Rossum Takes Center Stage: Highlights from Key Events We Participated In

Events: It’s more than just a booth and swag

Event marketing causes a bit of a stir among experts. Some consider it a key component to their revenue-generating efforts, while others argue that it’s just a high-risk expense that is less likely to lead to a sale and would rather use that budget somewhere else. At Rossum, we like to think differently about events. For us, it’s an opportunity to interact directly with people and to listen to their business challenges. In addition to creating brand awareness, lead generation, and showcasing our technology among industry peers.

When our team is exhibiting at a trade show, I advise them to keep a mental note of the qualitative conversations they’re having — they are at the frontline of the market where they’re getting clear, unfiltered insights into what potential customers really are in need of, compared to when it’s communicated via email. 

Summer came and went, and then September came with a deluge of events across the region. The excitement of preparing for an exhibition or a conference never fades. Making sure the booth is ready, the merch is proudly presented, there are no typos on the brochures, business cards ready to be exchanged, meetings are prebooked, all of which makes us excited to participate and engage with the market.  

With that being said, I want to share with you some of the events that we took part in and some of the insights that we gained by interacting with you, our dear reader. Ready? Let’s go.

Meet The Boss — New York City, USA

Our September calendar was first marked with a virtual event titled ‘Meet The Boss”, an invite-only event where we invited a select group of senior industry experts to meet our CEO Tomas Gogar and hear how the latest innovations in AI are going to affect their businesses. 

The virtual roundtable, titled “AI in Finance: Risks for Retailers & Manufacturers in 2024,” took place on September 13th, during which Tomas engaged in a candid discussion aimed at providing businesses with guidance on harnessing AI for sustainable business growth and mitigating potential risks. 

The first risk that Gogar addressed was dislodging corporate inertia and change management, where tech adoption among finance staff poses a much bigger challenge than the integration of the technology. Convincing people of the value of AI and software is half the battle. Some argue that learning to use a new software leads to delays and breaking of the system — the same old ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ mindset. However, Gogar concluded that the impact of doing nothing comes at a huge cost, from wasted time and resources, high attrition rates, low productivity, inefficiency, and lower profitability – not to mention losing out to competitors. 

The second risk discussed was the lack of visibility from using multiple disparate systems with siloed data, ultimately leading to the inability to make accurate forecasts and inefficient processes.

The discussion ended with a focus on a newly discovered risk, which is the use of AI to fight AI-powered fraud. This means scammers can now use AI to generate millions of real-looking invoices and mass send them to companies worldwide in the hope that some will pay without noticing. For now, this might not seem like a significant risk for large B2B enterprises that deal with a smaller volume of high-value transactions, though it could pose a reputational risk in case the fake invoices had their logo.

On September 27th, the same Meet The Boss discussion was held again; however, this time, it was in-person and in New York City. Gogar, along with my colleagues Zach Low and Adam Winnett, engaged in candid discussions with a group of senior executives leading accounts payable departments, addressing the challenges they encountered. They explored how AI technologies, such as Intelligent Document Processing, can substantially benefit these departments by streamlining processes, reducing errors, and improving efficiency in managing financial documents and transactions.

Accounting Summit 2023 — Berlin, Germany

It might not seem like an accounting and finance event would be particularly thrilling, but to our surprise, the atmosphere was truly captivating. Being in Berlin also added to the excitement. This year’s Accounting Summit, in its second edition, was a resounding success, drawing over 1200 global experts who came together to engage in insightful discussions, showcase innovations, network, and expand their knowledge. 

We took this opportunity to soft-launch our German website and to announce to the market that we have recently become official SAP partners, enabling us to serve our customers better.

Our booth was abuzz with industry experts eager to discover how our solution could enhance their job efficiency and effectiveness. Our team engaged in informative discussions and conducted live demonstrations for interested visitors keen on witnessing our platform in action. It was truly fascinating to hear from experts across diverse industries and gain insights into the substantial and intricate task of managing extensive document volumes.

Furthermore, my colleague Arpad Deak took the stage alongside Fabian Brossok from FINN for a masterclass titled ‘How FINN conquered its AP paperwork Mountain: Resolving Invoice Bottlenecks, Reducing Errors, and Driving Team Satisfaction.’ Having one of our German customers on stage to discuss the impact of intelligent document processing on their growth plans was met with enthusiasm from the audience, comprising AP and accounting experts who were actively capturing the moment with photographs and notes.

The masterclass presented how FINN’s adoption of IDP helped them manage the surge in document volume stemming from a remarkable expansion of operations within the dynamic German market. The presentation focused on key efficiency metrics and the overall financial impact it had.

GBS Leaders Exchange — London, UK

The invite-only event brought some of the region’s prominent thought leaders and experts in the shared services & GBS space to discuss the latest trends in RPA, intelligent automation, operational efficiency, and more. From our side, my colleague Will Smitherman had multiple conversations, and one key trend that emerged is that AI is no longer a company side project or an innovation novelty. Still, instead, it has become a core priority for businesses looking to maximize efficiency and gain a competitive advantage. It’s not the fear of missing out effect, AI adoption is increasingly driven by stakeholders realizing its value and ease of use.

The event culminated with a series of networking conversations among attendees. 

Deloitte Shared Services Conference 2023 — Copenhagen, Denmark

This year’s Deloitte Shared Services Conference, themed around Imagine, Innovate, and Impact, was a open exclusively to Deloitte’s valued customers, making it a unique opportunity to connect with some of the industry’s most influential players. Our participation marked our inaugural partnership with Deloitte, and it proved to be a resounding success on multiple fronts.

At our booth, our team engaged in insightful discussions with GBS (Global Business Services) leaders, showcasing the transformative power of our intelligent document processing solution. Through live demonstrations, we illustrated how our technology is revolutionizing how businesses handle their documents, streamlining processes, and boosting efficiency. The enthusiastic response from attendees reinforced the vital role our solution plays in the shared services landscape.

The event culminated with an award ceremony and networking gala, which recognized outstanding achievements in the shared services industry. The ceremony celebrated innovation, excellence, and the positive impact that organizations like ours bring to the field. 

It was a momentous occasion that underscored the significance of collaboration and the potential for groundbreaking advancements in shared services. We were proud to be a part of this moment and look forward to continuing our partnership with Deloitte to pursue a more innovative and impactful shared services industry.

Upcoming events we’ll be attending

While we take a breather in October, we’re going in full force again in November, so check out the events we’ll be at and let us know if you’ll be there!

• Shared Services & GBS Select (Atlanta, Georgia) on November 6-8, 2023
• P2P Process Optimization Conference (Budapest, Hungary) on November 7, 2023
• APP2P Fall Conference & Expo (Las Vegas, Nevada) on November 13-15, 2023

Hosting an event in 2024? Tweet us @RossumAI and we can talk.