Running a successful small or medium practice today means thinking beyond the next client engagement. This session explores what long-term resilience really looks like for SMPs – from cultivating strategic influence within your local business community to building networks that generate referrals, partnerships and new opportunities. Drawing on real practitioner experiences, we examine the behaviours and decisions that allow firms to grow steadily without overextending, and to adapt when the landscape shifts.

Sustainability here isn't just environmental – it's about the structural health of your practice. We'll look at how firms are strengthening their community presence, positioning themselves as trusted advisors rather than service providers, and making deliberate choices about the clients, services and relationships they invest in. Whether you're a sole practitioner or managing a growing team, this session offers practical strategies to help you build a practice that thrives over the long term, not just the next financial year.

The skills demands on accounting practices are shifting faster than ever – and for many SMPs, the gap between the talent entering the profession and what firms actually need is widening. This session takes a practical look at what that gap looks like in practice, drawing on findings from ACCA's latest research including the SMP Career Toolkit and Global Talent Trends insights. We explore the competencies that matter most for a future-ready team, from advisory and digital skills to professional judgment and client communication.

But identifying the gap is only the first step. This session will also focus on what firms can do about it – from smarter recruitment and onboarding approaches to developing talent in-house through structured learning, mentorship and career progression frameworks. Hear from practitioners and employers who have found practical ways to attract, retain and develop people in a competitive market, and leave with tools and approaches you can put to work in your own firm.

Technology is no longer on the horizon for SMPs – it's already reshaping how firms operate, compete and serve clients. But for many practices, the real challenge isn't whether to adopt new tools, it's knowing which ones are worth the investment, how to manage the transition, and how to bring clients and teams along with you. This session takes an honest look at the current tech landscape for SMPs, covering AI-assisted workflows, cybersecurity risks and the growing expectations clients have around digital service delivery.

What sets the firms of the future apart isn't just the technology they use – it's how they use it. We'll explore how leading SMPs are making smart adoption decisions, maintaining professional judgment at the centre of their work, and using technology to free up time for higher-value advisory services rather than simply automating the familiar. Whether your firm is at the early stages of digital adoption or already navigating more complex implementation questions, this session will offer practical perspectives on staying competitive while keeping the human element firmly in place.

The way accounting practices are structured, owned and run is changing – and for many SMPs, the decisions made in the next few years will define the direction of the firm for a generation. This session examines the forces reshaping SMP business models, from succession planning challenges and shifting ownership structures to the growing presence of private equity and investor-backed consolidators in the profession. We'll look at what these changes mean in practice and what options firms of different sizes and stages genuinely have available to them.

Rather than presenting one-size-fits-all answers, this session invites practitioners to think critically about what kind of firm they want to build – and what model best supports that ambition. We'll hear from peers who have navigated ownership transitions, restructured their service offer or explored new growth paths, alongside practical frameworks for assessing your firm's long-term positioning. Whether you're thinking about succession, considering partnership structures or simply future-proofing a practice you've spent years building, this session offers the perspectives and tools to help you move forward with clarity.