Getting
Company
buy-in
04.11.24
So you’re looking forward to attending Manchester Tech Festival but not sure how to ask your boss for the time off – or even if they can fund it?
Don’t worry we’ve got your back with our helpful guide to asking your boss to send you to Manchester Tech Festival – who knows they may even send the whole team!
What to ask
Manchester Tech Festival is jam-packed with engaging tech talks, interactive workshops and prime networking opportunities. Whilst you’re there you can forge new connections, learn ways to spice up your productivity and even drive your business growth forward!
So how do we convince your boss? That’s easy – you simply need to communicate three things:
- What are the details of the festival? How many days would you like to attend? What is the ticket price and are there any travel and accommodation costs you need to cover?
- What are your reasons for attending? – Why is Manchester Tech Festival relevant to you, your role and most importantly how will it benefit the business you work for?
- How will you share your learnings? Many employers are willing to pay for learning development if you are willing to share you learnings with the team. Think about it – the more people they can educate with a single ticket the better!
How to Ask
Now you have an idea of what you need to say to your boss it’s time to send that email or have that talk! We have put together an email template that you can use and amend according to your planned festival experience. We’ve also put together a quick PDF overview of the festival that you can attach to the email to give your boss a flavour of what the festival is about!
Dear [my boss]
I would like to attend Manchester Tech Festival this year and wondered if you would consider covering the cost of the ticket? I have included a business case below, and would be more than happy to answer any more questions you may have.
Festival Overview
Manchester Tech Festival is two weeks of engaging tech events, full of inspiring tech talks, interactive workshops and prime networking opportunities. The conference is split into multiple tracks and I would like to attend the below days:
Core Conference Day 1 – 24th September
Core Conference Day 2 – 25th September
Cyber Security – 26th September
Retail Day – 29th September
Women in Tech – 30th September
AI Conference – 1st October
Leadership Day – 2nd October
Software Development – 3rd October
Cost Breakdown
The total ticket price would be: [Insert Ticket price] and includes:
- Access to the MTF event app two months before the conference to conect with attendees, speakers and sponsors.
- A choice of 8 expert talks, interactive workshops and more each day so your team can build a schedule aligned to their objectives
- Access to the evening social to connect with attendees and speakers – one of the best ways to expand your teams network
- Extended app access for 6 months after the conference to revisit talk recordings and materials – perfect for embedding knowledge into your workflows.
Benefits of attending & sharing my experience
I believe that the knowledge I gather during the festival will positively impact the rest of our team and the company as a whole. As a result, I am fully committed to sharing the insights I gain upon my return by:
- Write a blog post on the talks and workshops I attend, providing the key takeaways and insights I gained
- Host a lunch and learn session to present the key points that would be relevant to our team and how we could implement them into the company
- Write a piece for the internal newsletter detailing the things I learned
- Produce a vlog during my experience capturing the experiences I attend
- Engage with our company and Manchester Tech Festival on social media to raise awareness of our brand
I really look forward to the opportunity to attend Manchester Tech Festival and hope you are able to support my attendance. I will ensure I keep on top of communication with stakeholders at one of the breakout zones provided at the festival.
I have attached a PDF that gives an overview of the festival, but if you should need anymore information you can visit www.manchestertechfestival.co.uk or let me know if there is anything I can answer.
Thanks in advance
[your name]