Thursday, January 5, 2012

Conference: Justification Kit - How To Justify Attending A Conference

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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Wednesday, January 4, 2012

FEMA National Training & Exercise Conference

Department of Homeland Security Seal - Emergency Management Institute LogoCourse:      E237 - 2012 National Training and Exercise Conference Location:
After further consideration, FEMA has decided to once again conduct the conference at the National Emergency Training Center (NETC), EMI in Emmitsburg, Maryland.
To Apply:
Complete a FEMA Form 119-25-1, General Admissions Application with student signature and supervisor or sponsoring agency official and submit through the State Emergency Management Training Office via fax to the NETC Admissions Office at (301) 447-1658.
Tribal representatives can submit directly to NETC Admissions Office.
To obtain a Form 119-25-1 and for further information, please refer to the EMI web site at: http://training.fema.gov/apply. All applications must be received in the NETC Admissions Office no later than March 12, 2012. Alternates or substitutions for this course require notification to the RTMs and the Admissions Office at NETC. Additional Information:
More information will be provided after the conference planning team develops a draft agenda later this year.
For more information, contact the EMI course manager, Dan Lubman at (301) 447-1364, or by email daniel.lubman@fema.dhs.gov .
Date: April 17-19, 2012 Course Description:
This conference is designed to provide a review of current and proposed training and exercise programs within the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) that are applicable to our State, local, territorial and tribal partners. It will provide examples of best practices and case studies in training and exercises from the Federal, State, local, territorial and tribal level.
Conference Length:
3 full days. Travel days are Monday and Friday. Emergency Management Institute (EMI) is considering potential pre-conference meetings and Train-the-Trainer sessions for specific audiences. More information will be available at a later date.
Target Audience: State Emergency Management Training and Exercise Training Officers (STOs/ETOs)

• Tribal Emergency Managers
• FEMA Regional Training Managers and Regional Exercise Officers (RTMs/REOs)
• Federal Preparedness Coordinators (FPC)
• Other FEMA training staff
• FEMA Regional National Incident Management System (NIMS) contacts
• State Administrative Agency (SAA) Training and Exercise contacts

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