Long Division – The Sequel?

 

Some 20-plus years ago I attended my first-ever AICPA conference, the fall meeting of Council at the cavernous Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas, which had just made its debut on the Strip the year before.

I was sort of feeling my way around as I was new to covering the profession when a curious thing happened. My colleague and I were invited to one of the official dinners, which had reserved a table for each of the state council representatives. Trouble was, that none of the conference organizers had bothered to account for the spouses of attendees. So, when people began lining up against the walls with no place to sit, a small panic ensued, and the hotel housemen were forced to sardine in at least 10 extra tables to accommodate the overflow.

When I returned to the office, I penned a column titled “Long Division,” which basically pointed out that all those folks had to do was get a true headcount and divide by 10 to determine the correct number of tables. I also questioned as to why scores of CPAs, accustomed to far more difficult financial calculations, were unable to do just that.

As one might imagine that op-ed didn’t win many friends at the institute and for 12 years, I had an uneasy relationship with the powers that be.

But that was then, and this is now. Or was it?

After spending the better part of last week at the ENGAGE conference at times I felt like I was transported back to the Venetian in 2000.

To be fair, this was their first live ENGAGE conference after last year’s quarantine and there are bound to be scheduling and logistic quirks even in a normal year and 2020 was anything but normal. But a few observations and trust me, I was far from the only one voicing the following observations.

1.       The crux of profession-related issues usually embraced by the institute’s PCPS unit such as practice management to name one seemed truncated on the overall agenda whereas in years past, they were front and center. For example, you can stage just so many PFP sessions and there appeared to be an overabundance.

2.       The exhibit hall hours were skewed and often confusing – even to some of the disgruntled vendors who paid not insignificant booth fees in hopes of interacting more frequently with attendees.

3.       For a $1,795 registration fee, I at least expected plated luncheons during the confab which I received on Monday’s opening but was then subjected to sealed translucent bowls of quinoa combined with either chicken or tofu the ensuing two days in the exhibit hall and good luck trying to find a seat.

4.       After countless marketing materials touting the conference’s keynote speaker, Caroline Kennedy, it was never mentioned (at least in the promotions I received) that she wouldn’t be attending live, but rather connected virtually. And truth be told, the images one saw from the various space shuttle voyages were often far clearer than those of her interview.

But on the plus side, I did manage to bring home some of those always necessary refrigerator clips in addition to a mobile phone holder. And a few notepads to boot.

There’s always next year.