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calculate ROI for attendance

How to Justify Conference Attendance

by Mike Doyle

As a manager, how do you propose any allocation of resources in your organization? You need tounderstand two components to make decisions:

Epense !the "in#estment"$

Return on In#estment

%his article pro#ides some easy&to&use tools to help you calculate the in#estment and identify yourreturn'

Understanding Your Conference Expenses

(onference epenses are affected )y a num)er of factors' *efore you can e#en )egin to +ustifyconference epenses, you need to calculate what those epenses are' %o do so, use the followingExpenses Worksheetto de#elop a cost estimate for attending your selected conference'

Expenses Worksheet

Expense Guideline Cost

(onference Registration

-re . -ost&(onference (lassRegistration, if applica)le

usually optional

/aterials 0ees !if any$ )ooks? software? media?

0light try a 1e) tra#el ser#ice to get a2uick estimate

3odging conferences usually ha#e special

rates with hotel

%ransportation: Airport to 4otel if flying: tai? car rental?

%ransportation: 4otel to Airport if flying: tai? car rental?

/ileage Reim)ursement dri#ing to conference? %o theairport for your flight? 5se/ap2uest to calculate distances,

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then multiply miles )y 67'8cents9mile !IR standard for ;I%A, etc'$o -rocesses !structured writing, single&sourcing, etc'$

$endor contacts#1ill the conference showcase #endors with tools you use or are e#aluating for

potential future use? Is this an opportunity during which you"ll )e a)le to compare competingtools?

!est practices#1ill there )e training sessions in areas that will immediately )enefit your group?

%raining#1ill there )e workshops designed to teach attendees a special skill and9or help your

team o#ercome current or future challenges?

http://gsa.gov/portal/category/21287http://gsa.gov/portal/category/21287

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&uantifying the !enefits

Although you might understand the )enefits of the conference that interests you, your manager may not'%herefore, to )e most effecti#e in +ustifying the conference, you need to clearly articulate the connection)etween your organization"s knowledge re2uirements and the conference program' >O BO% assumethat your manager will )e a)le to automatically make those distinctions'

%o support this process, use the following%enefits Worksheetto help you focus on the )enefits' 5sewhate#er makes sense for your particular organization and conference, and omit the rest'

!enefits Worksheet

Your 'rgani(ation)s !enefits "pecific *eeds and the Conference "essions + %raining

that ,eet the *eed

Betworking *enefits %his conference will allow Cspecific team mem)ersD tonetwork with other professionals and #endors in the industry'

1e will )e a)le to take the pulse of what is happening fortools, technologies, and processes, and hear ideas we weren"te#en aware of'

%eam)uilding !if sending a )ig part ofyour group$

%his conference will help )uild our team, pro#iding a forumfor team mem)ers to discuss tools, technologies, and processesand how we might apply them in our company to impro#e ourinformation products, workflow, and processes'

(urrent %ools

0uture %ools Eploration

(urrent %echnologies

0uture %echnologies Eploration

(urrent -rocesses

0uture -rocesses Eploration

endors 1ith %ools . %echnologies YouAre Eploring

-t)s all in the "elling

After you ha#e identified the specific knowledge )enefits, you"#e pro#ided )oth the epenses and)enefits your manager needs to decide the #alue of your proposition'

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alespeople work the same way' %hey don"t let customers infer the #alue of what they are selling, theymake that leap for them'

Sell your conference proposition!

(opyright F ;