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Attendance Justification Toolkit
This toolkit provides guidance on creating a business case to justify attending a conference or training event to one's manager. It outlines key reasons for attending such as learning, networking, and motivation. The business case should emphasize return on investment for the employer by detailing specific sessions of interest, knowledge sharing plans, and costs. Sharing outcomes with colleagues through presentations, reports, blogs, newsletters, or social media ensures the wider organization benefits from the attendee's experience.
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Attendance Justification Toolkit
- 1. TOOLKIT U s et h i s t o o l k i t t o c r e a t e a b u s i n e s s c a s e f o r w h y y o u s h o u l d a t t e n d a c o n f e r e n c e o r t r a i n i n g e v e n t E V E N T J U S T I F I C A T I O N
- 2. Professional conferences andevents are a great way to develop your career. However there are many events to attend and a limited budget. This toolkit will help to guide you through the process of justifying your attendance at an event to a line manager using a business case approach.
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- 4. W H YA T T E N D C O N F E R E N C E S ? LEARN Attendance takes you out of your comfort zone and enable you to learn about topics in a different way Events give you an insight into what's on offer on the horizon in terms of trends and technology in information You can meet new people who share common interests or work in the same area as you PLAN FOR THE FUTURE NETWORKING
- 5. W H YA T T E N D C O N F E R E N C E S ? MOTIVATION Attendance can help to renew your professional enthusiasm and discover new areas to explore You will have a chance to meet representatives from companies and see demonstrations of products which might be useful to you It's a chance to explore different areas of the information profession. You don't know what you're missing otherwise! EXHIBITIONS TRY SOMETHING NEW
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- 7. LET SOMEONE ELSE DOTHE HARD WORK Does the webpage of the conference give you any hints on how to justify your attendance?
- 8. BE SOCIAL! Scan socialmedia for information on events. This can help to identify relevant events months in advance which could lead to big savings!
- 9. DO YOUR RESEARCH Make sureyou're choosing the right event for the right reasons. Research the event and why it would be a good fit. Chances to attend events are limited so make the most of the ones you get to go to
- 10. WHAT IF THE ANSWERIS NO? If you're unsuccessful don't worry! Are there other ways you could 'attend' the event e.g. remotely via Twitter or live streaming?
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- 12. Think about yourrequest for attendance as a business case - what will your employer get out of investing the time and money to send you? Focus on the Return on Investment (ROI) that your employer will get from sending you. Balance the investment they're making with the benefits you will bring back
- 13. W H AT T O C O V E R I N Y O U R B U S I N E S S C A S E BENEFITS What knowledge will you bring back to your team? Be specific rather than vague. Also think about the benefits to you personally, both now and in the future Do any of the sessions address a specific problem in your department? Highlight these in your application so that your employer can see the relevance of your event Don't forget about networking opportunities at the event. Which new connections can you make? Who will you be able to talk to that you wouldn't meet normally?. SPECIFIC SESSIONS NETWORKING
- 14. W H AT T O C O V E R I N Y O U R B U S I N E S S C A S E COVER What will happen to your work whilst your away? Outlining how your work will be managed in your absence will reassure your line manager that things will still get done How much will the event cost? Calculate the cost of early bird booking to show your employer the potential savings of an quick decision What information will you bring back from the conference and how will you share it with colleagues? COSTS SHARING
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- 16. IT'S NOT ALL ABOUT YOU! Althoughattending events is great for you personally, think about how you will share the outcomes of your attendance with your department and the wider library world
- 17. S H AR I N G O U T C O M E S GIVE A SHORT SUMMARY AT A DEPT MEETING This doesn't have to be as scary as it sounds. A five minute summary of the main issues raised at the event is fine and you might find you can go on for a lot longer This sounds really formal but it's just a matter of outlining the main topics discussed and the potential relevance to your library. When it comes to reports short and sweet is better than long and complex Blog about the event before, during and after so that people can keep up with events as they happen. It's a great way to get the information out there quickly PRODUCE A WRITTEN REPORT WRITE A BLOG POST
- 18. S H AR I N G O U T C O M E S PUT SOMETHING TOGETHER FOR A NEWSLETTER Is there an in-house newsletter you could contribute to? This can just be a short couple of paragraphs to inform others of what went on Real-time updates on social media are great for those who can't attend an event. Whether you tweet, share videos or take photographs nothing has as much of an instant impact If you want to make things more formal then why not try putting something together for a magazine or journal. This will look great on a CV in the future! SHARE THE EVENT LIVE ON SOCIAL MEDIA WRITE FOR THE PROFESSIONAL PRESS
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- 20. ALL EVENTS WILL DIFFERIN THEIR COST BUT SOME OF THE COMMON COSTS TO INCLUDE IN YOUR CALCULATIONS ARE: Event registration Travel Accommodation Miscellaneous expenses (food etc.)
- 21. FINALLY, REMEMBER IF YOU DON'T ASK,YOU WON'T GO!
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