Tips and Templates to Get Your Trip Approved

Read below for tips on getting elected officials and citizen support for attending the 2019 ICMA Annual Conference and access our tools to showcase the cost/benefits of attending the conference.

• Offer to prepare and deliver a short presentation to your elected officials and staff about what you learned and take time for Q&A so that others in your community can reap the benefits of your attendance.
• Offer to share an executive summary and speaker handouts with your colleagues. As an attendee, you will have access to speaker presentations and handouts on the conference website.
• Focus on their return for the investment; explain what you plan to get out of attending and how that will benefit your work, organization, citizens, and community.
• If you are working to obtain or maintain a professional designation (such as the AICP credential for planners), remind your elected officials that the conference is a great way to earn required education hours.
• Be ready with a plan that shows who will cover for you while you are attending the conference.

Need More Help to Convince Your Boss or Elected Officials?

Download our Justify Your Trip letter. Print it, email it, talk them through it in person, it’s up to you.