08/10/2026
The Value of In-Person Continuing Education
The pandemic of 2020 to 2022 seems to have rung the
death knell of in-person continuing education. Quarantines
and distancing requirements made webinars or on-line con
tinuing education the norm. Besides, who doesn’t love to
attend these events in PJs from the comfort of our own
home office / sofa / kitchen table? The same is often true
for presenters—they can make the same money without all
of the travel and hassle in-person events present. Thus,
availability and attendance of in-person events have cra
tered over the last five years.
However, there is a significant case to be made for attend
ing these events in-person. For starters, networking via a
webinar is nonexistent, yet for many of us, it is the net
working opportunities that provide as much of the learning
as the teaching itself. Accountants, as I often explain to cli
ents, tend to be introverts. We tend to be the wallflower at
parties our bosses or spouses drag us to. We often find
meeting other people intimidating. Yet, meeting other ac
countants is somehow easier since we can talk numbers
without really making small-talk. Thus, is born our kind of
networking.
As an example, the owner of our company and I attended
an event just over a month ago. Seated next to us were peo
ple we’d seen in the past, but barely knew. In the course of
conversation, we naturally discussed our practices. By the
end of the day, we had exchanged contact information and
gone our separate ways. Not a month later, we received a
phone call from one of our new contacts. They had a client
who needed work done that their firm did not handle—
would we be able to assist her client. The work was right in
our wheelhouse and the rest is history.
Another reason to attend in-person learning events is the
opportunity to ask questions directly of the speaker. We’ve
all been on webinars that are pre-recorded. While there
maybe issues we need clarification on or information on
how the teaching applies to a situation we currently find
ourselves in, there is no way to ask the instructor. Even dur
ing live webinars with the question feed, many are left un
answered or only partially answered with little to no chance
to ask follow-up questions.
As a corollary to this, many times at live events, hallway
discussions during breaks lead us to answers or conclusions
we wouldn’t find via a webinar. How many times does the
interaction with our peers help us solidify thinking in a case
even when we don’t discuss it directly?
The final argument in support of in-person CE events is the
opportunity for more immersive focus. Being away from
the distractions of the office or the home, allows us to focus
on the event, instead of worrying about the family dog
needing to be let out, or the constant stream of office inter
ruptions.
Given the many advantages of in-person events, take the
leap and attend one this fall—maybe even the MO NATP
event in October!
Douglas Osgood, EA
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