What are the conference dates?

May 6-8, 2024, with our pre-conference BRN Summit occurring on Sunday, May 5th. The full schedule can be found here.

Where is the conference being held?

The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas

How much does it cost to attend?

The Alliance Conference is offered at no charge (except for personal travel and lodging) to all BDO Alliance USA Members, BDO USA, P.C. invitees, and other guests attending by private invite. There is a $750 fee for global BDO Member Firm attendees.

What is the registration process?

PHASE I

The primary registration period will begin the week of January 8, 2024. As communicated to firm leadership during the past few months, attendance will be capped this year. CPA Alliance firms have been allotted either 7 or 4 spots, and BRN Alliance firms have been allotted 2 spots. Sponsors have been given an additional 3 spots beyond their original allotment. A code will need to be entered to register; check with your firm’s leadership to obtain that code. Codes will be distributed by email to firm leadership the week before registration opens.

Phase I registration will close on Monday, February 12.

Note we are holding spots for each firm as outlined above. It does not matter when sign up occurs during Phase I, as long as a firm’s delegation is fully registered by February 12.

PHASE II

A secondary registration period is planned to open on Tuesday, February 20, 2024 @ 2:00 pm ET. If every firm does not use their full allotment during Phase I, then we will have spots leftover to fill. Any unused spots from Phase I will be put into a common pool for Phase II; those spots can be claimed by any firm/individual on a first-come, first-served basis. A second code will be required to register during Phase II as well. Phase II registration will close on Tuesday, March 12, 2024 at 6:00 pm ET.

TRADESHOW-ONLY ATTENDEES

Phase II is also when BRN firms can register “tradeshow-only” attendees, those who plan to be at the conference on Monday night (only) to assist with an exhibitor table. Registration for this special type of attendee is required, ensuring a name badge to enter the tradeshow space. A third code will be utilized for tradeshow-only registration. Contact [email protected] for more details.

Will there be a waitlist?

No. For those who didn’t get to register in Phase I, they will have to try and secure their spot (with firm leadership approval) in Phase II.

Can my firm split registrations (e.g., send one person on Sun/Mon, then swap for another on Tues/Weds)?

No. Splitting or sharing registrations cannot be accommodated. Everyone registering will be signing up to attend the FULL conference, with the exception of those limited BRN “tradeshow-only” attendees.

What if our firm registers more people than our allotment?

During Phase I, we will be checking registrations daily against each firm’s allotment; if a firm goes over, even if everyone has received a confirmation, we will be reaching out to ask which person(s) on the roster should be cancelled ASAP. We recommend waiting to purchase airfare until you are confident you are on your firm’s approved list and won’t later be cancelled because your firm may have exceeded its allotment.

How will I receive confirmation of my registration?

You will receive a registration confirmation email within minutes after you successfully register, which includes your Confirmation Number for the conference (this number can be used later to make any modifications to your registration record). Note this is NOT your hotel confirmation (see below for information about lodging).

The registration confirmation will be coming from “BDO Conferences” at [email protected] and titled “Registration Confirmed - 2024 BDO Alliance USA Conference.” (Please note this mailbox is not monitored for messages or replies.) If you did not receive the email, check your clutter, spam and/or quarantine folders. If still not found, please ensure your IT department has whitelisted the following three Cvent IP addresses: 198.207.147.224/27 and 204.239.0.224/27 and 216.230.14.224/27. You can also email Kathy McKay at [email protected] to request your Confirmation Number.

How do I book hotel rooms for this event, and what is the room rate?

The conference room rate at the Cosmopolitan is $235/night + taxes and service fees. Attendees must book rooms in our room block, which can be done at the time of registration. Do not contact the hotel directly to book rooms. When booking your room on our conference registration site, note that you will not receive a confirmation email/number from the Cosmopolitan. Rather, you will receive a lodging confirmation email from BDO. Lodging confirmation emails will be sent at the end of Phases I and II, confirming your arrival and departure dates.

We negotiate contracts for our meetings several years in advance and commit to a certain number of rooms with the hotel at that time. If conference attendees elect to stay at a property other than the Cosmopolitan, BDO is liable for those unused rooms. Because we are offering the Alliance Conference on a no-charge basis, we will be imposing a fee of $470 (the equivalent of two nights’ lodging) to any individual that chooses not to stay at the Cosmopolitan. This fee will not apply to those participants living in the Greater Las Vegas area.

If you choose to extend your stay, accommodations at the Cosmopolitan are available under our room block from April 30 - May 13. For stays before and after the official conference dates, the room block is smaller, and is on a first-come, first-served basis until rooms are depleted.

Questions about lodging and hotel rooms should be directed to Kathy McKay at [email protected].

Is transportation to/from the airport provided?

No, BDO does not provide ground transportation for this conference. When you arrive, we recommend using a taxi or rideshare alternative from the Las Vegas airport for the approximately 15-minute trip to the Cosmopolitan.

Will there be an option to attend virtually?

EVOLVE 2024 will be an in-person event. We will not be offering a live stream or recordings of any sessions. As in past years, we will plan to again offer EVOLVE Encore, a live, virtual event spread over several days, which repeats a number of the most highly attended sessions from the conference. Team members who may not be able to attend can still experience some of the content and CPE credit.

Will CPE be offered?

Up to 12 CPE credits will be available for the main portion of the conference; additional CPE credits may be available for participation in other sessions hosted prior to Monday’s General Session. CPE credit will be granted to individuals who attend a session for a minimum of 50 minutes and check-in via the mobile conference app. Note that CPE credit will not be granted for overlapping or simultaneous sessions.

Where can I find my CPE certificates from the conference?

CPE certificates can be accessed by BDO USA and BDO Alliance member attendees in their BDOU accounts within 30 days after the conference ends. Alliance Members can login to BDOU from this page. Non-Alliance Member guests of the conference and BDO International member attendees will receive an email with further instructions on how to access their certificates.

What is the cancellation policy?

If you need to cancel your registration, please note the instructions below. Failure to complete all required steps may result in your firm being assessed the stated charges.

Cancellations taking place from January 8 through the close of Phase II (March 12) No charge to cancel. Contact Kathy McKay at [email protected].

Cancellations taking place one business day after Phase II closes (March 13) through April 8: Contact Kathy McKay at [email protected]. Your firm will be billed $235.00 per night plus applicable taxes and service charges for all room reservations held on behalf of the attendee.

Cancellations taking place April 9 through the conference: Contact Kathy McKay at [email protected]. Your firm will be billed $235.00 per night plus applicable taxes and service charges for all room reservations held on behalf of the attendee, and $500.00 for group occupancy and food & beverage commitments confirmed with the hotel.

How can I be a conference sponsor?

Current Alliance members can review our conference prospectus on the Alliance Portal, which details sponsor level commitments and ‘a la carte’ packages. Availability is limited and commitments will be handled on a first-come, first-served basis. Questions can be directed to Rob Merl at [email protected].

How can I be an exhibitor at the tradeshow?

All BRN firms interested in participating in the tradeshow can do so at no cost, but booth reservations are required. While sponsors receive prime location (and in some cases more space), every BRN firm that wants to participate can begin the process of reserving a table here.

Is there a conference mobile app?

Yes. Stay tuned for how to download the conference app in April 2024.

Can I post information about the conference on social media?

Yes, we welcome all posts and shares on social media! Our conference hashtags are #BDOAllianceEvolve and #EVOLVE24. Keep in mind this event is not a public event though; it is only open to the BDO Alliance USA community. So, posts about your participation in the event are appropriate and welcome, but encouraging public attendance is not.

Questions?

General questions about the conference can be directed to [email protected]. Lodging-specific questions can be directed to Kathy McKay at [email protected]. Sponsorship and Tradeshow questions can be directed to Tom Takasaki at [email protected].