It’s the ultimate marketplace for all things giant screen and you know it. The challenge is getting your boss to recognize that and approve your request. Here’s how you can put together the business case for attending the show:
1. Identify and write down three to five of the most important strategies or issues being addressed in your organization right now.
2. Consider seriously how you personally contribute to those strategies. Think about how your work is aligned with the larger organization’s strategy or mission. Make a list of these personal contributions to the strategy.
3. Take a look at the proposed schedule and agenda and mark the sessions that you want to attend that relate to your list of personal contributions to strategy and also make a note of the speakers or others that you would like to meet. (Check out The Big Frame 2009 Member Directory for a list of GSCA members.)
4. Finally, write a short business case for how attending these sessions and meeting these people will help you contribute to the organization’s strategy. Use this business case to make your request for attending the meeting.
To ensure that you get to attend next year also prepare for the meeting—you’ll need to demonstrate that you’ve received the benefits that you promised the person who is paying your way or giving you the time to attend:
1. Make a list of the people you’d like to meet. If you are a first-timer, sign up for the Giant Screen Industry Overview and the Mentor program. Don’t be shy about approaching the presenters and others, as they are more accessible than you might think.
2. A few weeks before the conference contact the people on your list and make specific plans to meet them. It can be very hectic at the conference and you are more likely to get an appointment prior to the conference.
3. One week before the conference make a personal agenda for yourself that includes the people you are meeting as well as the sessions you will be attending. Give your contacts your cell phone number in case of last minute changes.
4. At the conference, stick to your agenda as much as possible and take notes. There is so much going on at the show you are likely to remember best if you take notes. Leave some white space on your calendar though in case you run into “new” people that you’d like to spend time with.
5. Most importantly, bring a lot of business cards. Even with electronic media all the rage, nothing sticks like a business card.
After the meeting you need to wrap up your experiences:
1. Immediately write or dictate a concise summary of what happened at the conference and how you will use the information and contacts to further the original strategies that got you to the conference in the first place. (Plane time is great for this while the information is fresh and you are still energized.)
2. Submit this summary to the person who sponsored your attendance, thanking them for the opportunity. The purpose of this summary is to make your next conference request even easier than the first. Once your executive understands that you mean business when you attend a conference, they’ll be more likely to approve your participation.
3. Share your knowledge with others in the organization if it is appropriate and consider re-purposing your summary for a blog post that could be useful to others.
Choosing not to go to attend an important event like the GSCA Conference in a time of increased uncertainty is not a only a bad idea, but also could be an idea that strikes at the very heart of an organization's ability to adapt and thrive. (Don’t hide your head in the sand!) Make the effort—attend the show! Registration details can be found here: Conference Registration