By Michael Chu
Sometimes you have to go beyond the classroom to sharpen your technical skills, network with working professionals, and glean the trade secrets that will give you an edge when you apply for your first accounting job.
Fortunately, a number of accounting clubs, other student-led initiatives and accounting associations make it simple for you to do just that. They hold a number of conferences and case competitions throughout the year giving students a distinct advantage over those who decide not to take part. Here’s a small sample of what should be on your agenda this school year.
RYERSON UNIVERSITY
ACHIEVE Competition
Accountants Competition to Heighten Individual Excellence, Vision and Education (ACHIEVE), which brings teams of three
members together to work on an accounting case, all to be judged by a panel of industry experts from some of the large accounting firms and major accounting associations.
Scheduled for February 11, 2011, winners will take home a $1,500 top prize. With eight schools involved in the competition last year, the Ryerson University Accounting Society (RUAS) expects that number to grow significantly as the competition opens up to students across the country.
Ted Rogers Management Conference
Taking place March 10-12, 2011 in the heart of Canada’s financial capital, this growing event, renamed from the Ted Rogers Memorial Conference, aims to bring business students together from across Canada for a three-day event. The TRMC will offer ample networking opportunities, keynote speeches by some of Canada’s top business leaders, the Bay Street Simulation hosted by DECA Ryerson, all capped by a black-tie gala soiree.
By balancing leadership, philanthropy and innovation, characteristics exemplified by the late Ted Rogers, this conference aims to expose Canada’s future business leaders to the opportunities that exist for well-balanced leaders.
Last year’s event featured speakers such as Nadir Mohamed, CEO of Rogers Communications and Tim Hockey, CEO of TD Canada Trust.
UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA
GAAPS Conference
The Asper School of Business Accounting Association (ASBAA) celebrates the 10th year anniversary of its feature event, the Gathering of Accounting Associates, Professionals and Students (GAAPS) highlighted by an accounting-centric case competition, and interactive sessions featuring guest speakers; Robert J. Palmer, VP of WestJet was last year’s featured speaker.
With attendees coming from as far west as the University of Alberta and east as the University of Toronto, this three day event
will take place February 3-5, 2011 in downtown Winnipeg.
MCMASTER UNIVERSITY
Fast Pace to the Case Competition
The DeGroote Accounting Association is gearing up to present their annual Fast Pace to the Case Competition. Last year’s top prize was $4,000, one of the largest prizes available for an accounting case competition, with plans to increase the prize for their 2011 event.
This event, with judges from the major accounting firms, and a surprise speaker for the featured candlelight dinner, is scheduled for February 26, 2011. This competition will take place at the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Hamilton. Organizers say delegates will be given many opportunities to network with representatives from the big four accounting firms.
QUEEN’S UNIVERSITY
Inter-Collegiate Business Competition (ICBC)
One of Canada’s most prestigious business case competitions, this annual event in its 33rd year, held at Queen’s University is as comprehensive and multifaceted a case competition available.
This four-day event culminating in the final presentations January 6-8, 2011 takes place at Queen’s University after a challenging and competitive preliminary round spanning over the entire fall semester.
Teams from across the country compete in eight different areas covering most major business subjects: accounting, business policies, debates, finance, marketing, human resources, ethics and management of information systems. The deadline to confirm
participation for the preliminary round is September 20, 2010.
UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO
Envision 2011
This three-day conference is the marquee event hosted by the Rotman Commerce Students’ Association RCSA, taking place at the Toronto Board of Trade in downtown Toronto. This year’s event will tackle such issues as: risk management, culture and diversity, and innovation.
Open to students all across Canada, this experience will bring students together in engaging networking events and interactive seminars, challenging their minds with a business simulation contest, and discussions on the current business climate.
RCWIB Women’s Leadership Symposium
The Rotman Commerce Women in Business (RCWIB) will build upon the success of their inaugural RCWIB Women’s Leadership Symposium, over 200 delegates attended last year, by promising more innovation, more possibilities and more empowerment.
This conference is scheduled to take place in March 2011 bringing together speakers from a vast array of industries, in an environment where speakers and industry experts almost equal the number of delegates; enabling more intimate networking opportunities.
NBTC 2011
The National Business and Technology Conference (NBTC) is the featured initiative of the Nspire Innovation Network. This event, attended by 250 students from across Canada, has a competition with an entrepreneurial twist and more than $20,000 in
prizes. It also features speakers who have successfully ventured into new territory (some confirmed speakers so far include Harry Rosen and Dr. Greg Wells, On-Camera Sport Science for the Canadian Olympics), and high-profile networking events with many industry heavyweights as key attractions of this event.
The event will be held March 18-19, 2011 at the world-renowned MaRS Discovery District; a centre assisting innovative, scientific, technological and social entrepreneurs to successfully relay their findings to the rest of the world.
LIVE Conference
An acronym for Leading Innovative Visions to Execution (LIVE), this event, taking place November 11-12, 2010 will bring together students across the nation for two days of networking, intense competitions and social events.
The Corporate Connections Evening and LIVE Competition highlight the largest event planned by business students at the University of Toronto — Scarborough.
Show Me The Green
Open to all commerce students across Canada, this event, focusing on sustainability as this year’s theme, will bring students together in a Dragon’s Den-like competition challenging society’s boundaries set on sustainability from both an economic and environmental perspective.
Taking place in the heart of Mississauga on Saturday, March 11, 2011, students working in teams of four, will conceptualize an innovative idea, and submit a business proposal covering all aspects of business; from finances and budgeting down to the marketing and human resources.
UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO
University of Waterloo Accounting Conference (UWAC)
Open to students across Canada, and already one of the top accounting competitions – now in its sixth year – UWAC expects this year’s event to continue building its momentum as a premier competition for accounting students.
Held over three days from May 6-8, 2011, delegates will participate in competitive workshops, networking events and keynote speakers. Some keynote speakers in the past include Colleen Johnston, CFO of TD Financial Group, and Bill Thomas, CEO of
KPMG Canada.
BROCK UNIVERSITY
Brock Accounting Conference 2010
This year’s conference, hosted by the Brock University Accounting Students Association, will be based on the changes from GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) to IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standards).
The main objective of the second edition of this conference is to showcase the need for further awareness of the rapidly coming changes from GAAP to IFRS — which will undoubtedly have not only an intellectual impact, but will also impact many other aspects of both the personal and professional life of all those involved.
The conference will be held in St. Catharines, Ontario at the Brock University campus from November 5-7, 2010.
UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA
University of Ottawa Accounting Case Competition
The University of Ottawa Accounting Club is gearing up for their annual Accounting Case Competition on October 15 -16, 2010. One of the first major case competitions of the school year, this event brings together accounting students from across Canada to participate in more subject specified accounting cases broken into three of the major accounting streams: financial accounting, managerial accounting and taxation.
UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA
Pacific Northwest Economic Conference
While attendees of this major conference are mostly from British Columbia, Oregon, and Washington State, this conference, open to attendees across Canada, heavily focuses on issues surrounding the Pacific Northwest region.
Industry heavyweights, academia and governing bodies join students to discuss and interact in a unique conference, where the issues tackled are ones proposed by actual students themselves. This event is scheduled to take place at the Sauder School of Business, February 4-5, 2011.
Clean Ventures Conference and Competition
This event focuses on green technology and energy, and is organized by the Venture Capital and Private Equity Club (VCPE). The organizing committee says it is creating more opportunities for delegates to network with industry representatives who will guide them through the competition process.
This event heavily emphasizes entrepreneurial capabilities of students, and with the high number of industry experts on hand — 50, to the 220 delegates, students gain intimate opportunities to learn about the fundamentals of venture capital and entrepreneurial capabilities. This event is tentatively scheduled to take place in March 2011.
UNIVERSITY OF SASKATCHEWAN
JDC West
From January 14-16, 2011, schools from across western Canada will be participating in the Jeux-de-Commerce (JDC), hosted by the Edwards School of Business at the University of Saskatchewan. 550 students from over 11 universities are expected to take part in charity events, team sports, debates and competitions as well as exciting social and networking events.
WILFRED LAURIER UNIVERSITY
JDC Central
The 2010 JDC Central winning team, Wilfred Laurier will host the second edition of JDC Central from January 21-24, 2011, at venues across the Waterloo region.
Taking the reigns from previous host school, Ryerson University’s Ted Rogers School of Management, expect intense competition — especially in the debate category, as schools from across Ontario and Quebec square off in one of the fastest growing competitions for Canadian commerce students.
DECA U
Understanding the competitive nature of the real working world, DECA — with chapters in most universities across Ontario, engages students in intense competitions, workshops, and business simulations. DECA U’s highlight event — the DECA U Provincial Conference, is scheduled to take place January 21-23, 2011, promising to be one of the largest business conferences in Ontario.
The Sheraton Hotel, near Toronto City Hall, will be hosting this event, with the winners moving on to the North American competition.
INSTITUTE OF CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS OF ONTARIO
Ca$h Cup
This annual accounting competition, won last year by students from the University of Toronto – Mississauga, challenges not only the financial accounting skills of involved students, but also the team-dynamic capabilities of all contestants.
Last year’s winners received the coveted Ca$h Cup trophy, a $3,000 cash prize and $1,500 for the winning team’s accounting club. There is specific criteria required to compete, all of which is outlined on the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario website.
This event will be held at the ICAO office in Toronto on January 8, 2011.
CMA ONTARIO
CMA Ontario Case Competition
With a whopping $5,000 and the CMA Ontario Cup as top prize, and $2,500 for the runner-up, this annual competition is hosted by the Certified Management Accountants of Ontario and will test the strategic management skills of teams of four through an interactive, computer-based simulation. This all-day competition will take place on January 29, 2011 at McMaster University, with an option for students to participate remotely from Carleton University or Lakehead University.
Students are required to become a CMA student member of CMA Ontario to participate. All necessary information is available on the CMAO website.
