5 reasons to attend Global Excel Summit 2024 that’ll get your boss’ nod of approval

1. You’ll stay ahead of the latest developments
2. You’ll learn the best practices
3. You’ll become well-rounded
4. You’ll form connections
5. You’ll benefit even more as a team

‍‍What are you doing 6–8 February 2024?

Probably sitting in the office with your head glued to a computer monitor as you chug away slicing, dicing, crunching and munching data in your Excel workbook.

Okay — bit of an assumption there.

However, it probably isn’t far off the truth for many business professionals across the length and breadth of the world.

In any case, there’s something rather significant taking place on those aforementioned dates: Global Excel Summit 2024.

The biggest names in the Excel sphere will gather for the fourth year running to deliver top-notch sessions that boost and bolster your skills. All so you can head back to the office refreshed, rejuvenated, and able to apply what you’ve learned.

There’s something extra special, though. London has the honour of hosting the first-ever in-person edition, with the venue being Westfield’s luxurious Vue Cinema in Shepherd's Bush.

But hold your horses! Every second will be streamed online, so you’ll be able to follow all the action no matter where you reside.

You might be an accountant, financial analyst, office administrator, or project manager looking to move up the ladder or broaden your career possibilities.

And whether you're a standard everyday Excel user or a seasoned pro, there’s something for you.

As many companies do, perhaps yours has an L&D or education budget that could cover the cost of the conference.

On that note, let’s look at five benefits of attending Global Excel Summit 2024 — so you can put forward the case to your employer who (hopefully) will be happy to reimburse you for your participation.

1. You’ll stay ahead of the latest developments

Excel is an unstoppable force. Pre-2020, standalone versions were the norm, and improvements were limited to a three-year lifecycle.

However, coinciding with the rising popularity of subscription-based Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365), something momentous happened at the turn of the decade: a new calculation engine was born, proving the catalyst for a raft of new features and functions.

Ignore these at your will. They are not gimmicks — they are game-changers.

If you want to be on the front foot and ahead of the curve, you must ditch the this is the way I’ve always done it mentality and start absorbing the joys of Modern Excel.

The event’s theme is ‘AI Exceleration’ — aptly named on the back of the groundbreaking advancements over the past year.

2. You’ll learn the best practices

Excel is renowned for being ubiquitous, seemingly installed anywhere and everywhere — just like two other Microsoft apps: Word and PowerPoint.

However, this makes it a double-edged sword. On one hand, a worksheet grid is a blank canvas that gives you carte blanche to do whatever you want. However, with that freedom and flexibility comes an inflated sense of self-confidence.

Be honest: how proficient in Excel are you?

Many office workers overestimate their Excel ability. It’s the Dunning-Kruger Effect — a cognitive bias where people with rudimentary skills lack the self-awareness to accurately judge their own abilities.

Whether it’s constructing clunky formulas or overusing manual processes, our sessions will expose flaws in your existing workflows and open your eyes to better solutions, ultimately saving time and money.

3. You’ll become well-rounded

To ensure there’s plenty of variety, we’ve ensured the sessions cover all aspects and angles thanks to five specialised tracks:

• Tech & Innovation
• Data Viz & Analytics
• Finance & Accounting
• The Power Stack
• Formulas & Automation

Unsurprisingly, Excel is the main focus for the majority of these, diving into dynamic arrays, Power Query, Power Pivot, and VBA. You’ll also venture into some of the newer areas like Python, Copilot, and ChatGPT.

Outside of the Excel bubble, there’s Power BI — the perfect alternative for building advanced dashboards.

What’s more, if you really want to delve deeper into Excel’s advanced features, consider Masterclasses, special in-depth sessions led by Microsoft MVPs. These are designed to equip you with some of the most sought-after skills in the workplace.

4. You’ll form connections

Whether you come in person or online, there’ll be plenty of opportunities to mingle and build professional relationships with fellow attendees and 30+ world-class speakers. These include Microsoft MVPs, MCTs, and business executives.

At the London event, you’re bound to bump into a familiar face or two in the foyer, which is conveniently equipped with refreshment facilities. Plus, you’ll encounter a range of on-site cafes and restaurants to hang out in.

Online, our Hubilo platform will let you chat about all things Excel before, during, and after sessions, so you certainly won’t be starved of interaction!

5. You’ll benefit even more as a team

To cater to different needs, we offer a range of individual ticket options, whether you want to attend in person or online.

These are great for propelling you to the next level, but what about everyone else you work with? If they have a higher level of Excel proficiency as well, it raises the overall baseline at your company, leading to higher spreadsheet standards.

You’ll spend less time fiddling about and fixing problems because your workbooks will be bulletproof. The domino effect is greater productivity, efficiency, and higher profitability.

If you think your colleagues would also benefit from attending Global Excel Summit 2024, let your boss know about our Teams packages to take advantage of some special discounts. The bigger your team, the bigger you save.

Ready to make the case?

We appreciate circumstances vary, but if you need approval to attend the event, feel free to download and adapt our reimbursement template to send to your manager.

Moreover, we can also provide you with an invoice to pass on for immediate reimbursement. Please get in touch about this at info@datelproductions.com.

If you do attend, upon completion you’ll receive a Certificate of Attendance and gain 30+ points to add to your CPD record.

Please ask your boss nicely. However, put forward the case assertively using the points we mentioned, and hit home the benefits for THEM, not just you. There’s no guarantee they’ll say yes, but there’s a good chance they will!

For more information about Global Excel Summit 2024, head to globalexcelsummit.com.