XeroCon 2025: The Illumin8 Wrap Up

XeroCon 2025: Smarter, Simpler, More Human

Another year, another XeroCon?

Well, this year’s XeroCon 2025 was about more than just the latest software updates, it was about smarter, simpler ways of working, and keeping people at the heart of technology. From inspirational speakers to hands-on product insights, the event gave us a bunch of fresh ideas to bring back to our team.

So instead of giving you a corporate run-down, we asked a few of the crew to share what actually hit home. Here’s what inspired them, what will change the way we work, and what will directly benefit you. (Our clients)

Illumin8 Team Take-Homes

Shane was Inspired By - “The way the Bluey creator finished his talk with a bunch of old-fashioned values, work hard values. I’m all for finding a better way (which is obviously the focus of Xerocon), but I loved the brutally honest reflection that he had on hunkering down and working hard for what you want to make happen.”

Ditto with Kiera. As the saying goes, "*“*A little hard work never killed anyone.”

**Work is changing, Kerrie appreciated this perspective - “**You’ve heard it before, but AI will change the way we do things now and in the future. It will never replace professionals – however it will reduce the manual work and enable professionals to give you the information you require faster, and in a way that makes sense to you.”

Will had two big takeaways. Here’s his breakdown:

1. Xero General Ledger Exception Report - See More
   1. “This report has always been there lurking in the background, unassuming and yet provides so many opportunities.”
   2. Xero runs the report to see transactions that are out of the ordinary based on default settings or other transactions in the same account.
   3. This will help answer:
      1. Are higher or lower than the usual transaction line amount in that account?
      2. Are showing a different GST treatment than the default GST treatment set for the account in the chart of accounts?
      3. Are debits when most entries in the account are credits, or vice versa
2. Content Snare - See More
   1. “What a wonder this will be for info gathering!”
   2. Content Snare is a simple way to onboard clients, collect documents and get answers, without the endless back and forth. It’s similar to a client portal, basically a checklist for  clients with automatic reminders.

Michelle’s excited to see faster onboarding with clearer processes for our clients. Longterm this means we can expect smoother collaboration, less friction and more value.

What it all Means for You?

Payments & Cashflow Management:

• Dext Pay will streamline accounts payable with approval workflows
• Tools like Chaser and Paidnice help automate reminders, discounts, and late fees

Smarter Invoicing:

• Xero’s new features: progress payments, part payments with Stripe, and branding control to make invoicing simpler and more professional

A Better Client Experience:

• Faster onboarding and clearer processes through centralised workflows
• JAX could reduce “quick questions,” and let advisors focus on deeper insights

The Big Picture Wrap Up?

Across all the team, three themes stood out from XeroCon 2025:

1. Hard work meets smart work - perseverance and grit meets smarter tools.
2. AI is accelerating change - not replacing people but amplifying impact.
3. Simplification is the future - fewer tools, smarter workflows, better client experiences.

We’re excited to put these lessons into practice and keep building smarter, simpler, more human ways of working for our clients.