{"id":28526,"date":"2026-02-06T13:40:10","date_gmt":"2026-02-06T13:40:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/?p=28526"},"modified":"2026-02-06T13:43:52","modified_gmt":"2026-02-06T13:43:52","slug":"ai-why-every-accountant-should-visit-the-sage-ai-roadshows-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/ai-why-every-accountant-should-visit-the-sage-ai-roadshows-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"AI: Why every accountant should visit the Sage AI Roadshows 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"<header class=\"entry-header has-dark-background-color entry-header--has-illustration entry-header--has-illustration--generic\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__row row align-center\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-lg-7 col-xlg-6 entry-header__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"component component-single-header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__misc text--subtitle text--uppercase text--small\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/category\/technology-innovation\/\" class=\"entry-header__link\">Technology &amp; Innovation<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-title-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"entry-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tAI: Why every accountant should visit the Sage AI Roadshows 2026\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"entry-header__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"single-post-details container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-02-06T13:40:10+00:00\">6 February, 2026<\/time><\/span><span class=\"reading-time\"> min read<\/span>\n\t\t<button\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\tclass=\"social-share-button button button--icon button--secondary js-social-share-button\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-title=\"AI: Why every accountant should visit the Sage AI Roadshows 2026\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-url=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/ai-why-every-accountant-should-visit-the-sage-ai-roadshows-2026\/\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-text=\"Please read this interesting article\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__share-label\">Share<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-label\" hidden>Copy Link<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\" hidden>Copied<\/span>\n\t\t<\/button>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<\/header>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author has-dark-background-color alignfull\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"co-authors\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-author-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"entry-author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/author\/keirthomasbryant\/\">\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2025\/06\/keir-short-hair-350x350.jpg\" class=\"entry-author__image\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2025\/06\/keir-short-hair-350x350.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2025\/06\/keir-short-hair.jpg 760w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 40px) 100vw, 40px\" \/>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"entry-author__name\">Keir Thomas-Bryant<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>There&#8217;s a conversation happening in many accounting practices across the UK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s happening over morning coffees, in partner meetings, and in the quiet moments between client calls:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;What do we do about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/ai-questions-for-accountants-bookkeepers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">AI<\/a>?&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax launching in just a few months, affecting 864,000 sole traders and landlords in its first phase alone, in these conversations you might also find a realisation being shared:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t think we can avoid AI any longer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And this is what we discuss in this blog, as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><div class=\"wp-block-yoast-seo-table-of-contents yoast-table-of-contents\"><ul><li><a href=\"#h-3-types-of-practice-a-shared-challenge\" data-level=\"2\">3 types of practice, a shared challenge<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-your-invitation-to-act\" data-level=\"2\">Your invitation to act<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-finding-your-starting-point-today\" data-level=\"2\">Finding your starting point today<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-final-thoughts\" data-level=\"2\">Final thoughts<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-3-types-of-practice-a-shared-challenge\">3 types of practice, a shared challenge<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The maths of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/agentic-ai-in-practice-how-sage-is-reshaping-the-future-of-accounting-with-mtd\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">MTD for Income Tax\u2019s<\/a> quarterly update and digital tax return workload is simple: one annual client interaction becomes five, each with its own data gathering requirements, deadline, and potential penalty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s less about when you engage with AI, but whether you&#8217;ll do so on your terms\u2014or be forced to react when you&#8217;re overwhelmed in a few months\u2019 time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Among other things at the upcoming <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/cp\/airoadshows\/\">Sage AI Roadshows<\/a>, supported by AccountingWEB, the results of recent joint research will be revealed. It\u2019s helped create three broad archetypes, as follows. Which best fits with you and your practice?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-strategic-adopters\">Strategic Adopters<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>These represent roughly 40% of practices. These firms have moved beyond simply sourcing and applying AI tools. They&#8217;re building systems. Isolated experiments have evolved into firm-wide implementations, automating the likes of client onboarding, document intake, and compliance workflows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For these Strategic Adopters, the challenge is around optimisation: how do they scale what&#8217;s working, maintain data governance, and ensure their team keeps pace with the technology?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The danger for this group is complacency. Being ahead today doesn&#8217;t guarantee staying ahead tomorrow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-cautious-observers\">Cautious Observers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>These make up another 40%. They see the potential of AI. They&#8217;ve perhaps experimented with tools like ChatGPT for drafting emails or summarising documents. But they haven&#8217;t made the leap to systematic adoption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Their concerns are legitimate and revolve around reliability, accuracy, security, and professional standards. They want to know that AI won&#8217;t embarrass them in front of clients or create compliance risks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What they need isn&#8217;t to hear yet more hype about AI&#8217;s possibilities. They need practical guidance on safe experimentation, clear use cases, and honest conversations about limitations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-digital-traditionalists\">Digital Traditionalists<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>These comprise the remaining practitioners. These people have seen technology trends come and go and they&#8217;re not opposed to change. They&#8217;re simply unconvinced that this particular change is necessary or beneficial for their practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Many run successful, established firms built on relationships and expertise. AI leaves them feeling ambivalent\u2014it potentially threatens what they&#8217;ve built but it might also enhance it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For this group, the starting point must be stress reduction and workload management, not transformation. They need to see AI as a tool that supports their existing strengths, not one that renders them obsolete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Sage AI Roadshows supported by AccountingWEB<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/cp\/airoadshows\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tid=\"cta-id-28524\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-button-location=\"cta_box\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Register your interest<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"759\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1437931473.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1437931473.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-your-invitation-to-act\">Your invitation to act<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Reading about AI adoption is no substitute for experiencing it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That&#8217;s why <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/cp\/airoadshows\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Sage, supported by AccountingWEB, is launching AI roadshow events<\/a>, beginning in March 2026 at Bristol, and continuing to Manchester and London events in April.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These events are definitely not sales pitches. The goal is practical, workshop-style sessions designed to meet you where you are. For example, you will leave with a structured 90-day playbook for practical AI adoption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Each event features dedicated tracks tailored to different levels of AI readiness, led by a combination of Sage specialists, independent experts, and\u2014crucially\u2014your accounting peers who&#8217;ve already walked this path.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Strategic Adopters will find sessions focused on building strong data governance foundations, automating core practice processes end-to-end, and creating blueprints for firm-wide AI systems. This is where you move from isolated use cases to integrated operating models.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Cautious Observers will discover practical demonstrations of AI&#8217;s impact on everyday practice life\u2014speeding up email drafting, summarising client calls, preparing queries before reviews, and improving routine admin. You&#8217;ll leave with clarity on where early wins can be achieved and practical guidelines for safe team adoption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Digital Traditionalists will experience a confidence-building introduction focused on reducing stress and lightening workloads. You&#8217;ll see how basic tools can help manage tasks, plan workloads, and draft routine communications without disrupting what already works. Every attendee will leave with zero-cost use cases they can implement immediately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-finding-your-starting-point-today\">Finding your starting point today<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>But what if you can\u2019t wait?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The immediate path forward looks different depending on where you&#8217;re starting from, but certain principles apply universally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Strategic Adopters: <\/strong>Your next frontier is systematic data governance and cross-practice integration. Individual AI wins are valuable, but firm-wide systems that maintain consistency, security, and quality control are what separate sustainable advantage from scattered experiments. Focus on creating operating models that scale, not just tools that work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cautious Observers: <\/strong>Your priority should be identifying two or three high-value, low-risk use cases where AI can deliver immediate benefits without threatening professional standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Email drafting via AI assistants like Sage Copilot, call summarisation, and working paper preparation are natural starting points. Establish clear guidelines for your team about appropriate use, then expand from there. The key is moving from passive observation to active experimentation within defined boundaries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Digital Traditionalists: <\/strong>Start with pain points. What administrative tasks consume disproportionate time? What repetitive work could be streamlined without changing your fundamental approach to client service?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>AI tools can handle routine communications, manage task scheduling, and create templates that preserve your voice and standards while reducing your workload. The goal isn&#8217;t transformation\u2014it&#8217;s making each week feel lighter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-final-thoughts\">Final thoughts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Let&#8217;s be direct: attending an AI workshop is a professional necessity for anyone serious about their practice&#8217;s future. And it\u2019s a great first step in any ongoing training. Events like the Sage AI Roadshow even deliver CPD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The accounting profession has always adapted to change\u2014from paper ledgers to spreadsheets, from desktop software to cloud computing. Each transition separated those who evolved from those who were left behind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>AI represents the most significant shift since the digitisation of records, but the timeline for adaptation is compressed. What took a decade with previous technologies has taken maybe a year or two with AI.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Sage AI Roadshows offer something valuable: a structured opportunity to begin or accelerate your AI journey alongside peers who understand your challenges, supported by experts who can answer your specific questions, in a format designed for practical learning rather than theoretical discussion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Whether you&#8217;re ready to scale existing AI implementations, prepare for cautious first steps, or simply want to understand what all the fuss is about, there&#8217;s a session designed for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta on-scroll-highlight\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Sage AI Roadshows supported by AccountingWEB<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p>Get authentic, in-person help for artificial intelligence, with events in Bristol, Manchester, and London.<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/cp\/airoadshows\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tid=\"cta-id-28524\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-button-location=\"cta_box\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Register your interest<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"759\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1437931473.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1437931473.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Subscribe to the Sage Advice newsletter<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Join more than 500,000 UK readers and get the best business admin strategies and tactics, as well as actionable advice to help your company thrive, in your inbox every month.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-b1a63862-3fa0-4a5e-bb67-c76b88bbc6b8\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Subscribe now<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1073797282-1-1440x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1073797282-1-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The profession is at a crossroads. Here&#8217;s how to find your path forward via key events in Bristol, Manchester, and London.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":280,"featured_media":16318,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sage_video":false,"post_featured_image_hide":false,"sage_hide_published_date":false,"sage_hide_read_time":false,"sage_hide_share_buttons":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[50],"business_type":[115],"lilypad":[],"context":[],"industry":[],"persona":[67],"imagine_tag":[331,309],"coauthors":[369],"class_list":["post-28526","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology-innovation","tag-ai","business_type-accountants"],"sage_meta":{"region":"en-gb","author_name":"Keir Thomas-Bryant","featured_image":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1395187689.jpg","imagine_tags":{"331":"AI accountants","309":"AI Hub"}},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Sage Advice UK","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28526","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/users\/280"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28526"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28526\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29869,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28526\/revisions\/29869"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media\/16318"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28526"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28526"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28526"},{"taxonomy":"business_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/business_type?post=28526"},{"taxonomy":"lilypad","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/lilypad?post=28526"},{"taxonomy":"context","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/context?post=28526"},{"taxonomy":"industry","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/industry?post=28526"},{"taxonomy":"persona","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/persona?post=28526"},{"taxonomy":"imagine_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/imagine_tag?post=28526"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=28526"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}