Elevate today, own tomorrow: the magic behind Xero Asia Roadshow 2026

That’s a wrap on Xero Asia Roadshow 2026! 

This October, we brought together over 1,300 accountants, bookkeepers and industry representatives in Kuala Lumpur (20 October) and Singapore (27 October) to explore what it takes to build a future-ready practice. To everyone who joined us, thank you. Whether you’re a long-time Xero partner or new to our community, your energy, questions and conversations brought both days to life.

This year’s theme, Elevate today, own tomorrow, came from a simple idea: the profession is changing fast, and the practices that thrive will be the ones taking confident steps now. And one question ran through the day: as AI takes on more of the work, who will orchestrate what comes next?

A morning that started with magic

After a lively welcome from comedian and emcee Gajen Nad, our Managing Director for APAC, Koren Wines, opened with a question many of us have been asking: why does everything seem to move so fast? Technology, she suggested, is closing the gap between action and outcome so quickly that the work behind it has become almost invisible. And when we can’t see how something happens, it starts to feel like magic.

Few people understand that better than our surprise guest, internationally renowned illusionist Cosentino, who wowed the audience with his tricks. His secret? There’s no real magic involved, just method, timing, preparation and the right tools to hand.

The same is true for accounting practices today. Technology is the apparatus, not the magician. AI can produce reports and surface insights at incredible speed, but understanding a client’s situation, making judgement calls and helping them plan ahead are still things only human beings can do.

It’s a shift the best firms are already making. Our new Modern Practice Playbook, previewed on stage, shows how top-performing practices in Asia are using AI to free up time, then reinvesting it in advisory work and client relationships. Download the Playbook for Malaysia or Singapore.

A future that feels like magic can also feel daunting at the start. That was the focus of Staying curious: Adapting to a future that feels like magic. In this session, award-winning actor and producer Tan Kheng Hua, known for Phua Chu Kang and Crazy Rich Asians, drew on a career shaped by reinvention. Her advice? Stay curious. Begin before you have all the answers. And treat the unknown as something to explore, not avoid.

The tools behind a future-ready practice

Of course, even the best magicians need the right tools. The Xero Showcase session introduced smarter tools and sharper insights to streamline workflows, and the sessions that followed put them into practice:

• In Efficient bookkeeping: Clean data, faster workflows, attendees saw how Smart Document Capture and automatic bank reconciliation powered by JAX reduce manual data entry. 
• Have more meaningful client conversations showed how Xero Analytics and JAX help shift client conversations from reactive questions to proactive strategic planning. 
• Putting AI to work: trust, control and better decisions then brought JAX to life and demonstrated how XeroForce enables practices to build their own agents and workflows without coding, while staying in control.
• To close the conference, our Adapting to digital: how modern businesses are evolving panel explored how businesses are adapting to a rapidly changing digital landscape, from working smarter to making better decisions and creating more value. Panellists also shared practical insights on building the confidence, capability and resilience to thrive in what’s next.

Roadshow attendees also got the chance to speak with and learn more about our app and financial services partners: AccountKit, Airwallex, CAS360 by BGL, Dext, fileAI, JustLogin, MuRho, Payboy, SimpleAI, Talenox and Tofu. Thank you to all our exhibitors, and to IMDA and IRAS for their support.

Relive the magic, and keep it going

Not every highlight happened on stage. Between sessions, attendees took on the Roadshow Quest, tried their hand at Shophouse Putt and Mega Pickle, and wrapped up the day with some friendly competition with Xero Trivia.

Want to look back on the day? Browse our official photo albums from Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. Roadshow attendees will also receive their takeaway guide in their inbox soon.

Thank you to everyone who was a part of Asia Roadshow 2026. It was great to have you with us, and we hope to see you at our 2027 edition!