World Congress of Accountants (WCOA) 2018
5700 delegates
131 countries
Nine-day of delivery
153 speakers
95 sessions and 32 side meetings
70 sponsors and exhibitors
Over 60 media (20% international)
Over 85% of delegates were highly satisfied with the program.
Sydney’s global reputation of being at the forefront of identifying new business models and ways of delivering services for clients assisted the city in attracting over 5700 of the world’s leading accounting and finance experts from 131 countries in November 2018 for the World Congress of Accountants (WCOA 2018).
The meeting, held at the International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney), was secured by BESydney and hosted jointly by the Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand, CPA Australia, and the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC).
Themed ‘Global Challenges, Global Leaders’, the 2018 meeting signified 46 years since it was last held in Australia’s business capital and attracted over 175 professional accounting organisations from across the globe. The world-class meeting has a rich history of professional expertise as the world’s peak accounting body.
WCOA 2018 focused on accountancy jobs of the future with such global influences as digitalisation, artificial intelligence, Blockchain and cybersecurity.
Key moments
- Sustainability program focused on a paperless ran congress with recycling stations and access to water fountains.
- Book Store Bean Giving raised funds for the Gunawirra charity that focuses on indigenous welfare and keeping the Aboriginal culture alive
- Delivered a $10,000 grant to support attendance of aspiring Indigenous Australian accountants
- Media training for UTS Business school students to cover the event and produce the daily WCOA news with training from the experienced former editor Peter Gearin.
Why Sydney
Sydney’s history as a host of major global meetings and as an attractive destination for delegates were major contributors to the city’s successful win. Australia’s world-renowned talent in the industry was also key to the meeting travelling to Sydney. The opportunities for innovative learning were key aspects to this event and were very appealing to a number of delegates, particularly those from developing nations.
