If you need to get approval from your manager or training department to attend one of our events, then the following tips have been put together to help you put your business case forward.

Focus on the benefits to your organisation, not on how much you want to go. Are there specific sessions that have particular relevance to your role or your department? Can you take back any of the following?:

• Tools and techniques to improve your skill set
• Processes or best practices to increase productivity and efficiency
• Information on changing requirements, policies or commercial opportunities
  
• Teambuilding and development - to encourage staff wellbeing and retention
• The event vs consultancy fees: how much would similar insight cost if you were to pay a consultant for a day? Would it be as wide ranging as a conference?

Focus on the unique audience that your chosen event will attract. With both our face-to-face and online forums featuring structed networking time, where else will you be able to mix with an audience of like-minded individuals with similar information requirements? Highlight the networking benefits in your attendance request in that you will be able to:

• Discuss problems and challenges that you are facing with your peers
• Talk as an equal with Clinical, Service and Nurse Leads
• Reach out across the country; the value of knowledge from outside your immediate circle must not be underestimated
• Develop your contacts, catch-up with existing relationships and build your network

Don’t forget to show your approving manager how much you have saved:

• Book with a colleague or your team. Find people to attend with from your Trust or across your patient pathway and achieve real savings.

And for face-to-face conferences, you can check out cheaper accommodation. Each event has a special deal with the local hotel. Alternatively Premier Inn offer good prices for those willing to book in advance. In addition the cost of train travel can be reduced substantially if you book on-line at least 4 weeks in advance of your planned travel.

• Deliver a short presentation with a question and answer session after the event to share your findings with your colleagues. Brief and train your colleagues and they will benefit from your attendance too.
• Share the speaker presentations with your colleagues, you will have access to these in PDF format after the conference.
• Use at least one thing you have learned at the conference to benefit your organisation; be it a new contact or cost saving as a result of an improvement in your processes.