October 23, 2025 CPE Seminar and Luncheon Schedule:

LOCATION: Marriot Residence Inn (77/Rockside) – 5101 West Creek Road, Independence, OH, 44131 

Click here for directions

Attendance of all time slots NOT required. Please join us for any presentations your schedule permits that day – or just for lunch and networking. (Registration Required) – Up to 3 CPE credits total.

9:15 – Optional Pre-Session Coffee, Bialy’s Bagel Breakfast and Networking

10:00 – 10:25 –  Navigating the Evolving U.S. Trade Compliance Landscape (.5 CPE credit) – Damon Piatek, a Licensed U.S. Customs Broker, brings over 25 years of experience in international trade to this session. His presentation will focus on key regulatory areas affecting U.S. importers, beginning with Customs and Border Protection (CBP) valuation rules for customs entries – critical for accurate duty calculation, compliance, and transfer pricing considerations. He will then examine the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), outlining its role in the new Tariffs. The session will also address Section 232 tariffs, their legal foundation, and their ongoing impact on sourcing and cost structures. Finally, Damon will provide insights into the shifting landscape for importers, including recent policy changes, enforcement trends, and practical strategies for maintaining compliance. Attendees will gain actionable knowledge to support clients navigating complex regulatory environments and global supply chain challenges. Presented by Damon Piatek, (President/CEO) of Platek Customs & Logistics.

10:25 – 10:50 – Staying Visible in the Age of AI Search: How to Future-Proof Your Company’s Online Presence with AI Optimization (AIO) (.5 CPE credit) – As tools like Google’s AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Perplexity and other AI-driven platforms change the way people search for information online, it’s becoming harder for businesses to stay visible using traditional methods like standard search engine optimization (SEO) alone. This session will introduce the concept of AI Optimization (AIO) and explain why it’s now essential for maintaining an online presence in today’s fast-changing digital environment. You’ll learn how AI is reshaping search, how AIO works alongside your current online strategies and walk away with five straightforward, practical tips that will help your firm or business stay discoverable and competitive as AI continues to evolve. Presented by Jonathan Ebenstein, (President) of Strategic 7 Marketing.

10:55 – 11:45 – Transferable Clean Energy Credits: The Maturing of a Marketplace (1 CPE credit) – With nearly two years of activity under its belt, the transferable, clean energy tax credit marketplace is growing up! We’ll talk about how more and more taxpayers have learned to navigate the marketplace to get the best deals and realize the highest possible savings in their cash tax cost. We will also look forward to 2026 and beyond, as the former hallmarks of the market – solar and wind projects – are replaced with new, qualifying clean energy technologies. What do these new technologies mean for the diligence and documentation stages of credit transfers? You will be fully up to speed on these changes and the current state of the market after this session, which will be presented by Mike Minihan, JD, (Managing Partner) of BX3.

11:50 – 12:15 – Protecting AI Driven Firm and Client Data (.5 CPE credit) – How can AI users protect themselves and their data from outsiders – China and others – from obtaining their info when they utilize AI Tools??? The biggest concern for AI use is the “confidential” information that MUST be protected including health, personal, trade secrets, customer lists, internal company info, and client data, etc. There are tools and processes that can enable one to protect their AI data! Presented by Tim Dimoff, (President) of SACS Consulting and Investigative Services.

12:15 – 12:40 – Increasing “IC-DISC” Production and Export Incentive Savings (.5 CPE credit) – Presentation will focus on the key areas of existing data your company or clients may not be utilizing to improve IC-DISC (Interest Charge Domestic International Sales Corporation) calculations. Intended and allowable methods to maximize tax savings from this federal incentive are often completely overlooked. Learn about common fact patterns that increase savings which can often be easily uncovered in existing accounting data. Presented by Amit Mathur, CPA, (Partner/ Co-Founder) of Quantitax IC-DISC Services.

12:40 – Lunch (the Original Slyman’s Restaurant Downtown!) Raffle Prizes and Networking. Desserts by Gentile’s Italian Bakery!