The Ultimate Guide to Finance Networking Events

Table of contents

1. What is a networking event
2. Top finance events to attend in 2026
3. How to get the most from finance networking events
4. Turning conversations into outcomes

Key takeaways

• 2026 is stacked with high-value networking events for CFOs, controllers, and finance ops leaders—especially around ERP ecosystems and finance transformation.
• The best events mix strategy (AI, automation, risk) with practical peer learning and partner showcases.
• Plan early: dates and locations are already live for several major conferences, and hotels fill fast.
• Go in with goals like who you want to meet, what workflows you want to upgrade, and which sessions map to your roadmap.
• The fastest way to turn conference inspiration into ROI is to line up the right integrations before you arrive.

Going to a finance networking event without a plan usually feels fine in the moment, you scan the agenda, bounce into a few sessions, collect notes, and hope something “clicks.” But those conferences are noisy by design, and without clear goals, it’s easy to leave with scattered ideas and no real path to action. On the other hand, showing up with even a simple plan changes everything: you know which sessions map to your priorities, which vendors or partners you need to evaluate, and which peers you want to learn from. Instead of passively consuming content, you’re actively using the event to solve specific problems like reducing DSO, improving cash visibility, or automating payables inside your ERP. Going in with a plan means fewer random conversations and more high-value connections, clearer takeaways, and a much faster jump from “that was interesting” to “we need to implement this next quarter.”

2026 finance networking events at a glance

What is a networking event

A networking event is any organized gathering where professionals intentionally meet to build relationships, exchange ideas, and explore opportunities. In finance, networking events usually center on three things:

1. Knowledge transfer. Keynotes and breakouts translate big trends—AI in finance, cash-flow forecasting, payments innovation—into usable playbooks.
2. Peer benchmarking. CFOs and finance leaders compare notes on shared challenges (collections automation, audit readiness, ERP adoption, risk controls).
3. Partnership discovery. You meet the vendors, integrators, and platform communities that can help you modernize faster.

The most effective finance networking events create “structured serendipity”: enough planned content to guide you, plus enough open space to meet the right people at the right time.

Top finance events to attend in 2026

Below are the conferences where finance leaders consistently find the highest signal—and the strongest networking.

1. Acumatica Summit 2026 (Jan 25–28 | Seattle)

Acumatica Summit kicks off the year with deep ERP-plus-finance transformation content, hands-on product roadmaps, and a tight community vibe—great for practitioners who want tactical takeaways and real user stories. Expect strong tracks on automation, integrated payments, and industry-specific workflows. If Acumatica is in your stack (or on your short list), this is the place to meet peers and partners in one shot.

2. AICPA & CIMA CFO Conference 2026 (Apr 13–15 | Miami Beach)

A flagship cross-industry event for CFOs and senior finance executives. Sessions focus on the operating model of modern finance: performance management, governance, risk, and AI-enabled transformation. The attendee mix is heavily leadership-level, so the networking skews strategic—ideal if you want to compare how other finance orgs are evolving.

3. Sage Future 2026 (Apr 28–30 | San Francisco)

Formerly Sage Transform, this reimagined conference expands beyond Intacct into a broader Sage ecosystem event. You’ll find a strong blend of finance ops, accounting leaders, and tech partners all focused on automation and “self-driving” finance. If you’ve attended Transform before, you’ll recognize the community energy—just with a bigger roadmap lens.

Planning help: What to pack for Sage Transform.

4. Gartner Finance Symposium/Xpo 2026 (May 27–29 | National Harbor, MD)

This is the biggest “future-of-finance” strategic gathering on the calendar. Gartner’s agenda is built for CFO priorities: autonomous finance, AI governance, risk, efficiency, and value creation. Networking is high density, the kind where a 10-minute chat becomes a six-month peer relationship.

5. Dynamics Community Summit NA 2026 (Oct 11–15 | Nashville)

The largest independent Microsoft Business Applications community event. If you work in Dynamics 365 Finance, BC, GP, or Power Platform, Summit NA is worth it for sheer peer access: hundreds of sessions and nonstop hallway conversations about real deployments, Copilot/AI usage, and finance automation. (Community Summit North America)

Related read: Dynamics Community Summit

6. SuiteWorld 2026 (Oct 26-29 | Las Vegas)

SuiteWorld is still one of the most impactful NetSuite community networking events worldwide. Great for finance leaders who want to see what’s next in cloud ERP, analytics, and automation—plus a massive partner floor for implementation and payments innovation. For NetSuite users, it’s the best place to hear roadmaps early and swap real-world optimization tips.

Get oriented: NetSuite SuiteWorld

How to get the most from finance networking events

• Decide on your “one metric.” Maybe it’s reducing DSO, consolidating billing, or cutting payment costs. Let that guide your sessions and booth visits.
• Book 3–5 meetings before you go. Most events have apps for pre-scheduling. Use them.
• Spend time in user tracks. Vendor keynotes are useful, but user sessions reveal what’s actually working.
• Follow up within 48 hours. A short note referencing your conversation keeps momentum alive.

Turning conversations into outcomes

The best networking events spark ideas, but the winners are teams that operationalize those ideas quickly. If you’re heading into Acumatica, Dynamics, NetSuite, or Sage communities this year, make sure your payments and finance automation tools connect cleanly to your ERP so you can act on what you learn.

Explore how Paystand fits into your stack.