15 Best Finance Conferences For CFOs In The US In 2023
Sometimes it’s easier to relate to people outside of your organization.
Though they don’t share the exact same mission as you, connecting with equivalent professionals at a finance conference will identify many more similarities than differences. Whether it’s strategies for asset management, issues with seemingly logic-averse coworkers, or simply a great book that no one else you know can get through, you’ve banged your heads against the same walls as these folks. And at the end of the day, isn’t commiserating how all good relationships are formed?
Brush up on your expertise, learn from contemporaries, and stay ahead by attending these 15 in-person finance conferences across the US in 2023.
I’ve organized the following finance conferences in chronological order so that you always know where your next flight is headed.
1. Smarter Faster Payments 2023 | April 16-19, 2023 & May 8-10, 2023 | Las Vegas, NV
If your payment infrastructure is online, or you’d like to move it there, this conference is going to be interesting for you.
Focused on organizations that are either providers or users of digital payment infrastructure, this event is the place to get updated on everything new in the world of payments.
Cost: US $745 - 2,599
2. CONNECT CFO Leadership Summit | April 24-26, 2023 | San Diego, CA
Self-proclaimed as “North America’s Most Trusted Finance Summit”, this event has been running for over 15 years and brings together some of the most influential CFO voices from across the U.S.
Due to demand, they’ve opened up another virtual event later this year, so don’t fret if you’re unable to attend the in-person event in April.
As an added bonus, the cost of the event is borne entirely by sponsors, so attendees don’t have to pay a thing.
Cost: Free
3. AICPA & CIMA CFO Conference | May 10-12, 2023 | Salt Lake City, UT
“If you’re working at the top of the profession, you’ve felt some of the symptoms of what we call CFOMO — the valid concern that you may miss out on the latest trends, innovations and best practices.”
Besides coining one of the greatest terms I’ve heard lately (I’m looking at you, “CFOMO”), AICPA & CIMA are aiming to deliver an in-person and online event tailored specifically for C-Suite. They’ll be covering topics such as Artificial Intelligence and the CFO, Management Strategies, Managing Change with Emotional Intelligence, and more.
AICPA & CIMA typically offer CPE credits for their events and tackle a number of other topics:
- If you’re concerned with digital privacy and third-party risk, you can check out their SOC & Third-Party Risk Management Online Conference,
- If you want a more general conference that offers an overview of digital business evolution, you may consider ENGAGE 2023 instead.
Cost: US $1,475 - $2,125
4. 2023 FINRA Annual Conference | May 16-18, 2023 | Washington, DC
Whether you’re working in a large public or private equity firm or a small technology start-up, this regulatory conference can prove useful for sharing ideas about industry trends and technology, cybersecurity, risk management, and more.
Though there may be more direct value for those already in the public markets, this event poses a great opportunity to get in the room with many of the top voices in the regulatory environment.
Cost: US $495 - $2,195
5. FinovateSpring | May 23-25, 2023 | San Francisco, CA
This conference is designed to ensure that operators of financial service companies are responding to, and keeping ahead of, trends in the macro-environment.
If you’re looking to stay on the Eastern side of the U.S., or connect with others from that side of the country, check out FinovateFall instead.
Cost: US $1,299 - $2,998
6. Gartner CFO & Finance Executive Conference | May 31 - June 1, 2023 | National Harbor, MD
The theme at 2023’s Gartner CFO Conference is “Autonomous Finance: Unlock Growth Opportunities and Minimize Downside Risk”, a fitting theme considering the technological opportunities and economic threats that corporate finance has seen in the last year.
This is easily one of the largest, most established annual meetings in the sector and includes specific “tracks” that you can choose to follow to tackle different areas of your finance transformation roadmap.
Cost: US $3,175 - $3,800 (with group rate discounts available upon request)
7. East CFO Leadership Conference 2023 | June 6-8, 2023 | Boston, MA
I would be crazy not to mention the first keynote speaker at this event: Andy Fastow, Former CFO of Enron. A convincted felon that went down with the ship, Fastow is purportedly the only Enron executive to take full responsibility for his actions and, to date, has helped recover $6B for Enron shareholders.
Besides the other heavy-hitter keynotes (CFO of AstraZeneca, former Chairman & CEO of Medtronic, and more), this conference offers another opportunity for Corporate Financial Officers to come together and tackle critical issues, network, and learn from one another’s successes and failures (*cough* Enron *cough*).
One of two annual conferences by The CFO Leadership Council, East CFO is intended for financial professionals on the Eastern side of the U.S.; see West CFO below if you’re on the Western side of the country.
Cost: Not shown, likely a part of The CFO Leadership Council membership
8. American Banker Digital Banking | June 12-14, 2023 | Boca Raton, FL
American Banker self-reports that 70% of their attendees are senior executives, looking to gain insights about “regulation, customer experience, fintech partnerships, the digital workforce, and more”.
For those that aren’t in the C-Suite, they’ve included a justification letter to download and help explain why you need to attend this particular conference. I personally don’t find it the most convincing, but I’ll hand it to them, it sure is unique.
Cost: US $1,095 - $2,995
9. Fintech Talents NA | June 20, 2023 | New York, NY
Fintech Talents NA “brings together a community of innovators and collaborators redefining financial services across a continent.”
This conference is specifically designed for those working in fintech and covers topics such as reducing emissions, economic trends, and the best ways to utilize your tech to help consumers in the current global environment.
Cost: US $1,599
10. FinovateFall | September 11-13, 2023 | New York, NY
Finovate hosts an annual meeting on the East Coast, in addition to FinovateSpring (listed earlier in this compilation). If you’re looking to learn from and connect with, financial leaders and innovators from the Eastern side of the U.S., you’ll likely find them here instead of at the Spring event.
Cost: US $999 - $3,498
11. West CFO Leadership Conference 2023 | October 2-4, 2023 | Phoenix, AZ
Though perhaps not as notable of a keynote roster as East CFO, this event features interesting strategic speakers such as Dan Rice, the President of American University Kyiv and Special Advisor to the Commander in Chief, Ukraine Forces. That’s certainly one way to bring current events into the world of corporate finance.
Other noteworthy features of this conference:
- Supposedly, 92% of attendees are the top finance or accounting decision-maker at their company
- 10 CPE credits are offered to attendees
Otherwise, this event cites largely the same reasons to attend as East CFO; however, it may make more sense for operators on the Western side of the U.S. and/or those who want to network with executives from the area.
Cost: Not shown, likely a part of The CFO Leadership Council membership
12. 2023 PCAOB Conference on Auditing and Capital Markets Call for Papers | October 5-6, 2023 | Washington, DC (with an option to attend virtually)
Put on your economist hat and let’s dive into the details. Different from the other events in this list, this research conference is perfect for the academics and technical operators in your network.
This event is an opportunity to learn what the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board is paying attention to in 2023, earn more CPE credits, and make your contribution to the PCAOB’s plan for the year ahead.
In case you happen to have a professor of finance in your life that wants to submit a topic for discussion at this conference, the submission deadline for new topics is June 4, 2023. You can find more details on the PCAOB’s website.
Cost: Free
13. Money20/20 USA | October 22-25 | Las Vegas
This conference is self-described as “the world’s biggest, most influential gathering of the global money ecosystem.”
While perhaps a bit of a self-aggrandizing description, this conference sees over 13,000 attendees and asserts that 7/10 attendees are decision-makers for their organizations. This kind of pedigree is uncommon to find all in one place and, by going to Money20/20 USA, you’re likely to be rubbing shoulders with some of the heaviest hitters in U.S. banking.
Cost: USD $3,999 (with special exceptions for start-ups and specific industries)
You can find a past conference recap from 2022 here.
14. AFP 2023 | October 22-25, 2023 | San Diego, CA
Competing directly for attendees with Money20/20 USA, AFP 2023 is going to be hosted in San Diego and claims to be the “largest networking conference worldwide for more than 7,000 corporate financial professionals”.
If the distinction between Money20/20’s “global money ecosystem” conference and AFP’s event for “corporate financial professionals” isn’t enough for you to decide which one to go to, I’ll help. This event is more fitting for those that want to talk about specific finance functions within organizations, rather than banking & money in general.
I believe that this would be the more valuable symposium for most CFOs this year; however, I wanted to include both for you to make that decision for yourself.
Cost: US $1,174 - $2,394
15. APP2P Fall | November 13-15, 2023 | Las Vegas, NV
Specifically for individuals concerned with Accounts Payable and Procure-to-Pay, this conference intends to teach “proven best practices and [share] tested solutions to the toughest challenges in AP today.”
Cost: US $1,540 - 2,550
Trip’s Over!
If you manage to make it to more than half of the conferences on this list, I’d be astounded (and require you to send photo evidence via our social media channels). If not, I hope you found at least one that you’re looking forward to this year.
Know of any amazing U.S. finance conferences that I missed? Let me know by commenting below and I’ll be sure to get it on the list.
Stay in the black (and I hope you come back),
Simon