Seeking your Supervisor's Support – Getting your Boss to Say Yes

We encourage you to review the materials in this section to gain a greater understanding of the conference and to help you communicate the value of attending the 2011 ASHE Annual Conference & Technical Exhibition when requesting travel approval from your supervisor.
The information in this site was developed to help you request funding for your attendance at the 2011 ASHE Annual Conference. With expert advice, preconference justification documents, and post-conference reporting templates, your supervisor will appreciate the investment made in your training and development and its contribution to your facility’s success.

Why should I attend the ASHE Annual Conference?

Benefits of the Engaged Employee

Preconference Justification Documents
Before you register for the conference, you will want to gain the support of your supervisor to invest professional development funds for your attendance. In addition to the registration fee, the cost of attendance includes travel costs and time-away-from-work costs, which can add up to a considerable expenditure and thus may require justification. We have developed several documents that you can use to support your request for funding approval and getting your boss to say yes/ 

ROI (Return on Investment)
How much would it cost for you not to attend the 2011 ASHE Annual Conference? Learn how to justify your professional development costs and how your organization can actually save money through your conference attendance.

Customizable Letter to a Manager
Customize this letter to provide your manager with a detailed explanation of the education you'll receive at the 2011 ASHE Annual Conference.

Post-Conference Reporting Documents
Plan today to attend the 48th ASHE Annual Conference, July 17–20, in Seattle. Attendance at the ASHE Annual Conference, like any other expenditure, requires clear proof that your facility will benefit from a return on investment. Learn how to ease the process of gaining approvals for your attendance at next year’s conference by reporting on what you learn this year in Seattle.

Conference Report
After the conference is over, it is time to lay the groundwork for attendance at future ASHE events. One technique that a number of attendees have successfully employed is the preparation of a conference report. Such a report summarizes information about the conference for people who did not attend. Examples of content that could be provided include:

• General conference information
• General session summaries
• Concurrent session summaries
• Networking event summaries
• Information about products gathered from conversations with vendors in the exhibit hall
• Ideas to be used upon your return from the conference

Many people work on this report when they are at the conference or during travel back home. This is when the information is freshest in your mind, so it makes the trip report much easier to write. Some attendees return home and put together a presentation, which they give to their teammates to summarize key information from the conference.

Sample Conference Report
Have you ever wondered how to begin to explain your conference experience in a post-conference report? A sample report template is included to help you with this process.