Best of the 2026 MEGA Conference

Opening Keynote: Voice>Echo: Leadership, Credibility, and the CFO's Expanding Role- Dr. Tim Naddy

We all know that familiar moment in finance when something just doesn’t quite add up, but when you bring it up it gets pushed aside… only to come back later as the “right answer.” This session Dr. Tim Naddy will walk attendees through how ideas actually move inside organizations, from early subtle signals to the eventual decision, and what that means for finance professionals. It’s not about being louder or getting credit; it’s about stepping into the conversation sooner, with clarity, confidence, and purpose.

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AI is Changing the Risk Game: Opportunities, Compliance, and What's Ahead - Scott Hagizadegan

AI adoption is accelerating. Cyber insurers are tightening requirements and denying claims. The risk landscape for CPA firms has changed, and many leaders don’t yet realize how vulnerable their firms may be. In this fast-paced keynote, cybersecurity expert Scott Hagizadegan reveals the major shifts happening right now, and what CPA firm leaders must understand to safeguard their firms, clients, and operations.

In this fast-paced keynote, trusted cybersecurity expert Scott Hagizadegan breaks down what is changing right now and what CPA firm leaders must understand to protect their firms, clients and operations.

Credits: 1 - Technical Business

Credits: 1 - Behavioral

This session is available to registrants only.

HR Analytics & Strategy: Maximize Your CAS Impact - Jessica Battaglia

In today’s rapidly evolving business environment, accountants and CPAs have the opportunity to expand their role as trusted advisors by integrating HR analytics and strategic HR advisory services into their Client Advisory Services (CAS) offerings. As organizations face a transformed workplace, shifting employee/employer dynamics and ongoing human capital challenges, accounting professionals can leverage HR insights to help clients make more accurate financial forecasts, optimize talent management and minimize risk.

This session will provide actionable strategies for developing and scaling an HR advisory practice within an accounting firm. Explore effective service offerings, technology solutions and advisory models, and gain practical tools to elevate your advisory expertise, enhance client value and generate new revenue streams.

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2026 Florida Legislative Session Update: What CPAs need to know - Jason Harrell

Tax season is over and the 2026 Florida Legislative Session is too. Join FICPA Chief External Affairs officer Jason Harrell for a boots on the ground review of the most impactful changes to the profession, the demise of failed bills, the impact of new developments on CPAs and what the future holds.

Jason and the FICPA's Tallahassee team have spent the last six months preparing, reviewing bills and meeting with legislators to advocate for the Florida CPA. Register today to learn what's in store for the year ahead.

Credits: 1 - Behavioral

Credits: 1 - Technical Business

This session is available to registrants only.

Risk Management Mantras for Daily Practice - Kevin Hayes

The Accountants Risk Control team at CNA, the underwriter of the AICPA Professional Liability Insurance Program, speaks with thousands of CPAs every year and provides advice and guidance to help them navigate tricky and challenging client situations. While each situation is unique, certain catchphrases are shared with CPA firms more frequently than others. These common catchphrases have become risk management mantras.

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Profession Opportunities Update - Mark Koziel

The CPA Profession is heating up, from private equity and artificial intelligence to expanding client advisory services and the global community. Join AICPA President and CEO Mark Koziel for a frank discussion about the challenges facing today's profession and the opportunities worth seeking.

Credits: 2 - Technical Business

This session is available to registrants only.

Keynote: State of the Profession - Shelly Weir

Hear from President & CEO Shelly Weir about the FICPA’s advocacy efforts and legislative priorities following Florida’s 2026 Legislative Session. Learn about the key issues that will drive this year’s Session and their impact on the CPA profession. From pathways to deregulation, this is a comprehensive look at licensure in the Sunshine State

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Stay Ahead of the Curve in Auditing & Accounting - Erik De Vries

The standards are always changing, are you ready? This timely, practical session delivers a concise update on the most important developments in auditing and accounting so you can prepare for upcoming audits and financial reporting. We’ll break down the latest guidance from the FASB, AICPA and PCAOB, translating complex updates into clear overview to help you identify issues promptly. Designed for professionals in public practice and industry, this session focuses on what’s new and considerations on how to prepare.

Credits: 1 - Technical Business

Credits: 1 - Accounting and Auditing

This session is available to registrants only.

Click Less Advise More - Deborah Defer

CAS success isn’t about working harder — it’s about working smarter. In this engaging and interactive session, we’ll explore what it truly takes to “click less” and create the capacity to “advise more.”  Using live audience polling and real-time Q&A, we’ll uncover how technology, people, processes, and pricing either create operational drag — or unlock advisory capacity. Participants will benchmark their own practices against collective audience data, identify hidden inefficiencies, and gain clarity on where small shifts can produce meaningful improvements in margin, scalability, and client impact.  This session moves beyond theory to practical application. Attendees will leave with insights grounded in live data from the room and a clearer understanding of how to align their CAS structure to reduce manual effort and elevate advisory value.

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Stop Treating Learning Like a Checkbox: Build a Strategic Talent Engine for Your Firm - Laurence Whittam

Accounting firms are facing a fundamental shift in how they attract, develop and retain talent. Technical training and CPE alone are no longer enough. Firms that want to remain competitive must be intentional about how they develop their people — aligning learning, career paths, leadership development and global team integration into a cohesive strategy.

In this interactive session, Jason McKeever, a learning advisor with 20+ years in the accounting industry and Laurence Whittam, an advisor to CPA firms on global talent and operational strategy, will explore how firms can transform learning from a compliance activity into a strategic advantage.

Participants will examine how leading firms are designing intentional learning tracks, developing future leaders, integrating global team members from locations like India and the Philippines and preparing for succession in an evolving profession. Through real examples, audience discussion, and interactive Q&A, attendees will leave with practical ideas to build a people strategy that strengthens their firm's long-term growth.

Credits: 2 - Behavioral

This session is available to registrants only.

FASB Update - Jacob Rodman

This session provides an overview of recent and current standard-setting activities of the Financial Accounting Standards Board, including newly issued Accounting Standards Updates and active projects that may affect financial reporting under U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.

• Recall key recent Accounting Standards Updates and active projects on the agenda of the Financial Accounting Standards Board.
• Identify the objectives and key provisions of recent and proposed changes to U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (US GAAP).
• Recognize potential financial reporting and implementation considerations arising from recent and upcoming US GAAP standard-setting activities.

Credits: 2 - Accounting and Auditing

This session is available to registrants only.

AI Automation in Tax Preparation: What CPAs Can Adopt Right Now - Jaideep Singh

This session explores how recent advances in AI are transforming tax preparation workflows for CPA firms. Participants will learn how modern AI technologies such as machine learning, reasoning models and workflow automation are improving document processing, data extraction and automatic tax return preparation.
The session will also discuss how automation can significantly reduce manual data entry, improve accuracy and increase productivity within tax practices. Attendees will gain insights into practical automation strategies that can be adopted during the current tax season to improve efficiency and scalability in their firms.

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Introduction to Fraud Detection with Excel: Tools and Techniques - Christina Solomon & Angie Abfall

This interactive session introduces the use of Excel-based data analytics to identify fraud risk factors and indicators of potential misuse or misstatement. Participants will learn foundational data preparation techniques to cleanse and normalize data, address common data challenges, and apply key analytic tests such as gap detection, duplicate testing, outlier analysis, and trend analysis. The session emphasizes interpreting analytic results to identify unusual patterns, relationships, and transactions that may warrant further inquiry.

Credits: 1 - Technical Business

Credits: 1 - Accounting and Auditing

This session is available to registrants only.

Monetizing AI for an Additional Six-Figure Revenue - David Yu & Michael Metcalf

This  presentation will focus on how CPA practices can generate additional revenue stream by strategically integrating AI into their tax and advisory services. As AI continues to reshape the accounting landscape, firms that adapt early are positioning themselves to move beyond traditional compliance work and into higher-value advisory roles.

Attendees will gain insight into how top-performing CPAs are leveraging AI to uncover new opportunities, improve client tax outcomes and increase efficiency while actually decreasing their workload.

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Lets Commit Fraud! (and Stop it!) - Andrew Renck

We saved the best for last! Return speaker and fraud expert Andrew Renck will bring you along for a journey through fraud. Andrew will break down how to stop hackers and fraudsters from attacking you and your clients. This session will cover:

• How to identify attackers
• How to stop attackers
• What to do when attacked

 

Credits: 2 - Technical Business

This session is available to registrants only.