How to Get Your Boss to Approve Your Tech Conference Attendance

• Attending a technological conference can help you and your company. However, your manager may not be as enthusiastic enough to send you to the event.
• Thoughtful planning and solid supporting arguments can increase your chances of a positive response from your manager.

Each year, we see dozens of in-person, hybrid, and virtual technology conferences happening nationwide. While many don’t add value to your organization or yourself, some are educational and provide excellent opportunities to build valuable relationships and develop yourself professionally. However, your superiors may not be very enthusiastic about the conference or prefer to let you attend it for various reasons, such as the costs associated with the trip. So, how do you convince them to send you to a tech conference? Here are a few tips that can help you inspire them.

1. Do Thorough Research About the Conference

Before approaching your manager with a request to attend the conference, thoroughly research the event. Understand what value it brings to the organization. List the benefits for your organization through your participation, such as gaining new skills, connections, and knowledge about a particular product, platform, or trend. Understand the conference’s agenda, speakers, and type of attendees. Learn about its history and reputation.

Further, wherever costs are involved, your organization will look for returns on the investment. Hence, learn about the costs associated with the conference. It may also help to determine if there are cheaper alternatives.

A few examples of conferences that you may not be able to convince your boss about are usually:

• Events where costs significantly outweigh the benefits to the organization
• Events that don’t align with your current or future work responsibilities
• Events that would leave your company short-staffed during busy periods

See more: Top Tech Conferences in July 2024

2. Make a List of Sessions and Workshops You Would Like To Attend

This is an extended part of your event research. Once you have shortlisted the events you would like to attend, make a brief list of sessions and workshops you would like to participate in and a short justification. This helps align your personal goals with your organizational goals. Your manager can look at it and understand how it can help the organization and possibly the team. It also helps plan your day so you don’t run around trying to bite off more than you can chew.

3. Prepare Your Arguments

Now that you have thoroughly researched the event and created a list of sessions to attend, prepare solid arguments to support your request. Think about how you will present your arguments to your superior. Remember that unless your superior is the CEO or the founder, they, too, have a boss above them whom they need to convince. Hence, you need to frame your request and arguments in a way that convinces both your manager and their superior. Otherwise, your pitch will be a non-starter.

Here are a few tips to create a proposal letter for your manager:

• Make it short and snappy. Try to keep it within a page. Anything more may weaken your argument.
• Avoid entirely depending on a chatbot or generative AI tool to write the complete proposal, as you know more about the event than your AI tool. Hence, even if you are using an AI tool, make sure you edit the proposal before sending it to your manager.
• Explain the conference, even if the details are available on the event website. Highlight the key points, and try to keep it within a paragraph.
• Mention the top three to four benefits of attending the event and session.
• Mention the cost of the event. Further, mention any savings you have managed to make.
• Highlight the benefits to the organization, and use big numbers if possible. Remember that organizations prefer a bigger ROI than expenses.
• If aware, mention which of your competitors are attending the event.
• Mention the post-event benefits. Organizations may prefer to see benefits that last long after the event.
• Finish it with a call to action and a sense of urgency.

What To Do If You Are Unsuccessful

Despite your best efforts, it is not given that your manager may approve your request to attend the tech event for various reasons. In such a situation, here are a few things you can do:

1. See if you can cut the costs further

If cost is your manager’s primary concern, see if you can cut costs. You can ask the event organizers if you could get a discount. A few conferences offer discounts and passes for small businesses or certain types of organizations. If you are a customer of the event host, you may even be eligible for a customer discount. It is a good idea to reach out to your account representative instead of a general event support staff, as they are usually afforded more discretion when giving discounts. Besides discounts, you may even consider lowering the budget of your stay.

See more: Dell Really Meant It When They Called Dell Tech World 2024 the AI Edition

2. See if you can get a digital pass

After the COVID-19 pandemic, many events went online or became hybrid. As such, you may be able to attend the event online and get a digital pass, as it is cheaper. In-person attendance undoubtedly has its advantages. However, a digital pass may allow you and your team to access recorded conference content during and after the event. If you believe the pass is affordable, you may even consider purchasing it yourself. Think about it as an investment in your personal development and career growth. You may even be able to claim a reimbursement or get a tax break, depending on your company or country.

3. Look for conference materials online

While this is a lackluster outcome, you may still be able to access some conference material online, as certain major ones tend to publish their keynotes online for the public. You may also look for content from the event, as well as coverage and analysis of the event by industry watchers and experts.

Conclusion

Technology conferences are a great way to build your knowledge and professional network. Attending the right conferences and sessions can also significantly contribute to your organization’s technological edge and revenues. That said, convincing your superiors to send you to attend a tech conference needs careful planning and solid arguments. Demonstrating that your participation in the conference will add significant value to your company will increase your chances of a positive response from your manager.

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