FEI Financial Reporting Blog: The New, New Economy And The Regulatory Landscape

Where can you hear cutting edge speakers on the economy and the regulatory landscape, network with peers in finance, accounting and auditing, earn up to 16 CPE, and generally have a great time with some of the nicest people you're ever going to meet? At the Maryland Association of CPAs (MACPA) 2009 Maryland Business Expo, taking place Tues. June 16- Wed. June 17 at the Baltimore Convention Center!

With over 60 workshops to choose from, some are targeted at Maryland businesses, but many are of a general interest nature, on topics ranging from XBRL and Enhanced Business Reporting to fair value accounting, tips on obtaining Small Business Administration loans, sustainability and 'green' initiatives, value pricing, technology trends, cost containment, the dynamics of fraud, Web 2.0 and social media, leadership, ethics and more.

The conference provides three program tracks, although you can pick and choose workshops from more than one track: (1) Public Company, Large Corporate and Banking; (2) Small– Mid-size Business; and (3) Leadership for High Potential Financial Professionals.

FEI Baltimore Chapter is a proud associate sponsor of MD BIZ Expo, other associate sponsors include the Association for Corporate Growth, the Greater Baltimore Technology Council, Maryland Bankers Association, Maryland Chamber of Commerce, National Federation of Independent Business, the U.S. Small Business Administration, and more. The conference has numerous corporate and audit firm sponsors as well, and you can visit these organizations in the Exhibit Hall.

Be sure to stop by the FEI Baltimore Chapter table outside the Exhibit Hall, where you can meet FEI Baltimore Chapter President Donald A. McConnell, VP & Chief Financial Officer, KCI Technologies, Inc, and other members of the chapter. In addition, numerous speakers at the conference are FEI members, including:

Colleen Cunningham, Global Managing Director, Finance and Accounting, Resources Global Professionals, and former President and CEO, FEI, speaking on Regulatory Panel: The New World Order
Tom Foard, CPA, EVP and CFO, Publishers Circulation Fulfillment, speaking on Business Performance Management
Ken Kelly, CPA, Sr. VP and Controller, McCormick & Co., Inc., speaking on XBRL & the SEC Mandate
Bob Laux, Sr. Director, Financial Accounting and Reporting, Microsoft Corporation, speaking on Enhanced Business Reporting (EBR 360)
Robert Tarola, CPA, Right Advisory, LLC, former Sr. VP and CFO, W.R. Grace & Co., speaking on XBRL and the Future of Assurance

I will be spending some time at the FEI Baltimore Chapter table outside the exhibit hall - stop by and say Hi! Or, you can see me observing and participating on these panels, respectively, at the end of each day:

# 121 - Regulatory Panel - The New World Order Tues. June 16, 4:30-5:20 pm
Panelists: Colleen Cunningham (Resources Global, formerly President of FEI,) Joannne O'Rourke Hindman, Special Advisor to Board Member Steven B. Harris, Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB,) and Susan Webster (Managing Editor, BNA's Accounting Policy & Practice Report) with moderator Francine McKenna, President, McKenna Partners, and author of the blog re: The Auditors)

# 226 - Web 2.0 & Social Media Wed. June 17 - 4:10-5:00 pm
Panelists: Francine McKenna, CPA, President, McKenna Partners, and author of the blog: Re: The Auditors; Rick Telberg, President & CEO, Bay Street Group LLC, and Editor of CPA Trendlines; Edith Orenstein, Director, Accounting Policy Analysis, Financial Executives International and author of the FEI Financial Reporting Blog; Alexandra DeFelice , Sr. Editor, Accounting Technology and Accounting Today; Bill Kennedy, a member of the AccountingWeb Blogger's Crew, and author of the Energized Accounting Blog; and Will Burns, Director of Communications, Maryland Chamber of Commerce and author of the Maryland Chamber Blog, with moderator Bill Sheridan, E-Communications Manager/Editor, MACPA, and co-author, with MACPA Executive Director Tom Hood, of MACPA's blogs, including CPA Success and CPA Island.

Like I said earlier, people from MACPA, like Bill Sheridan and Tom Hood are among the nicest people you'll ever meet, willing to go the extra mile to share their knowledge with you, (e.g. I remember when they provided a free lesson for FEI staff on the uses and benefits of offering programs, educational sessions, and networking sessions in the virtual world of Second Life developed by Linden Lab, inviting us to spend some time with them on CPA Island, created by MACPA as an island - a professional development oasis, if you will - in Second Life), and in finding ways to work together for the benefit of the greater good of our respective association members and the public at large. It's no wonder Hood was selected by AccountingWeb as this year's recipient of the CPA Association Employee of the Year Award.

Want to learn more? See this list of Who's attending the MD Biz Expo, and this List of workshops . Registration is $250 for MACPA members and members of sponsoring organizations (including FEI members); and $400 for all others. Details can be found on the registration page.