BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID: BEGIN:VEVENT UID:038574ob DTSTAMP:20260925T213000Z DTSTART:20261119T140000Z DTEND:20261120T174000Z LOCATION: Golden Nugget Biloxi (Biloxi\, 39530) SUMMARY: 2026 Winter Cluster DESCRIPTION: Get ready for another round of high-impact learning at the Winter Cluster\, at a new location this year! This can't-miss event combines cutting-edge CPE with a premier destination\, offering the perfect setting to sharpen your skills and recharge for the year ahead. Explore timely\, relevant topics presented by some of the profession’s most respected and dynamic speakers. \n \nDAY 1: THURSDAY\, NOVEMBER 19\n \n7:30am - Registration &\; Breakfast\n \n8:00am-9:40amAI and How It Affects Cybersecurity\, and the Future of AccountingScott Pruitt\, CISM\, CDPSE\, CISA • Warren Averett • Birmingham\, ALAI is changing how finance professionals in public accounting and private industry work\, make decisions\, and manage risk. Discover the opportunities\, challenges\, and controls shaping the future of the accounting profession.9:40am-10:00am Break10:00-11:40A&\;A Update Kurt Oestriecher\, CPA • Oestriecher &\; Company • Alexandria\, LA11:40am – 12:40pm Lunch (included)12:40pm – 2:20pmPractical Tips to Business Succession PlanningLauren Navarre\, JD • Arena Collective • Slidell\, LAAudrey DeAgano\, JD • Arena Collective • Covington\, LAFirst\, this presentation delivers practical\, actionable guidance on the five critical factors that determine a business's salability: building documented systems that can operate without the owner\, strategically transferring key relationships\, identifying and retaining the right people\, thoughtfully structuring the seller's ongoing role post-transition\, and preserving the core values and purpose that define the business's identity and culture.Second\, the presentation will touch on the key steps of a successful acquisition — from business valuation and identifying the right buyer\, to due diligence\, deal structuring\, and ultimately the documents to expect at closing — equipping advisors with a practical roadmap to navigate the process with confidence and clarity.2:20pm – 2:40pm Break2:40pm – 3:30pm TOPIC TBA3:30pm – 4:20pmProfessional Issues UpdateRon Gitz\, CPA\, CGMA • Executive Director/CEO - Society of Louisiana CPAs • Metairie\, LADAY 2: FRIDAY\, NOVEMBER 207:30am - Continental Breakfast8:00am – 9:40amBreaking through Growth Wall Julie Couret • Executive Coach • New Orleans\, LAWhen growing companies hit an invisible growth ceiling\, the root issue is rarely a lack of talent or ambition\, t is an operational and leadership system breakdown. As business complexity expands\, motion is frequently confused with progress\, doer-leaders become structural bottlenecks\, and decision-making stalls in day-to-day firefighting. Attendees will walk away with actionable strategies and frameworks to execute within their organizations:Strategic Focus &\; DirectionEstablish Strategic Trade-Offs: Forge explicit agreement across the executive team regarding which initiatives and distractions to say "no" to\, eliminating operational confusion and safeguarding core execution focus. Design OptimizationMap Root-Cause Constraints: Pinpoint the exact operational bottlenecks where organizational complexity has outgrown existing systems\, eliminating hidden friction\, operational chaos\, and stalled execution. Eliminate Leader Dependency: Identify process gaps where daily decision-making and accountability collapse back to leadership\, successfully transitioning doer-leaders from operational bottlenecks into strategic executives.9:40am – 10:00am Break 10:00 - 11:40 amTax UpdateGreg Booth\, CPA • EisnerAmper • Metairie\, LA \n CLASS:PUBLIC END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR