, chances are that these are folks who are as passionate about what they do as you are, or they wouldn’t be here in the first place.

See you soon at QuickBooks Connect!