2025 Large Firm Group Meeting
January 29-30, 2025 │ Epicurean Hotel, Autograph Collection │ Tampa, FL
Wednesday, January 29, 2025
1:30 – 2:00 p.m. | Registration
2:00 – 2:10 p.m. │ President’s Welcome & Opening Remarks
2:10 – 3:25 p.m. │ State of the Firm - Member Sharing
Reacquaint yourself with yourfellow Large Firm Group meeting attendees by sharing updates within your firm since we met in September.
Grace Horvath, President, CPAmerica, Inc.
1.5 CPE │ Business Management & Organization │ Basic
Pre Req: None│ Adv Prep: None
3:25 – 3:45 p.m. │ Networking Break
3:45 – 5:00 p.m. │Real Deals Done by Your CPAmerica Peers
This session is 100% focused on what happens in an M&A deal. The Visionary Group will facilitate a panel of your peers to help you understand what they went through in their M&A search. The session will coverhow to begin the process, what to focus on in a conversationwith a candidate firm, and what deal killers exist. The session willaddress what the acquiring or upward merger partner should consider to conduct a successful transaction and how to identify value in a candidate firm.
Bob Lewis, The Visionary Group Member Panelist: JimDeLeo, Leading Partner, Gray, Gray & Gray LLP, Hank Wolfson, COO, Gray, Gray & Gray LLP, John Lauseng, Managing Partner, Aldrich Group, Lucas Zettle, CFO, Aldrich Group, Canita Gunter Peterson, Shareholder, Tax Services, Partner, Thomas HowellFurgeson, PA
1.5 CPE │ Business Management & Organization │ Basic Pre Req: None │ Adv Prep: None
5:00 – 6:30 p.m. │ Free Time
6:30 – 9:00 p.m. │ Welcome Reception & Networking Dinner (included in registration)
Join us on the 2nd FloorTerrace fordinner and views of the city
Dinner cost included in meeting registration. Guest Price: $150 per person*
Dress code: Business casual
*Private group events incur additional costs, including labor and preparation. CPAmerica is transparent with event expenses and is willing to share more details upon request as we understand the meal cost for your guest is substantial.
Thursday, January 30, 2025
8:00 – 9:00 a.m. │ Breakfast
9:00 – 10:15 a.m. │ Practical Applications for Leading Partners- Chris Stephenson, Alliant Group
Chris Stephenson, CPA, and technology expert from alliantDIGITAL, shares practical and tactical applications ofcutting-edge technologies to streamline operations, enhance accuracy, and boost overall efficiency. Leading partners will gain valuable insights on implementing these innovative tools and strategies, with real-world applications to drive firm growth and competitiveness. Leave with a clear, actionable strategy forimplementing AI, backed by success stories from your peers at CPAmerica.
Chris Stephenson, Alliant Group
1.5 CPE │ Business Management & Organization │ Basic
Pre Req: None│ Adv Prep: None
10:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. | Break
10:30 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. | Opportunities that Exist Due to Disruption
This session will walk through the factors driving change in the accounting profession forcing firms of all sizes toevaluate their future. Is a succession viable? Can they remain independent?What are their options? How can they expand their advisory capabilities? The focus will center onwhat steps to consider to grow organically and through M&A.
Bob Lewis, The Visionary Group, Inc.
1.5 CPE │ Business Management & Organization │ Basic
Pre Req: None │ Adv Prep: None
11:45 p.m. – 12:45 p.m. | Lunch and Networking
12:45 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. | Building Tomorrow's CPA Firm: Essential Competencies for Innovation and Growth
As the accounting landscape evolves, firms need fresh competencies to drive growth, foster innovation, and stay competitive. This 75-minute session willfocus on the skills required to adapt and thrive in a changing environment. Through engaging content and interactive peer discussions, attendees will evaluate theircurrent capabilities, identify skill gaps, and outline actionable steps to build these new competencies within theirteams. Participants willleave with practical strategies for cultivating a culture of continuous learning, positioning their firms for sustainable growth and a lasting competitive edge.
Arianna Campbell, Boomer Consulting, Inc.
1.5 CPE │ Business Management & Organization │ Basic
Pre Req: None │ Adv Prep: None
2:00 – 2:15 | Networking Break
2:15 – 3:30 | Member Sharing -Bringing It All Together: Key Takeaways and Actionable Steps for Firm Growth
In this 75-minute facilitated discussion, participants will synthesize insights from previous sessions on M&A/Private Equity, Practical Uses of AI, and Core Competencies and Skills essential for innovation. Divided into fourfocused segments, this session will offeran opportunity to discuss key takeaways, share personal insights, and explore practical applications for each topic. The final segment will focus on determining actionable next steps, empowering participants to take specific strategies back to their firms for immediate impact.
Arianna Campbell, Boomer Consulting, Inc.
1.5 CPE │ Business Management & Organization │ Basic Pre Req: None │ Adv Prep: None
3:30 – 3:45 p.m. │ Meeting Wrap-Up & Pre-Planning for September 2025 in Napa Valley, CA Take some time to revisit ideas and questions that surfaced during the day. Identify takeaways and potential topics to discuss in September.
Michelle Powell, CPAmerica, Inc. Senior Member Services Manager No CPE