TechWave 2011 Justification Toolkit: ROI Calculator

You should be prepared to justify the cost of your attendance in the event the question "Why should we spend this money for you to attend this particular conference?" arises. Maybe one of the people you meet at the conference goes on to become an important customer of yours, bringing in millions of dollars in revenue. But you can't predict that in advance. But for the purposes of financial justification, a simple cost comparison showing savings and value-add can go a long way. You may not have been planning to attend a training course, but isn't it good to know that attending TechWave is a more cost-effective educational opportunity?

Here's a very basic example of calculated ROI for attending TechWave 2011 vs. a training course:

Average Costs of Product Training
Assumption is based on average daily hotel rate of $199 + tax, airfare of $700, and $100 per diem for food.

Cost to attend TechWave 2011
Assumption is based on discounted hotel rate of $169 + tax, airfare of $700, and $100 for 2 dinners (most meals are provided by the conference).

Total estimated costs savings = $3005

You can work out a fuller line-item budget if needed, including items like transportation to/from the airport, any transportation needs onsite at the conference, any materials you do (or would) need to purchase, costs to attend the optional 2-day preconference courses, additional food & beverage, etc.

It's important to note that there are a number of other valuable benefits from attendance that are harder to quantify. Take a look at the Justification Tips for some examples that you can include in your proposal to attend the conference.