Justification Toolkit

Thank you for your interest in attending the 2024 AIChE Annual Meeting!

Providing a justification to management is a key part of securing your attendance at the Meeting. We have put together a few resources to aid in your business justification and make sure that you are maximizing your time and money.

FAST TRACK YOUR CAREER DEVELOPMENT

Use the AIChE Annual Meeting as a unique training and career development opportunity. At the Annual Meeting, you can learn about the latest technological advances, meet with exhibitors, gather industry contacts, and network with people across a wide range of disciplines. In just one week you can expand your knowledge and network to become a better employee and a better engineer.

QUANTIFYING THE BENEFITS

It's important to show your supervisor why your attendance will benefit not just you, but your entire team. Here are a few considerations to make sure that you are capturing all of the benefits that the Annual Meeting has to offer.

• Focus specifically on bringing back key take-aways for your organization. What new skills, techniques, or approaches will you bring back?
• Offer to deliver a short presentation or written report for your colleagues to share what you've learned and multiply the benefits of attendance.
• Identify specific session content. What sessions have particular relevance to your organization’s work? Focus on what content you can use in your work, and how you plan to use it.
• Seek out sessions and opportunities geared toward leadership skills development. Building these skills will offer long-term benefits for you and your organization. 
• Be strategic about networking. Will there be speakers, exhibitors, or potential partners in attendance who can help advance your organization’s goals?

PRESENT A JUSTIFICATION LETTER TO YOUR SUPERVISOR

To help explain to your supervisor the benefits of attending the Annual Meeting, you can use this sample letter (.doc) to demonstrate how your attendance can bring value back to your team and boost efforts to accomplish your organiziation's goals. Are you presenting your work or serving as a session chair or in another leadership capacity at the Meeting? If so, make sure to highlight this important contribution to your supervisor.

CALCULATE PROJECTED EXPENSES

Before you can justify the expenses of attending, you'll need to calculate what they may be. Use this expense template (pdf) to help estimate the cost of attending the Meeting.

Follow these tips to help you maximize your time and money:

• Register early to access the lowest conference rates. Plus, if you're an AIChE member you can take adavantage of discounted rates.
• Book your hotel room at one of the official conference hotels to take advantage of our negotiated rates and save money on transportation to/from the conference venues.
• Make a checklist of the technical sessions that you want to attend or exhibitors you want to meet. The app is a great resource to help organize your time!