Professional Development and Event Catalog

In a data-driven world, financial professionals are expected to not only analyze numbers but also translate them into compelling stories that drive decisions. This course is tailored for those who want to elevate their data presentation skills using Excel and other popular tools. Participants will dive into the art of charting, learning how to choose the right graph for their data and audience. Whether it's a pie chart that reveals a budget's composition or a line chart that shows financial trends over time, attendees will leave with a thorough understanding of each chart's purpose and application. Beyond the basics, this course offers a deep dive into the Microsoft Office suite's charting capabilities, ensuring that participants can seamlessly integrate their visuals into Word, PowerPoint, and beyond. With hands-on exercises, they'll transform raw figures into clear, informative charts that make an impact. By the end of the sessions, financial professionals will be adept at mapping data in a way that tells a story, engages stakeholders, and influences strategy. Don't miss the opportunity to enhance your presentations and reports—secure your spot today and start turning your data into persuasive narratives that resonate with your audience.

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Automation can be incredibly helpful for saving time, improving accuracy, promoting effectiveness, and getting more value out of your workday. One of the best things a person can do is to invest time into automating their workday because it will help them to complete more work in the same period of time, reduce daily stress and provide better mental clarity. Automation can be permanent time savings for a person, once something is automated you always get that time back on a project. This course will discuss the various tools, methods, apps, websites, and more that a person can use to help promote personal automation in both your personal and professional life. It will incorporate technologies such as integration platform as a service (iPaaS) tools, Amazon Alexa and Google Home, the Elgato Streamdeck, and more. Participants will learn methods that can help them save anywhere from a couple of hours to weeks of time.

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The Governmental Accounting and Auditing Committee meets to discuss developments, new regulations, and compliance issues in the field of governmental accounting and auditing. Group members include both public sector finance professionals and those who serve them in public accounting. Members also assist with planning the governmental accounting and auditing track at our MEGA Accounting and Auditing Conference held in June.  A meeting agenda will be sent one week prior to the meeting date.This will be a virtual meeting via Zoom meetings.  If you register for this meeting via our website, please see https://www.ctcpas.org/my-cpe/upcoming to launch the Zoom meeting.

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The modern accounting firm is often held hostage by "software silos"—critical financial data trapped in disconnected applications that refuse to speak to one another. For years, the only solution was manual data entry or expensive custom development. This course introduces the "DIY Automation" movement, showing financial professionals how to use Integration Platform as a Service (iPaaS) tools like n8n, Zapier, and Power Automate to bridge these gaps. We move beyond basic triggers to explore how "localized innovation" allows practitioners to build bespoke connections between their favorite apps without writing a single line of code. Participants will gain a strategic framework for identifying automation opportunities, from client follow-ups to complex status reporting. We will explore the mechanics of the "wide ecosystem" of integration tools and demystify the role of Agentic AI, explaining how Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) and the Model Context Protocol (MCP) are changing the way data is moved and interpreted. By the end of this session, you will be able to perform a clear cost-benefit analysis of your automation options and understand how to build resilient, error-aware workflows that keep your practice moving.

The role of the financial professional has shifted from reporting on the past to predicting the future, yet many practitioners still rely on manual, static workflows that fail to capture the full story within their data. This course bridges the gap between traditional accounting and modern data science by utilizing Excel's most powerful analytical engines to turn raw numbers into defensible business intelligence. We will move beyond simple averages, exploring how to use the Analysis ToolPak for deep statistical dives and leveraging Dynamic Arrays to build fluid, auto-updating models that respond to changing business conditions in real time. Participants will explore a modern analytics workflow that balances classic statistical rigor with cutting-edge efficiency. We will examine how to implement regression analysis for more accurate budgeting, utilize advanced forecasting functions to anticipate market shifts, and even leverage AI-assisted insights to find hidden patterns in sprawling datasets. By the end of this session, you will be able to distinguish between mere "data entry" and "data discovery," providing your firm or organization with the high-level analysis required to navigate an increasingly complex economic landscape.

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This course equips accounting and finance professionals with practical methods to strengthen spreadsheet accuracy in environments where reliability directly affects reporting, analysis, and decision support. The content emphasizes modern Microsoft 365 capabilities, including dynamic arrays, data types, structured references, version history, and collaborative features that reduce formula risk and manual intervention. Participants see how sound workbook design, thoughtful data organization, and targeted validation rules reduce the likelihood of downstream errors and create spreadsheets that stand up to real-world pressures. The session also highlights common failure points found in finance teams—such as fragile formulas, inconsistent structures, and user-driven overrides—and demonstrates how to avoid them through protective controls, guided templates, and streamlined calculation flows. By combining updated Excel tools with practical design principles, participants leave with techniques that improve accuracy, enhance efficiency, and support higher-confidence financial outputs across their organizations.

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Join us for our monthly Town Hall Meetings – a must-attend event for anyone looking to stay ahead of the latest hot topics impacting the profession. This is your chance to hear directly from Executive Director & CEO Bonnie Stewart and engage with leading voices in the finance and accounting industry. Gain insights, ask questions, and connect with experts who are shaping the future of our field. Don’t miss this opportunity to be informed and involved! You must register to attend and receive CPE credit.

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The QuickBooks ecosystem of accounting tools remains the most widely-used set of accounting applications small businesses use. Yet, many of these organizations struggle because of inadequate internal controls. In this seminar, you will learn options for improving internal controls in small businesses running QuickBooks Pro, Premier, Enterprise, or Online. Participate in this program to understand how you can create a robust system of internal controls in a small business environment, including businesses using QuickBooks accounting solutions. In this session, you will also learn about the four common types of internal controls and how to assess the relative condition of the internal control structure of a small business. With this background in place, the focus then shifts to discovering the opportunities to enhance internal controls in QuickBooks-based environments using features found in the application. In addition, you will learn about additional internal control procedures for situations where you cannot establish adequate controls in QuickBooks. While many believe that QuickBooks-based organizations will forever face weak internal control structures, participating in this session will teach you how QuickBooks-based businesses can benefit from strong internal controls.

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Are you looking to take your PivotTables to the next level? Many experts consider PivotTables to be Excel's most powerful feature. Yet, most who create and work with them barely scratch the surface of all that PivotTables can do. In this session, you'll learn eight powerful features you may have missed. From user-defined calculations to consolidating reports and adding KPIs, we'll show you how to get the most out of your PivotTables. These are just some examples of the great things you can do with PivotTables, and in this session, you will learn these and other techniques to make your PivotTables even more powerful.

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Advance your skills to propel your career. This course is the second in a five-course series, provides the guidance needed to handle small engagements and to complete small audits, reviews and compilations with minimal supervision. Gain knowledge to improve your skills to perform more complex analytical procedures, as well as drafting financial statements and footnotes. Per NASBA's rules effective January 1, 2024, participants are required to be on camera and participate in the full and small group discussions to earn CPE credits for this Group Live - Virtual course. As such, please make sure you are set up properly with reliable internet (hard wired is best), a working camera, and a working microphone.

Excel is the default program for many financial professionals-and highly effective-if used correctly. It can be used for everything from simple tabular analysis to creating in-depth aggregate pivot tables. This course will give participants the necessary tools to turn data into meaningful information and will examine cutting edge ways to store, retrieve, report, and analyze data using Excel and plugins. It will provide recommendations on how to more efficiently use Excel and potential traps to avoid.Participants are encouraged to bring their technology devices to follow along with the interactive discussions, technology demonstrations, sample spreadsheets, and demo tools. Financial professionals will walk away from this course with valuable tools and insights into understanding, managing, and utilizing data in an organized and meaningful manner inside their organizations.

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Portable Document Format (PDF) documents are everywhere! Yet few know how to work effectively with these documents. If you are interested in working more effectively and efficiently with PDFs, this session is for you. In this session, you will learn valuable tips you can use to assist you with creating, editing, and securing PDFs. You will also learn how to convert PDFs to fillable forms and secure PDFs, among other features. Don't miss this chance to learn ten PDF tips you need to know to increase your ROI on PDFs.

Discover the real-world power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and equip yourself with the skills to conquer modern challenges in accounting and finance. In this engaging course, we demystify AI and unveil its practical applications, transforming it from theory into a hands-on tool. Learn the essential AI fundamentals and unlock its remarkable potential to boost your productivity and effectiveness alongside your team. Explore the specific problem-solving capabilities of AI, tailored to address the unique challenges faced by accounting and financial professionals. Gain expertise in leveraging AI features integrated into everyday applications, including the ubiquitous Excel. Uncover how these features enable you to effortlessly detect fraud, identify potential transaction errors, and elevate your financial operations to new heights. Witness firsthand how AI is reshaping the present and future of your profession, positioning you at the forefront of this revolutionary wave.

Technology continues to expand at an exponential rate, creating many opportunities for you to improve your company's efficiencies and lower your operating costs. Firms across the nation are quickly realizing the need to adopt these new technologies or risk being left behind. This presentation introduces the Cloud, one of the fastest-growing trends in Internet technology. It takes a deep dive into the major components, deployment methods, service providers, and applications. It aims to help attendees have a good working knowledge of how the Cloud and Internet work so they can better implement these technologies in their organizations. This essential course explores the use of how the Cloud can be used inside your organization and the benefits and risks of moving to the Cloud. The course discusses the differences between the different levels of cloud technology, applications vs. thin clients, the role of mobile apps, and different types of Internet connections. Finally, many examples of actions your office can take to move to the cloud are explored, outlining the risks and benefits of these actions.

Transform your daily Excel workflows and eliminate hours of manual data processing with powerful automation techniques designed for business professionals. This comprehensive course reveals the full potential of Excel Tables and Power Query, showing participants how to turn complex data challenges into streamlined, automated solutions. Business professionals will discover how to leverage seven key table functions that dramatically reduce formatting time, eliminate formula errors, and create dynamic reports that update automatically. Organizations today need efficient ways to handle increasing amounts of data from multiple sources. This course demonstrates how Power Query serves as the ultimate tool for extracting, transforming, and loading data into Excel with minimal effort. Participants will develop practical skills to automate repetitive tasks, create robust data models, and build reliable reporting systems that save hours of work each week. These time-tested techniques have helped countless professionals reduce their manual data entry by up to 80%, allowing them to focus on higher-value analysis and decision-making activities.

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Excel is ubiquitous in the accounting and financial professionals' workplace, but some of the best functions and features for accounting and financial professionals are unknown or underutilized. Leverage Tables, shortcuts, and best practices to increase efficiency. Master the functions such as VLOOKUP, INDEX & MATCH, Dynamic Array Formulas. As well as Formulas and uses such as Depreciation, Amortization, Interest, Payment, and more. In this course, we will even take you deeper into statistical analysis with formulas for everything from median, most, and standard deviation and regression analysis.

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This course is designed for firm partners and managers to explore ways to incorporate data analytics and related technologies in their audit practices. Participants explore how small and mid-size firms are using these tools to improve engagement efficiency and quality while providing opportunities for value-added services to clients. All of AHI's multi-day courses rely on live participant engagement. For this 2-hr. course, we encourage you to have a working webcam and microphone to take advantage of a live discussion leader and participant interaction.

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Office Scripts is a new feature that allows you to automate tasks in Excel and other Office applications. Unlike VBA, a legacy language that runs only on Windows, Office Scripts can run on any platform and device that supports Office on the web. Further, Office Scripts has a modern and intuitive interface that lets you easily create, edit, and share your scripts. Office Scripts are stored in the Cloud, and they work with Office Online apps and integrate with Power Automate for process automation. Save time and improve productivity using Office Scripts in Excel and other Office applications.

In 2026, automation isn't just about working faster—it's about building a practice that can scale, adapt, and compete in an increasingly technology-driven profession. This intensive one-day conference focuses squarely on how accounting professionals can implement practical automation solutions that genuinely transform daily workflows. We'll examine integration platform as a service (iPaaS) tools, showing you how these systems actually work under the hood and how to configure them for your specific needs. You'll see how AI fits into the automation puzzle (though this isn't an AI conference per se—it's about making your entire technology ecosystem work smarter). And we'll dig into the tools you already own, like Power Query in Excel, that might be sitting underutilized while you're manually manipulating data.If you're ready to stop spending hours on repetitive tasks and start building workflows that run themselves, this conference will give you the blueprint. We're talking about real efficiency gains—connecting systems that currently don't talk to each other, transforming how data moves through your organization, and freeing up your team to focus on analysis and advisory work instead of data entry. Whether you're running a small practice or managing technology for a larger firm, you'll walk away with specific strategies for implementing automation that actually sticks. Mark your calendar and get ready to build a future-ready business.

Transform business operations and reduce manual workload through powerful automation tools and strategies. This comprehensive course reveals how organizations can leverage QuickBooks Online Advanced's automation features for both workflow and advanced reporting, alongside integration platforms like Zapier and Microsoft Power Automate. Participants will discover practical solutions for automating bills, payments, invoices, scheduled reports, and vendor management while learning to implement custom workflows that streamline daily operations and enhance productivity. Business leaders and accounting professionals will gain hands-on experience with automation tools that revolutionize reporting processes and stakeholder communication. The course combines QuickBooks Online Advanced's native capabilities with broader integration strategies, demonstrating how to utilize Integration Platform as a Service (iPaaS) solutions and third-party tools to create seamless connections between accounting systems and other business applications. Participants will walk away with actionable strategies to reduce manual data entry, minimize errors, and create more efficient processes that save both time and resources. This practical approach to automation empowers organizations to scale operations without increasing overhead costs.

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