Finance, Accounting & Bookkeeping Show 2027 – Birmingham, UK

What to expect

The Finance, Accounting & Bookkeeping Show 2027, also known as FAB and Festival of Accounting & Bookkeeping, is the accounting event of the year and the community-led event where accountants, finance leaders and vendors come together to solve real problems and set the agenda for the year ahead. The show will take over the NEC Birmingham with a packed content programme, industry titans lined up to speak and plenty of interactive sessions.

FAB is the premier event tailored for accounting and finance professionals across the UK. This year marks the ninth edition of the festival, attracting around 4,000 visitors eager to enhance their knowledge and network within the industry. You will leave with practical steps, new contacts and a clearer plan for the year ahead.

Expect two days of practical learning, discussion and connection developed in partnership with AccountingWEB and shaped by the profession, for the profession. The accounting profession is undergoing rapid transformation, from the rise of artificial intelligence to compliance challenges such as Making Tax Digital, and these challenges take centre stage at FAB. The programme is built around six facets of transformation, putting those themes to the leaders and experts speaking at the event and asking what they mean in your world.

The show features 6 show zones, 100+ partners and suppliers, and more than 400 leading voices. You will see leading tools side by side and pick the right fit without the usual sales chase, compare platforms, book demos and progress buying decisions in one place.

Event dates

• Event Dates: 10-11 March 2027
• Event Timings: 09:00 AM – 05:00 PM daily, with interactive sessions running throughout
• Edition: 9th edition – Festival of Accounting & Bookkeeping
• Frequency: Annual
• Venue: NEC Birmingham, North Ave, Marston Green, Birmingham B40 1NT
• Organiser: FAB – Finance, Accounting & Bookkeeping Show in partnership with AccountingWEB
• Contact Email: marketing@fab.uk
• Official Website: https://www.fab.uk/

All exhibition, conference sessions, AI Labs, roundtables and networking activities take place within these two core days. Registration is now open and the event is free to attend.

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Venue & exhibition site

The Finance, Accounting & Bookkeeping Show 2027 takes place at the NEC Birmingham, National Exhibition Centre, North Ave, Marston Green, Birmingham B40 1NT, United Kingdom. Hall 1 and surrounding Piazza areas are typically used for this show, providing modern exhibition space with easy access for 4,000 accounting and finance professionals.

The NEC Birmingham is the UK’s largest exhibition venue, located 8 miles east of Birmingham city centre at the heart of the UK motorway network. The venue features 20 interconnected halls, 32 conference suites and extensive facilities including free Wi-Fi for visitors, award-winning catering, fully accessible halls and dedicated spaces for roundtables, workshops and live podcasting.

Facilities include 16,500 parking spaces with electronic signage, free shuttle buses between car parks and halls during exhibitions, and direct connection to Birmingham International Station via covered walkway and free Air-Rail Link. The venue is operated by the NEC Group and hosts over 500 events annually.

The exhibition floor is designed for market clarity, with 6 festival zones enabling learning, meetings, product demos, peer exchange, roundtables and live podcasting, plus an AccountingWEB AI Labs area with Sage as a hands-on hub for turning AI into something you can use.

Full event programme

The full event programme for FAB 2027 is built around six facets of transformation identified through extensive advisory board interviews with accountants, bookkeepers and finance leaders. These themes were developed after registration opened and form the basis for the two-day content programme.

The six themes are Artificial Intelligence, The Human Advantage, Reinvented Adviser, Compliance Without Chaos, Leading Through Volatility and Connected Practice. The programme will be brought to life by more than 200 to 400 speakers and industry leaders sharing practical insight, fresh perspectives and real-world experience across keynotes, roundtables, workshops, AI Labs and more.

Interactive formats include peer discussion roundtables where attendees debate topics with peers, hands-on AccountingWEB AI Labs, workshops, live podcast recordings and product demos on the show floor. The content programme explores how practicalities of actually getting work done are changing, how firms can justify value beyond numbers, and how to make better decisions about tools and integrations.

The show hosts 100+ suppliers so teams can compare platforms side by side, book demos and progress buying decisions. It is a community-led event for accountants, bookkeepers and finance professionals, committed to creating an event shaped by the profession.

Key speakers & keynote speakers

FAB 2027 features 400+ leading voices from across finance, accounting, practice, technology and transformation. Speakers are the people shaping the future of the profession.

Confirmed and expected headline speakers based on the 2027 programme include Rebecca Benneyworth, leading tax and compliance expert, Lucy Cohen, Founder and CEO of Mazuma and AAT President, Richard Murphy, prominent economist and tax justice campaigner, Scott Heath, Andy Oury, Simon Massey, Ryan Alderson, Samantha Mitcham, Harriet Hodgson-Grove, and many more. The event in March 2026 boasted speakers like Rebecca Benneyworth, Dan Neidle and Craig Ogilvie, and 2027 expands that faculty significantly.

Additional speakers listed on the official site include Richard Murphy, Lucy Cohen, Leon McQuade, Alex Falcon Huerta, Scott Heath, Olamide Majekodunmi, Andy Oury, Alan Kennedy, Business broker and exit planning at Apollo Business Broking, Ryan Lamb, Group financial controller at FRP Advisory, John Toon, Head of Technology at HLB International, and dozens more including Ryan Alderson, Samantha Mitcham, Harriet Hodgson-Grove, Charles Richards, Emma Reid, Francesca McClory, Russell Frayne, Andy Mellor, Iain McVicar, Robin Thatcher, Stuart Hurst, Dr Shamaas Mohammed and Gino Zabeo.

Keynote addresses explore the new AI power shift, risks, rewards and readiness for 2027 and beyond, building winning organisational cultures and what makes a successful accounting business.

Conference sessions & tracks

Conference sessions and tracks are organised around the six facets of transformation that define the accounting profession in 2027.

Artificial Intelligence Track explores practical use cases beyond hype, data and security concerns, efficiency gains, and how AI Labs can help turn AI into something you can use. Sessions address why promised efficiency gains are not coming to fruition for mid-tier and large firms and how to actually implement AI.

The Human Advantage Track focuses on people as the hardest challenge. Topics include recruitment shifting from needing detail people to needing people people, change management as a full-time job requiring wholesale mindset and culture shift, and bringing people with you during disruption.

Reinvented Adviser Track covers the transformation of the accountant’s role to be more relationship-focused and advisory earlier in careers. Sessions discuss how clients ask whether they still need to buy a service at all, how advisers must justify value and ROI, and the finance function’s move toward interpretive analysis and strategic decision support while still crunching numbers.

Compliance Without Chaos Track addresses Making Tax Digital quarterly submissions, Companies House identity verification, anti-money laundering admin, Companies House changes, post-Autumn Budget surprises and mandatory payrolling of benefits in kind. This track acts as a pressure valve before the new tax year and before more than one million additional taxpayers enter MTD from April 2027.

Leading Through Volatility Track examines private equity-backed deals, consolidation changing the accounting landscape, different leadership needed to compete, growth through complementary services and business development, and integrating disparate systems after acquisition.

Connected Practice Track looks at accounting software decision inertia, verifying what actually works in comparable businesses, peer recommendations versus marketing, choosing the right tech and getting integrations to work.

Session times & schedule

The daily schedule is designed to maximise learning and peer exchange across two intensive days.

Morning Opening begins with hall opening and registration from early morning, with exhibition viewing and AI Labs opening shortly after. Keynotes begin each day with perspectives on AI’s role, building winning cultures and successful practices.

Mid-Morning Content Blocks include keynotes, panel discussions and roundtables across the 6 show zones. Sessions run continuously, allowing attendees to move between learning, meetings and product demos.

Lunch and Networking takes place on the show floor with catering outlets in Hall 1 and Piazza areas, plus dedicated roundtable discussions over lunch for finance leaders and practitioners.

Afternoon Interactive Sessions include AccountingWEB AI Labs with Sage, workshops, live podcasting and hands-on product demos. The AI Power Shift sessions and compliance clinics are popular afternoon slots.

Late Afternoon and Closing sees the exhibition remain open for final meetings, with networking continuing in NEC hotels and onsite bars. The show closes late afternoon on both days to allow for travel.

Ticket types & registration

The Finance, Accounting & Bookkeeping Show is free to attend for eligible professionals, making it accessible for accountants, bookkeepers and finance teams of all sizes.

Visitor Ticket provides full two-day access to the exhibition, 6 festival zones, 100+ suppliers, 400+ speakers, keynotes, roundtables, workshops, AI Labs and live podcasting. The ticket price is $0 USD. Registration is via https://www.fab.uk/ through the Book your FREE ticket portal. Based on official information, registration is now open and the event is free to attend.

Practice Owner and Finance Leader Ticket is the same free ticket but grants access to dedicated peer exchange roundtables for firm owners, partners and finance directors, enabling discussion on growth, consolidation and leadership.

Exhibitor Ticket is included within exhibitor stand packages. Exhibitors receive multiple badges, marketing support and lead scanning.

Student and Trainee Ticket is available for accounting and finance students, trainees and AAT learners, with prior registration via the official site.

On-the-Door Registration is available at NEC Piazza for industry professionals, but pre-registration is strongly recommended to avoid queues and to receive the agenda and exhibitor list in advance.

Registration deadlines

Registration for free visitor tickets is now open and remains open until the final day of the show, with onsite registration also available at Hall 1 reception for industry professionals.

Early Registration is recommended to receive the full agenda, speaker list and exhibitor list, plus access to roundtable booking and AI Labs scheduling. AccountingWEB will explore the six key themes in more detail over the coming weeks and months after registration opens.

Exhibitor Booking Deadline for prime positions in Hall 1 closes well in advance, as the show regularly hosts 100+ partners and 4,000 visitors. Early booking is advised for suppliers wanting to compare platforms side by side with competitors.

Roundtable and AI Lab Booking opens after registration and closes shortly before the show due to limited capacity for peer discussion sessions.

Group Registration for accounting firms, finance teams and bookkeeping practices is supported through the official website and allows multiple team members to register together.

Exhibitor list & major companies

The Finance, Accounting & Bookkeeping Show 2027 hosts 100+ partners and suppliers, making it the largest gathering of accounting technology providers and service firms in the UK.

The exhibitor list spans accounting software, bookkeeping tools, tax and compliance, payroll, practice management, payments, lending, company formation, AML and identity verification, and business advisory services. Typical exhibitors include major accounting software platforms, Making Tax Digital compatible software providers, practice management platforms, AI and automation tools, payment providers, and advisory services.

While the full 2027 exhibitor list is updated regularly on https://www.fab.uk/, previous editions have featured leading names in accounting technology, with 100+ suppliers enabling teams to compare platforms side by side, book demos and progress buying decisions. The show’s partnership with AccountingWEB ensures exhibitors are relevant to the profession’s current challenges including MTD, Companies House changes and AI adoption.

The community-led nature means exhibitors are selected based on practitioner needs rather than sales pitch, with market clarity as a core promise. You will find solutions for firms of all sizes, from sole practitioners to mid-tier and large firms dealing with private equity consolidation and system integration challenges.

Exhibition halls & floor plan

The exhibition is hosted in Hall 1 at the NEC Birmingham, with surrounding Piazza and Atrium areas used for registration, catering and networking.

Hall 1 Layout provides a large open floorplate ideal for technology displays, demo pods and interactive zones. The hall offers high ceilings, modern lighting and excellent logistics for exhibitors bringing live demo setups.

6 Festival Zones enable learning, meetings, product demos, peer exchange, roundtables and live podcasting. Zones are organised around the six facets of transformation, making it easy to find relevant content and suppliers.

AccountingWEB AI Labs area, in partnership with Sage, provides a hands-on hub for turning AI into practical tools, with dedicated demo stations and expert support.

Piazza and Atrium host registration, welcome points, hospitality suites for meetings and catering outlets. The layout encourages movement between learning theatres and exhibition floor, with free shuttle buses connecting car parks to Hall 1.

The official floor plan and exhibitor locator are available via the website and event app once registration opens, with prime positions allocated early.

Networking & business meetings

Networking and business meetings are central to FAB’s proposition as a community-led event.

The show provides two days of direct access to accountants, bookkeepers, finance leaders and vendors. With 4,000 visitors eager to enhance their knowledge and network, every meeting is with a peer or potential supplier who understands your challenges.

Networking features include peer discussion roundtables where attendees debate topics with peers in small groups, live podcasting stages where you can share insights, and product demo areas for side-by-side comparisons. The event is designed to provide market clarity without the usual sales chase, with trust built through peer recommendations.

Lead generation for exhibitors is supported by lead scanning and CRM integration, while visitors benefit from booking demos and progressing buying decisions on the floor. Evening networking continues in NEC onsite hotels and Birmingham city centre venues, with many firms hosting dinners and meetups.

The yellow carpet experience at the NEC has become a signature, welcoming attendees to a community event shaped by the profession.

Industry sectors & highlights

Industry sectors represented cover the entire finance, accounting and bookkeeping ecosystem.

Accounting Practice and Bookkeeping includes sole practitioners, small to mid-tier firms, large firms, bookkeepers and accountants dealing with MTD, compliance and advisory transformation.

Finance Function and Business Leaders includes group financial controllers, finance directors, CFOs, finance teams absorbing HR, IT, procurement and comms remits, and those moving toward strategic decision support.

Technology and AI includes AI and automation, accounting software, practice management, data and security, connected practice tools and integrations.

Compliance and Regulation includes Making Tax Digital, AML, identity verification, Companies House changes, tax, payroll and benefits in kind payrolling.

Growth and Leadership includes private equity-backed consolidation, mergers and acquisitions, business development, complementary services, exit planning and business broking.

Highlights for 2027 include the new AI Power Shift keynotes, expanded roundtable programme, hands-on AI Labs, compliance clinics before April 2027 MTD expansion, and dedicated tracks on human advantage and reinvented adviser roles.

Event rules & visitor information

The Finance, Accounting & Bookkeeping Show is a professional B2B trade event with clear visitor information.

Trade Only Policy – the exhibition, conference and all networking opportunities are aimed at accountants, bookkeepers, finance leaders and finance teams. Registration requires business details and proof of industry involvement may be requested.

Badge Policy – all attendees including visitors, exhibitors, press and speakers must hold a valid badge and be registered for the current show either pre-show or onsite. Badges must be worn at all times within Hall 1.

Conduct Policy – the organiser expects professional and respectful behaviour. The show promotes inclusion and peer support, with a focus on bringing people with you during transformation.

Photography Policy – official photography and live podcast recording takes place throughout the show. By attending, you consent to being filmed for promotional purposes.

Sustainability Policy – the organiser encourages responsible behaviour and promotes sustainable practices in event delivery.

Contact Information – for enquiries, contact FAB at marketing@fab.uk or via https://www.fab.uk/. Registration is free via the official website.

How to get there

The Finance, Accounting & Bookkeeping Show 2027 takes place at NEC Birmingham, North Ave, Marston Green, Birmingham B40 1NT, UK.

By Car – the NEC is at the heart of the UK motorway network, 8 miles east of Birmingham city centre, with direct access via M42 and M6 motorways. Follow electronic signage to Hall 1 parking areas. Once parked, take a free shuttle bus or walk via signposted footpaths.

By Train – Birmingham International Station is directly connected to the NEC via covered walkway and free Air-Rail Link. Direct services run from London Euston, Birmingham New Street and across the UK.

By Air – Birmingham Airport is adjacent to the NEC and Birmingham International Station, with free monorail link providing easy access for national and international visitors.

By Bus – public bus services operate regularly to the NEC from Birmingham and surrounding areas.

Local Navigation – use postcode B40 1NT for navigation and follow signs for FAB Festival of Accounting & Bookkeeping upon arrival.

Public transport & parking

Public transport and parking at the NEC are extensive and designed for large-scale events with 4,000 visitors.

Parking includes 16,500 spaces available across well-signposted car parks with electronic signage directing you to specific areas for Hall 1. Parking is chargeable with pre-bookable options including NEC Express car parks via parking.thenec.co.uk. Typical parking charges convert to approximately $20 USD to $25 USD per day. EV charging spaces are available in designated areas.

Shuttle Buses are free and always running between car parks and halls when there is an exhibition taking place, including services to Hall 1.

Train and Air-Rail Link provides hassle-free access from Birmingham International Station directly to the NEC, with the Air-Rail Link running every few minutes.

Accessibility includes pre-bookable accessible parking spaces, step-free access throughout Hall 1 and accessible facilities.

Additional Services include free Wi-Fi for visitors, on-site support throughout the event and catering outlets in the Piazza.

Accommodation areas

Accommodation near the NEC Birmingham is extensive due to proximity to Birmingham Airport and Birmingham International Station.

Onsite and Immediate Vicinity includes hotels within walking distance of Hall 1 such as Hilton Birmingham Metropole, Crowne Plaza NEC, Premier Inn Birmingham NEC/Airport and Resorts World complex hotels. These offer chargeable onsite parking, restaurants, breakfast and free Wi-Fi and are ideal for exhibitors and visitors wanting to maximise networking time.

Birmingham International and Bickenhill Area includes hotels in Bickenhill near Birmingham International Airport just off the M42 motorway, with convenient shuttle access and rates typically from $90 USD to $180 USD per night.

Birmingham City Centre including Broad Street and ICC hotels accessible via train from Birmingham New Street to Birmingham International, offering more evening entertainment options with rates from $110 USD to $250 USD per night.

Coleshill and North Warwickshire offers B&Bs with secure parking and early breakfast options for visitors needing early access to the show.

Early booking is essential as the NEC hosts multiple events concurrently and hotels sell out quickly during major finance events.

Previous year’s highlights

Previous editions have demonstrated strong growth and community engagement.

The event in March 2026 boasted speakers like Rebecca Benneyworth, Dan Neidle and Craig Ogilvie, with a packed content programme covering AI, compliance and practice growth. Attendees praised the yellow carpet experience at the NEC and the community-led atmosphere where real problems are solved.

Earlier editions established FAB as the accounting event of the year, with 100+ partners enabling side-by-side platform comparisons and 4,000 visitors engaging in roundtables, workshops and live podcasting. The six festival zones model was introduced to enable learning, meetings, product demos, peer exchange and roundtables in a single venue.

Key highlights have included AccountingWEB AI Labs with Sage as a hands-on hub, practical sessions on Making Tax Digital before deadlines, and candid discussions on private equity consolidation changing the accounting landscape. The show’s partnership with AccountingWEB ensures content is shaped by advisory board interviews with accountants, bookkeepers and finance leaders, providing a state-of-the-nation snapshot of the profession.

Official registration & tickets

Official registration and tickets are managed through the official website https://www.fab.uk/.

Official Website: https://www.fab.uk/
Registration: Free to attend – Book your FREE ticket via official portal – registration is now open
Organiser: Finance, Accounting & Bookkeeping Show – FAB in partnership with AccountingWEB
Contact Email: marketing@fab.uk
Venue: NEC Birmingham, North Ave, Marston Green, Birmingham B40 1NT
Edition: 9th edition Festival of Accounting & Bookkeeping – 4,000 visitors expected

Visitor attendance is free with registration now open. Exhibitor enquiries for Hall 1 stands should be made via the official website or by contacting marketing@fab.uk. The event brings together practitioners, finance leaders, technology providers and industry experts for two days of practical learning, discussion and connection. Beware of third-party sites charging fees – the only official source is fab.uk.