While attending an industry conference is an excellent training tool and a great return on investment, getting approval to participate can sometimes be difficult. How can you justify the time off work and travel expenses? You may need to validate to management your reasons for wanting to attend.
DRJ has compiled a kit that will help with those needs. We have included several helpful items, including a return on investment letter and a customized letter to management.
It is important that you let management know the valuable education you will receive at DRJ’s conference. Stress the classes, workshops and courses you will attend. A few ideas to include when compiling your request:
Create a trip report after the conference. This report should discuss the sessions you have attended and how you will apply those to current projects in your organization. Once your manager sees how much you have learned during the week and how it can be applied in your organization, they will be more likely to send you to a conference again.
Offer to share the information with co-workers. Bring home your conference materials to let co-workers share in the conference experience. If desired, you can create a slideshow or other presentation to report to others in your office. DRJ provides complete conference materials to our attendees. Include the benefits of having this material in your request. For a list of conference materials attendees receive, click here.
If you’ve attended the conference in the past, make note of changes you have implemented in your organization based on information you learned at the conference. Be sure to include mention of specific sessions that were instrumental in the changes. If possible, list any cost savings that resulted from the change.
Calculate the cost of meeting with a consultant. At Spring World 2012, you will have direct access to dozens of industry consultants. Information sharing, question-and-answer sessions and networking are a vital part of the conference experience. The solutions you can find at the conference can save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars in consulting fees.
The exhibition hall runs concurrently with Spring World 2012. Attendees have ample time to explore the hall, see product demonstrations and talk with vendors about their services. It’s the perfect time to investigate products your company may need, without the expense of doing independent research and traveling to the vendor’s site.
Interact with peers who share the same goals in the industry. These networking contacts can be invaluable once you return to work. The contacts you make at the conference can provide input far into the future on a variety of work-related topics.
Provide an accurate estimate of expenses you will occur. Be sure to include all travel costs, dining and lodging expenses, and cost of materials. DRJ is many money saving features for Spring World 2012.
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