Last week, Alicia Williams, Alexa Conway and Malc Pope headed to Xerocon London 2026, Xero's flagship event for accountants, bookkeepers and business advisers. As always, Xerocon delivered an impressive mix of product announcements, thought-provoking speakers, practical insights and plenty of opportunities to connect with the wider Xero community.
This year's theme focused heavily on what Xero describes as the 'Agentic Era' of small business finance, with artificial intelligence moving beyond simply providing information and into actively helping businesses and advisers complete tasks, automate processes and make better decisions.
AI takes centre stage
There was no doubt that AI was the star of the show, with Xero unveiling a range of new capabilities designed to help businesses save time, improve accuracy and gain greater financial insight.
One of the biggest announcements was XeroForce, a no-code AI agent builder that will allow users to create customised financial workflows and connect processes across different software platforms. For advisers and businesses alike, this has the potential to remove repetitive manual tasks and create more seamless workflows.
Another exciting development was Smart Document Capture, now built directly into Xero. Rather than uploading documents and manually entering data, the system can automatically extract key information from source documents and populate records within Xero.
We also saw further developments from JAX, Xero's AI-powered platform. Some of the standout features included:
- Document chasing: where JAX can identify transactions with missing receipts or paperwork and help prompt users to provide the information required.
- Intelligent payment chasing: which learns customer payment behaviour over time and can suggest or automate payment reminder emails and text messages.
- Bill protection tools: designed to identify unusual invoices, changes to supplier bank details and discrepancies between bills and purchase orders.
Xero also highlighted its new integration with Microsoft Copilot, allowing users to access financial information and insights within the tools they already use every day. This is another example of how accounting data is becoming more embedded within wider business processes rather than sitting separately within finance systems.
Perhaps most significant for growing businesses was the announcement of Xero Ultra. While details are still evolving, the proposition moves Xero further into ERP-style functionality, helping larger and more complex organisations manage an increasing range of business processes within a single platform.
The overall message was clear: Xero is investing heavily in technology that reduces administration and frees up business owners and advisers to focus on higher-value work.
More than technology
While the product updates were impressive, Xerocon has always been about more than software. The speaker line-up once again delivered a fantastic mix of inspiration, entertainment and practical advice.
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Former England footballer Jill Scott MBE spoke about teamwork, resilience and the importance of understanding your role within a wider team. Her journey demonstrated how success is rarely about individual achievement alone and highlighted the value of supporting those around you. |
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Louis Theroux |
Louis Theroux brought his trademark humour and insight to the stage. One observation that particularly resonated was that people willingly share huge amounts of their personal lives online, yet very few openly discuss their finances. It was a powerful reminder of the trust that clients place in accountants and advisers, and the responsibility we have when helping businesses and individuals navigate important financial decisions. |
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Dame Prue Leith shared her experiences as one of the first women in many boardrooms she entered. Her message combined the importance of listening to those around you with the confidence to take calculated risks. Mistakes, she reminded the audience, are often where the greatest learning happens and can pave the way for future development or insight. |
Dame Prue Leith |
Wellbeing takes priority
Among the many breakout sessions, two wellbeing presentations stood out.
Chelsea Pottenger focused on the importance of creating a positive start to the day and building simple but effective morning habits. Her practical advice included:
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Wake up to a calming alarm sound, such as nature or harp music.
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Avoid immediately reaching for your phone.
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Think of three things you are grateful for.
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Open the curtains and get some natural light. Tell yourself that today is going to be a great day.
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Commit to these habits for five days and see what difference they make
Simon Curran explored organisational culture and leadership. One comment that particularly resonated was that culture is defined by what people do when nobody is watching.
He challenged leaders to believe in individuals even more than they believe in themselves, helping them bridge the gap between their current performance and their true potential. Rather than focusing solely on results, great leaders help identify barriers to success and work with people to remove them.
The fun side of Xerocon
Of course, no Xerocon blog would be complete without mentioning the legendary Xerocon party.
Xero once again delivered an incredible evening with great food, great company and an unforgettable surprise performance from Sophie Ellis-Bextor. The atmosphere was fantastic and provided an excellent opportunity to unwind, celebrate and connect with fellow advisers and partners from across the country.
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The fun was not limited to the evening either. During the daytime exhibition, Malc had a go at racing on the VISA stand and earned himself a place on the leader board.
Final thoughts
Every year Xerocon provides valuable insight into where the profession is heading, and 2026 certainly didn't disappoint. The pace of innovation within Xero continues to accelerate, particularly around AI and automation, and many of the announcements have the potential to make a genuine difference to businesses and their advisers.
Perhaps the biggest takeaway, however, wasn't just the technology. It was the recurring message throughout the event: technology should enhance human expertise, not replace it. Whether through AI-powered workflows, stronger client relationships, better leadership or improved wellbeing, the future remains firmly focused on helping people do their best work.
We're already looking forward to seeing how these innovations develop over the coming months - and, of course, what Xero has in store for the next Xerocon!
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Alicia Williams
I am Partner Designate of the Genus team at Shorts, a chartered certified accountant and Xero specialist. I specialise in cloud-based accounting solutions, particularly Xero and add-on software, helping clients streamline processes and improve efficiency. As a Client FD, I work closely with businesses to give them a clear understanding of their current position and support their long-term planning and growth.
View my articlesTags: Xero, GENUS Management Accounts, Team News
