ICB Summit 2025: A Reflection

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By Will P 

Last month, Susan and I had the pleasure of attending the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers’ (ICB) 2025 Summit in Melbourne.  I had not attended one previously, and while I was aware that communication skills are an invaluable tool for bookkeepers to have in their tool belt, I still did not anticipate quite how entertaining and engaging the speakers were.  In addition, I was both surprised and delighted by the strong sense of community present. 

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Some of the major points I took away from the experience were: 

  • Professional bookkeepers play a key role in supporting Australian small businesses, which are a vital element in the Australian economy—bookkeeping is a profession worth taking pride in! 

  • There is a strong demand for quality bookkeeping, and while AI tools can be used to enhance bookkeeping, they are not positioned to replace bookkeepers—though bookkeepers who do not use AI may be outcompeted by bookkeepers who do. 

  • The landscape of professional bookkeeping is becoming increasingly oriented towards business advisory roles as opposed to predominantly compliance, providing opportunities for bookkeepers who can pivot to take advantage of demand. 

  • Cyber security is utterly pivotal for businesses—yes, including small businesses—and particularly for bookkeepers who have access to sensitive client data.  Staying on top of cyber education, security procedures and insurance is a must. 

  • There are many organisations out there to support bookkeepers and small businesses – ICB, Beyond Blue, COSBOA, ASBFEO – and being aware of these resources for ourselves and our clients is invaluable. 

  • In the professional bookkeeping world, it makes a difference to have a strong team and community that support each other and encourage collective growth and development. 

Sandwiched between the two days of bookkeeping summit were the 2025 Luca Awards, named after Luca Pacioli: an Italian mathematician and the first person to publish a work on double-entry bookkeeping.  Finalists and award winners of this Australian bookkeeping industry–lead award ceremony may not be friends with Da Vinci as Pacioli himself was—however, they are all examples of excellence in their fields and serve as an inspiring reminder of what can be made possible with effort and dedication.  It was particularly amazing to meet so many Western Australians doing great things in the bookkeeping world. 

If the ICB 2025 Summit is anything to judge by, 2026 is set to be an excellent year for the world of Australian Bookkeeping, and we at QiBalance Bookkeeping look forward to sharing it with you!