Justify Connections 2013 Now!

Connections 2013 SHSMD Annual Conference
September 29 - October 2
Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers
Chicago, Illinois

Start the Justification for Connections 2013 Now!
As you all know it is difficult to convince management in any company to approve the budget required to allow more of us to attend conferences and skill enhancement opportunities, like the SHSMD Annual Conference. Just like any other expenditure, it requires clear proof that the company will benefit from an outstanding return on investment when we attend these conferences.

So, in preparation for future conferences, we need to begin gathering the raw data to formulate this cost justification and hopefully ease the process to gain the necessary funding and approvals.

To facilitate gathering this information, we provided the SHSMD CONFERENCE REPORT TEMPLATE to be used as a guide for your future conference justification. This report provides a sample description of what the SHSMD conference is and why we attended. It provides a page that allows you to write your individual goals of what you intend to come away with from the conference. More important, it provides a template for you to capture information you have gained from each session or networking opportunity that you attended. The session template includes headings for the following information:

Session Title:
Session Presenter:
Session Summary: {in your own words-brief}
My major takeaways:
Action Items Identified:
Estimated ROI:

As you attend each session, take good notes and think about how you can apply the concepts, techniques and tips from the session to your organization. And, if possible, estimate the return on investment that you believe will be achieve by applying this new skill or technique to your situation.