45 th Annual NABA National Convention & Expo. Attendance Justification Toolkit. Accelerate Your Growth and Advancement

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1 45 th Annual NABA National Convention & Expo Accelerate Your Growth and Advancement June 22 24, 2016 Hollywood, Florida

2 2016 NABA National Convention & Expo You already know that at the 2016 NABA National Convention and Expo you will get first-hand access to the latest trends in the field and best practices that will increase your knowledge, transform your career and maximize your contribution at work. There are numerous opportunities to network with other professionals in the accounting, finance and business operations professions that can help you identify opportunities and successfully overcome challenges you are facing in your journey to advance and succeed in the workplace. But how do you share the value of this event with your supervisor in order to help justify your attendance? This toolkit includes: General Tips Reasons Why Your Employer Should Send You to the 2016 NABA National Convention and Expo How to Justify Conference Attendance Sample Expense Worksheet Articulating the Benefits Sample Justification Letter

3 General Tips Things to consider that will help justify your travel and meeting expense: Check out the registration page and make sure you know the date of the next price increase and what the different package choices are. Be ready to present the exact amount. Focus on specific benefits/value that you will bring back to your office as a return on investment. Share your experience. Propose to deliver a short presentation to your colleagues to share what you learned and offer possible applications and recommendations relevant to your office. Share relevant meeting materials with colleagues that will benefit from the handouts and other learning materials from the meeting. Prepare a plan that will show your supervisor who will cover for you and how your workload will be handled while you are attending the meeting. If you need CPE credits, remind your supervisor that the NABA National Convention & Expo is a great opportunity to earn up to at least 18 CPEs at a very reasonable cost compared to other conferences.

4 Reasons why your employer should send you to the 2016 NABA National Convention & Expo The NABA National Convention & Expo brings together nearly 2,000 participants from across the country, from multiple disciplines in the industry. You wouldn t want to miss this gathering of accounting, finance and business professionals and the opportunity to learn best practices from your peers and industry leaders. The 2016 education tracks have something for everyone and offer a wide range of sessions to reach professionals in every segment of the field accounting, finance, audit, information technology, human resources, consulting and other business professionals. Educational tracks are available to help identify content targeted to your area of specialty and interest. Extensive learning opportunities with over 50 educational sessions to choose from and opportunity to earn at least 18 hours of CPE credits. The convention will showcase cutting edge and timely topics impacting accounting and finance professionals in the marketplace and workplace, as well as provide opportunities to connect with subject matter experts for the exchange of ideas. Hear the latest trends from the top corporate industry leaders, agencies and key organizations such as the "Big 4", AICPA, FDIC, State Street, Cargill, Crowe Horwath, The Boeing Company and many more!

5 Attendees will experience diverse learning formats including skills-based interactive educational delivery designed to maximize the learning experience. Face-to-face networking opportunities. Accounting, Finance and other business professionals from diverse disciplines and practices gather to share their knowledge and experience, allowing you to meet people that you can rely on for support and information. Professional relationships motivate and enhance your impact to your own organization, and the 2016 NABA National Convention & Expo will provide you with invaluable opportunities to make connections. Your commitment to volunteer at the Convention to support this nonprofit s mission is an important part of your civic duty. Social responsibility is a characteristic your company values and makes you a greater asset to the team. Supporting your attendance at the NABA National Convention & Expo demonstrates the authenticity of your employer s commitment to helping their diverse workforce feel valued, supported and ultimately retained. Be part of your NABA Chapter s presence at convention The NABA Network. Chapters offer a unique opportunity for members to connect with accounting, finance and business professionals in their local areas, sharpen their skills with CPE programs and hone their leadership abilities through involvement in their local chapters and their presence at the national convention.

6 How to Justify Conference Attendance Expense or investment Return on Investment ( how much benefit/profit will your organization gain relative to the expense it will incur, if your organization sends you to the convention? ) +Benefits of Attending - Cost to Employer = Return on Investment Professional development Understand Your Conference Expenses Complete an Expense Worksheet to develop a cost estimate for attending the 2016 NABA National Convention & Expo. See sample expense worksheet.

7 Sample Expense Worksheet Expense Notes Cost Registration Fee (include any additional fees associated with courses or events you wish to attend like the LDI sessions) Airfare and Baggage Fees Registration Fee includes CPE sessions 2. 4 events that provide free food 3. 2 free 1-hour online CPEs courses* 4. More than 8 hours of networking with accomplished professionals in your given field There are several airlines that fly into Fort Lauderdale and Miami. Baggage Fees Lodging Number of nights x $209 / night room rate x 11% $ state/local taxes Transportation Fees Taxi/Car Rental/Airport Shuttle. $ $ (member rate if purchased before 3/31/16) $ Mileage/Parking reimbursement Driving to conference or to the airport for your flight? Other modes of transportation? Food Per Diem Refer to your company s policy on food per diem. $ Tell your employer that you may not need to use all of the per diem allocated since there will be 4 events where food is provided. Misc. reimbursable expenses Tips, internet fees, etc. $ SUBTOTAL $ Multiply total number of staff attending from your company TOTAL $ * Only available with the full-price member and non-member convention packages. Reduced-fee packages excluded. $

8 Prepare Your Elevator Speech Whether it comes up before or after you ve submitted your formal request to attend, you can be certain that an opportunity a 60 second opportunity will arise for you to confidently and succinctly convey the importance of attending the 2016 NABA National Convention & Expo. Every company and boss are different so make sure you know which things are going to be most persuasive with your boss, in your environment, and have those bullets committed to memory, if not well rehearsed. Some examples may be: Professional development Over 50 top rated technical and development sessions to choose from to earn at least 18 CPEs 4 days, concentrated to sharpen technical skills, develop leadership expertise and build knowledge of other practices and innovations to consider Networking opportunities to form meaningful connections for professional support Sharing gained knowledge with others in the workplace upon return

9 NABA, INC. Sample Justification Letter Here is a sample Justification Letter you can use as a template to help explain the benefits you will get (and be able to share) by attending the 2016 NABA National Convention & Expo: Date Dear (Supervisor s Name), I would like to request approval to attend the 45 th annual National Association of Black Accountants (NABA) National Convention & Expo, June 22-24, 2016 in Hollywood, Florida. The conference offers four days of training from experienced industry practitioners, includes the organization s annual business meeting and provides the opportunity to connect with like-professionals from across the country. NOTE: Pre-convention activities begin on June 21 and post-convention activities take place on June 25. The NABA National Convention and Expo is widely regarded as the leading forum for African-American accounting, finance and business professionals and I believe it will further sharpen my technical skills, develop my leadership expertise and build my knowledge of other company s innovations and best practices that could be of benefit to [company name]. After reviewing the program materials in detail, I have identified and attached a listing of sessions that I feel are most relevant and would provide the most value to my professional growth, as well as give me practical tools to bring back to the team. Your support of my attendance to this conference would include the registration fees, transportation costs, room and board and other travel expenses. A detailed cost breakdown is attached. I anticipate the total expense to be approximately $. I appreciate [your company name] commitment to developing and supporting a diverse workforce which I am proud to be a part of. Your support of my attendance at the NABA National Convention and Expo acknowledges the value [company name] places on supporting and cultivating that diversity and professional development in both traditional and non-traditional ways. Thank you for considering the support of my attendance at the 2016 NABA National Convention & Expo. Sincerely,

10 Convention Quick Links ABOUT THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BLACK ACCOUNTANTS ABOUT THE 2016 NABA NATIONAL CONVENTION & EXPO THE SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE CPE TECHNICAL AND DEVELOPMENT SESSIONS LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE TRACKS REGISTRATION LINK HOUSING / HOTEL RESERVATION LINK