2020 Emerging Leaders Conference Justification Toolkit You’re interested in attending ISCPA’s 2020 virtual Emerging Leaders Conference on July 30. You know  you’ll benefit from identifying your leadership strengths and participating in sessions to develop the skills you need to excel in the profession and in your role. And, you’ll walk away with best practices that will  help you meet the challenges and opportunities facing you and your firm or company. 

But how do you convey the value of the conference to your supervisor to secure funds for your attendance? Below are some easy to use tools and tips that may help you identify your professional and  financial return on investment. 

General tips: 

• Plan early! Register soon to secure your spot.• Send a letter or email to your supervisor explaining all of the benefits you'll get from attending

(see sample letter on page 2).• Remind your supervisor that this is a great way to earn 7 CPE credit hours and is less expensive

than registering for separate conferences.

• As an attendee, you have unlimited access to conference materials and handouts. Offer to share them with your colleagues.

• Be ready with a plan that identifies who will handle your responsibilities while you are attending the conference.

Understanding the benefits: Many benefits from conference attendance are hard to quantify. For example, experts agree that the top benefit of conference attendance is talking with like‐minded professionals facing the same issues as  your firm or company. You will able to chat and message the speakers and attendees with ideas, questions and anything else you might want to learn more about. This is a great way for you to connect with industry peers and grow your professional network. When you propose this conference for approval, focus on what you will specifically bring back to your firm or company as payback for the investment. Focus on specific details like session content, techniques, processes and best practices that you will gain by attending.

Letter to supervisor: Below, you'll find a template for your supervisor explaining all of the benefits you'll get from attending the conference. This general template will get you started while allowing you to customize it to you and your organization's particular needs. 

Dear <supervisor's name>, 

I would like to attend the 2020 virtual Emerging Leaders Conference on July 30 through the Iowa Society of CPAs (ISCPA). The conference will enable me to attend a number of sessions that are  directly applicable to my work and to converse with a variety of accounting professionals. 

After reviewing the conference brochure, I have identified specific sessions which will allow me to gain knowledge and understanding about <insert topics here>. The presentations are  facilitated by local and national experts who have faced similar challenges. I chose this  conference because it directly relates to an issue we are dealing with or a topic that will benefit our firm or company. 

Many of the sessions are tailored to the <insert your primary function here> and give  information on how to <insert benefits/lessons here>. This year's conference is virtual, so the only expense will be the registration fee of <insert your registration fee here>.

The opportunity for me to make connections and gain knowledge in specific areas of <your area of expertise> makes my attendance at the 2020 Emerging Leaders Conference a wise  investment, which will yield rich dividends for <name of your organization>. 

Sincerely, 

<your name here>