TGS Bangkok Global Conference Takeaways

Why Bangkok, and Why Now?

We chose Bangkok for the 2025 TGS global conference to show a deliberate commitment to the Asia-Pacific region and its fast-growing opportunities.

Bangkok was chosen to maximise Asia-Pacific attendance, strengthen regional trust and demonstrate that TGS sees ASEAN as a priority. Members gained deeper understanding of regional market dynamics, awareness of cross-border opportunities and clarity on why APAC will shape future referrals and partnerships.

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Network Value: Defining TGS Clearly

Helping members articulate hard, soft and strategic benefits of being in TGS.

One priority was to equip members to explain TGS convincingly to prospects. The conference supported members in distinguishing tangible gains (referrals, shared resources, cost efficiencies) from intangible ones (brand, expertise, peer support). This clarity strengthens recruitment conversations and reinforces the network’s collective identity.

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A Conference Designed for Member-Led Progress

Less training, more collaboration—and commitments members can act on immediately.

The programme reflected member feedback: fewer lectures, more problem-solving. Sessions were structured to drive accountability, peer exchange and practical outcomes. The goal was to ensure that every participant left with specific actions for the next 90 days and a network of peers to sustain momentum.

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Expertise Pitches: Learning from the Network, Not External Consultants

Six member-led pitches, two deep-dive sessions, and practical frameworks to take home.

The format assumed expertise is already in the room. Members heard short pitches before choosing breakout sessions aligned with their priorities. The emphasis was on actionable insights—what worked, what didn’t, and how firms can implement new ideas quickly and collaboratively.

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The Value of Intelligent Failure

Honest stories of things going wrong—strengthening trust and connection across the network.

Instead of polished success stories, members shared real missteps. This format strengthens trust, accelerates relationship-building and provides practical lessons. The deeper point: TGS grows through transparency, not perfection. Members left with new relationships and shared understanding of the challenges firms face.

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Unintended Consequences: Strategic Decisions and Their Ripple Effects

A framework for anticipating second-order effects in firm and network strategy.

This session explored how decisions—whether in individual firms or at network level—produce outcomes nobody predicts. Members were encouraged to apply more systematic thinking and use structured checklists to reduce strategic blind spots.

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New & Potential Members: Why Growth Strengthens Everyone

Expansion into Azerbaijan, Germany, Netherlands, Latam and China.

The session clarified why network growth is not dilution but amplification: more referral opportunities, stronger bargaining power, wider expertise and more resilient global coverage. 

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Keynote: Highway to Yell — Digital Creativity and Cross-Border Growth

A case study in scaling internationally through AI, positioning and partnerships.

Bangkok-based Yell shared how they built international recognition, reduced costs through AI and developed cross-border collaborations. Their experience provided a replicable blueprint for midsize firms aiming to scale without Big Four budgets.

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AI Debate: Adoption, Ethics and The Reality of Talent Models

A candid examination of how AI will reshape quality, staffing and risk.

Members discussed where AI enhances efficiency, where it introduces liability, and how professional firms should balance technology adoption with long-term talent pipelines. The session was designed to move firms from casual experimentation to deliberate strategy.

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Double-Niche Strategy with Siong Yoong

Finding the intersection of expertise and geography to command premium pricing.

Members explored how positioning built on credible geography plus specialised service (the “double niche”) helps firms stand out in an AI-driven market. The accompanying workbook helped firms identify their niche, refine messaging and rethink value-based pricing.

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Bill Ability: Charging for Advisory Work You Already Do

Turning informal advice into structured, billable services.

This session tackled the gap between advisory aspirations and real-world implementation. Members were encouraged to define their advisory offer clearly, refine pricing strategies and commit to actions supporting advisory revenue growth in 2025–2026.

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ESG Activator: APAC as the New ESG Frontier

How Asia-Pacific is shaping global ESG demand and what member firms can do next.

With APAC ahead in ESG adoption, members explored whether to build internal capability or outsource to Econos. The session focused on real revenue opportunities and market demand—not ESG as a compliance burden.

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Awards Dinner on the Rooftop

Recognition, celebration and community-building with Bangkok’s skyline as backdrop.

The evening created space for recognition and connection. Awards reinforced the behaviours TGS values, while the informal setting deepened relationships and strengthened the sense of community across regions.

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Marketplace of Experts: Making Capabilities Visible

A physical display highlighting member specialisations and ideal clients.

By mapping expertise visually, members gained clarity on who does what across the network. The exercise highlighted collaboration gaps, referral potential and opportunities for structured follow-up via TGS U workgroups.

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Keynote: ASEAN Professional Services and Advisory Positioning

Transforming local knowledge into structured, high-value advisory services.

Castle Asia demonstrated how systematic intelligence gathering can be turned into advisory products clients value. Members saw a replicable model for becoming their market’s “explainers”—a core part of TGS’s mission to elevate advisory capability.

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International Tax: Testing Appetite for a Structured TGS Tax Initiative

A practical session exploring whether members want sustained tax collaboration.

The session provided immediately useful cross-border tax insights and assessed whether the network should invest in a tax group, newsletter and regular meetings. The goal was to convert scattered interest into structured capability—if members commit.

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Boat Sessions on the Chao Phraya

Small-group discussions on quality, collaboration and speciality-specific challenges.

The boat format provided space for focused discussions on audit, tax and advisory collaboration. Each group was encouraged to identify gaps, share obstacles and propose three concrete recommendations for post-conference implementation.

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Conference Summary & Forward Commitments

Turning insight into action: the real work starts after Bangkok.

The final session ensured members left with clarity on their next 90 days: three actions, accountability partners and visibility on TGS support structures. The message was simple: learning is useless without execution—and the network is strongest when commitments become outcomes.