Convince your boss kit
Make the case around the work.
Start with a decision your team needs to make. Use the email and worksheet below to explain what you want to investigate at the summit, what attendance will cost and what you will bring back.
Approval email template
Subject: Approval request: Augmented Enterprise Summit 2027
Hi {manager name}, I'd like approval to attend the Augmented Enterprise Summit on October 26–27, 2027, in Texas. Our team is working on {initiative or business problem}. I want to use the summit to investigate {specific technology decision, deployment challenge or evaluation question}. My priorities would be to: - Compare approaches to {use case}, including implementation requirements and limitations. - Ask practitioners how they have handled {integration, adoption, security, training or governance issue}. - Evaluate relevant solutions against our requirements rather than starting with a product shortlist alone. The estimated cash cost is {total}, covering {pass, travel, accommodation and other expenses}. I would be away from my usual work for {event and travel time}; {coverage plan} would cover time-sensitive responsibilities. Within {timeframe} after the summit, I will share a short briefing with the team: what I learned, options worth investigating, unresolved risks and a recommended next step for {initiative}. I'll distinguish evidence from vendor claims and avoid making purchase commitments without our normal review. I've included the cost/value worksheet below. May I have approval to attend within a budget of {amount}? Thanks, {name}
Cost/value worksheet
The work this should support
- Initiative or decision: __________
- Current stage: exploring / evaluating / piloting / scaling
- Decision owner: __________
- Decision deadline: __________
- Questions to investigate at the summit: __________
- Evidence we need before taking the next step: __________
Estimated cash budget, in US dollars
- Pass type and number of people: __________
- Pass subtotal: $__________
- Eligible group discount: minus $__________
- Net pass cost: $__________
- Airfare or other intercity travel: $__________
- Hotel: _____ nights x $_____ = $__________
- Ground transport and parking: $__________
- Meals not included in the selected pass: $__________
- Other approved expenses or contingency: $__________
- Total cash request: $__________
Calculation: net pass cost = pass subtotal minus the applicable discount. Total cash request = net pass cost plus the listed travel and other expenses. Do not add the pass subtotal again.
Group example: Three End User two-day passes at the approved 2027 price of $1,499 each have a subtotal of $4,497. The 20% discount is $899.40, leaving $3,597.60 in pass costs, before travel. This is a pricing example, not an attendance statistic or a return-on-investment claim.
Time and coverage, recorded separately from cash
- Event attendance: _____ working days
- Travel: _____ working days or hours
- Responsibilities needing cover: __________
- Coverage owner: __________
- If your organization requires an opportunity-cost estimate, record its agreed method separately. Do not double-count it as a cash expense.
What we will bring back
- A comparison of relevant approaches, with evidence and limitations.
- Answers to the agreed evaluation questions, plus gaps that still need investigation.
- A recommended next step, owner and decision date.
- Team briefing date: __________
- Manager's review date: __________
Judge the visit against these deliverables. Do not assume that attending will produce savings, contracts or a particular financial return.