Hannah Clare, Walker Hill’s Marketing and Events Coordinator, attended the annual Xerocon conference earlier this month.
Find out what Hannah thought about the experience in the Q&A below.
Q: We’re here celebrating Xero’s 10th Xerocon. What has been your personal take away from the event?
A: For me, my biggest take away from the event has been the spot light being placed on mental health and wellbeing, which was really surprising at an event like this. It’s really positive and a good way to help break down the barriers currently around mental health and general wellbeing. Also, I was surprised with how environmentally friendly the event was. Everything was biodegradable or reusable which is great to see.
Q: What was your biggest take away that you want to implement for the Walker Hill clients?
A: In one of the breakout sessions, it was mentioned that “creating wellness in a business is so much more than just a fruit bowl”. I think that’s a real truth to this, for both our clients and team. In this industry, we are often on the front line to see when our clients are having big wins or big losses, so getting some information about where we can direct people who may be struggling to if things aren’t going well is really great.
Also, something that Xero’s CEO Steve Vamos, said in his opening speech of Xerocon, “Small Business is family. Small business is community”. That really stuck with me and I think there is a lot of truth in that phrase that we agree to.
Q: What as your biggest take away that you want to implement for yourself at work and within the firm?
A: One of the key speakers, Ros Harvey, spoke about data and technology, which is a huge part of what we do at Walker Hill. The key thing that I took away from this was that the data we’re collecting today for certain things isn’t necessarily the way that this data will be used in the future. I think her exact words were, “data is valuable in ways that we haven’t even thought of yet.” It reconfirms the important of being tech savvy and forward thinking with technology.
Another thing that would be great to implement in the firm would be an idea that came from a break out session, which is to frame any certificates that the team are awarded and display them in the boardroom, so we can not only acknowledge the great things our team is doing, but also our clients see that we’re keeping on top of the latest knowledge so we can give them the best service.
Q: What has been the biggest thing you learned from the event?
A: The biggest learning point from this event has been in the power that an event like Xerocon can have. There have been some very powerful and big topics covered over the two days and I think it’s made people reflect on their own lives, businesses and versions of success, which is a very powerful thing. There is also a big sense of community here as well and we are all having a lot of fun too. So, I guess my other take away would be that an industry that is usually painted with a very grey, boring brush is cool and colourful.
Q: Who was your favourite keynote speaker and why?
A: One of the speakers that really stood out for me was Craig Hudson’s heart felt and raw speech about how he struggled with imposter syndrome and feeling lost when first moving to NZ. It was a very brave speech to give and a powerful way to start a conversation. It also really set up Xerocon as more than just a product conference and gave it a very holistic approach to discuss big issues.
Q: What were some other things that you found interesting about Xerocon this year?
A: I really loved this event and feel so happy that I was able to attend. I loved how they were able to bring to light some big issues, like mental health, and be so environmentally conscious. It was interesting that Xero decided to take such a new approach to conferencing and I found the speakers really wonderful, inspirational and thought-provoking. Plus, it was great to learn about all the new products and benefits being rolled out that we can use to help our clients make it count.
If you’d like to talk to Hannah about her experience at Xerocon, or find out more about how Hannah and the team at Walker Hill can help you to make it count, contact our office.
