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Programme

This year looks a little different

  • More networking
  • Breakouts designed for all levels
  • More workshop-style sessions with practical takeaways you can implement immediately
  • Missed a breakout? Register for an online encore session
  • Slightly later start to Day One to allow for flight arrivals
AIM Programme 2026 (16 March)
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MC & Keynote Speakers

Monique - Programme

MC for AIM 2026

Monique Bradley

Monique Bradley is an award-winning MC, keynote speaker, and communication specialist with a background in television and live events across New Zealand and Australia.

Known for her warmth, clarity, and confident stage presence, Monique creates seamless flow between speakers, keeps energy high, and ensures audiences stay engaged, connected, and inspired from start to finish.

Olly Bridge - Programme

The 8 Keys to Sustainable Performance

Olly Bridge  |  Day One  |  10.15am

How high performers stay effective at work… and still have energy left for life. Leaders don’t burn out because they’re weak. They burn out because they’re strong… for too long.

In a world of constant pressure, complexity and expectation, sustainable performance has become the real competitive advantage. Not just hitting targets today, but having the energy, clarity and emotional bandwidth to lead well, make good decisions, and still show up for the people who matter most at the end of the day.

A practical, science-backed session built on one core idea: “Performance that costs you your health, relationships, or joy is not success… it’s a slow leak.”

Walk away with:

  • A simple framework for sustaining high-performance without burning out
  • Practical ways to protect energy, focus and emotional availability during demanding days
  • Clear insight into how elite performers recover, reset and stay consistent over years, not months
  • Tools to lead hard at work and still be present, patient and engaged at home
Sarah - Mike - Programme page

What’s New. What’s Next.

The Gap Product Team  |  Day One  |  2.35pm

A look at where The Gap has been and where it's heading, from the milestones of FY26 and the powerful features already live in v3, to what's coming next.

We'll preview imminent releases and paint a picture of the road ahead. Because when The Gap evolves, so does your ability to scale faster, work smarter, and deepen your value in the eyes of every client you serve.

Gap Favicon logo for Programe page

The Ripple Effect

Client panel  |  Day One  |  3pm

What does great advisory look like from the other side of the table? Real clients, real stories, real impact. One great advisory relationship can change everything.

Hear directly from business owners about the moments their accountant shifted from scorekeeper to strategist, and the ripple effect it had on their business, their confidence, and their future.

Sacha Coburn - programme

Leading from the Inside Out

Sacha Coburn  |  Day One  |  3.45pm

With her trademark wit and humour, Sacha unpacks the principles of authentic leadership in a digital age. Helping attendees unlock their leadership potential and accelerate their growth, with take home tools that can be immediately implemented both personally and professionally.

This presentation shows how important each of us are, irrespective of our roles in the organisation. First and foremost, we lead ourselves and our daily interactions with others have ripple effects that create magic moments all around us.

 

Blue Ocean logo - programme page

Making a Splash: B2B Marketing

Blue Ocean  |  Day Two  |  9am

What separates forgettable B2B marketing from the kind that makes waves?

Join us for a showcase of what's cutting through, what's converting, and how to build a presence that makes a lasting impression. Walk away with a practical playbook for making it happen in your firm.

Florian - programme page

Pulse Check – Time, Money & Mind Freedom

Florian Herrmann  |  Day Two  |  11.30am

The three things most of us are building towards, and the three things that can sometimes feel furthest away.

In this live session, we put the question directly to the room, unpack the results in real-time, and have an honest conversation about where the profession is at, and what it takes to close the gap.

Dom Thurbon - Programme page

Making change happen: The future of accounting and advisory services

Dom Thurbon  |  Day Two  |  2.30pm

The world is changing faster than ever, and accounting is no different.

Mega-forces of change - like technology, demographics, economic volatility, business model disruption, regulation, sustainability, and many more - are radically reshaping the face of value creation. But the truth is - the future is not a place we are going, it is a place we are creating.

So in this future-focused, dynamic and deeply practical session, we will:

  • Unpack the forces of change that are redefining modern business, what they mean for the future of accounting, and how we create value beyond compliance for increasingly demanding clients
  • Examine the five responses to change and transformation that each of us as leaders at all levels (and our teams!) will experience and navigate
  • Look at the drivers of innovation that we can tap into to make transformation happen in our business, and see how organisations don't change — people do!
  • Delve into a toolkit for thriving (and surviving!) in times of change, with practical tools we can use to identify opportunities and create forward momentum in our practices

Day One  |  Breakout Speakers

Michelle and John - updated image

Delivering Advisory Services One-to-Many  |  12.55pm 

Michelle Nunes-Vaz & John Schol

Learn how to successfully deliver advisory services in a one-to-many format.

This session explores facilitating larger groups, keeping participants engaged and accountable, and designing group offerings that generate recurring revenue.

You’ll leave with practical ideas to strengthen your own business model while helping clients improve how they get paid.

 

Cathy Hendry - Programme page

The Remuneration Reset  |  12.55pm

Cathy Hendry

Your clients are asking. Do you have the answers?

Employment costs are one of the biggest levers in any business and one of the most emotionally charged.

Get across the latest remuneration trends, pay transparency obligations, and KiwiSaver changes, and leave with practical frameworks that work for your firm and create instant value in your client conversations.

 

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Converting the Sceptics  |  12.55pm

Speaker announced soon

Your longest-standing clients are often your hardest to move.

This session gives advisors the tools to bring resistant clients along - without feeling pushy.

Walk away with objection-handling scripts, a simple ROI framing, and seed-planting phrases to use during compliance work that open the door to advisory conversations naturally.

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10 Steps to Building your Personal Brand  |  1.35pm

Speaker announced soon

In a world where clients have endless accounting and bookkeeping options, your personal brand is what sets you apart. It's not about being everywhere or becoming an influencer, it's about being intentionally visible to the right people in the right way.

This session will cover:

  • Finding your unique positioning in a crowded accounting market
  • Where to show up: LinkedIn, networking, speaking, or writing
  • Turning visibility into actual client conversations
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Fit, Focus, Cut   |  1.35pm

Speaker announced soon

Learn how to refine your client base by defining your ideal client and attracting those who truly value advisory.

This session covers simple screening methods to avoid tyre‑kickers, how to run standout meetings that elevate your value and pricing, and ways to re‑engage existing clients in advisory. You’ll also learn how to gracefully open doors for clients you can’t serve.

Day Two  |  Breakout Speakers

Natasha McDowall - headshot (temporary)

The CCR/AAR Meeting that Changes Everything  |  12.05pm

Natasha McDowall

Stop theorising - start practising.

This hands-on 90-minute session is designed to build real confidence in running cashflow and profit improvement conversations with clients.

Whether you're brand new to advisory or looking to sharpen your skills, you'll walk away with practical tools and a clearer picture of what great adviser/client conversations actually look and feel like.

Watch a live demonstration with Natasha McDowall of TAEL Solutions, then put it into practice yourself.

 

Manoli Aerakis & Theo Kriak

Build it to Last  |  12.05pm

Manoli Aerakis & Theo Kriak

Even if you're not going anywhere… most firm owners aren't thinking about selling, until suddenly they are.

This session is for everyone, not just those with an exit in mind. Whether you're five years out or fifty, understanding what drives firm value changes how you run your business today.

With real-world examples and practical tools from a specialist lawyer, you'll leave with a clearer picture of what your firm is worth and what to do about it.

 

 

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Difficult Conversations  |  12.05pm

Speaker announced soon

Details coming soon... 

 

 

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Real Talk: Small Firm Insights  |  12.45pm

Panel announced soon

Running a small accounting firm means wearing every hat, often all before lunch.

In this candid panel, hear from fellow firm owners navigating the same challenges you face daily.

Our panellists will share what's really happening in their practices: the day-to-day challenges, the tools and systems that actually make a difference, and how they're leading the way while still serving clients and growing their businesses.

 

 

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Role Clarity |  12.45pm

Speaker announced soon

Details coming soon...