There was country music, BBQ, sun, fun and public discussions on the nuances of the phrase "Y'All", at the ICI's 2013 Tax and Accounting Conference held at the JW Marriott San Antonio Resort and Spa in beautiful San Antonio, Texas.

The event was attended by 740 accounting and mutual fund executives, over a hundred more than last year's conference. It featured speakers such as ICI president and CEO Paul Schott Stevens, who lamented the the legislative logjam in Washington, D.C., as well as former CNBC chief economist Marci Rossell, who argued that the economy is really alright. Other speakers included T. Rowe Price vice president and treasurer, as well as ICI Accounting Committee chair, Gregory Hinkle, who discussed the importance of the phrase "Y'All," as well as wearing the right cowboy boots for the job. References to Rossell's designer shoes (by both Hinkle and Rossell herself) were kept to a minimum.

A full listing of the Conference's speakers and topics can be found here.

To be certain, the setting was beautiful. Located 20 miles from San Antonio International Airport, the Resort boasts 1,002 rooms; a 26,000 square-foot spa (the Lantana) with 30 treatment rooms; a water park complete with pools, 650-foot rapid river ride, slides and a 1,100-foot long "lazy" river ride; at least four restaurants (plus other indoor eating facilities), and a 36-hole golf course. Learn more about the resort here.

Sponsoring firms hosted a number of receptions, some open to all attendees, while others were a little more private. For example, the accounting firm McGladrey hosted a Monday reception right in the hotel's main bar, The Crooked Branch, featuring drinks, pool and a variety of sliders, pizza and other victuals. Meanwhile, Deloitte featured a reception that same day that included lobster tacos, sundaes, quesadillas and a blowup movie screen by which attendees could watch football. BNY Mellon also hosted an event featuring also featuring sundaes and a selection of fine wines.

Sessions finished relatively early Tuesday so attendees could indulge in the resort's facilities or participate in the Second Annual ICI Golf Tournament. Early estimates held that at least 100 executives participated.

The event was capped off with three hours of fun, food and country music at the 161-year-old Knibbe Ranch, located in Texas Hill Country. While there, attendees enjoyed drinks, including a signature vodka and juice combination sponsored by Deloitte, barbacue'd brisket, and all the fixings including ice cream and apple pie. Attendees took party in horseshoe tosses, armadillo races and had their photos taken with a prize longhorn. As they ate and gazed up at the stars (which seemed brighter in a Texas sky), attendees were regaled by the soulful honky tonk of the Cody Jenkins band. 

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