Convince your boss to send you to #WCEU

WordCamp Europe is the big event on the WordPress calendar. You know this, but does your boss? Do you need help convincing your boss to send you to WordCamp Europe? If the answer is yes, read on!

First of all, don’t be afraid of asking your boss to send you to an event. The worst that they can say is no. Approach your boss with enthusiasm, both for your job and for the event. Think about the reasons that you should attend WordCamp Europe and address the issue head-on. Build your case and present it.

1. WordCamp Europe is unique

WordCamp Europe is the biggest WordCamp in the world and it is unique in that it brings together the best speakers in the WordPress community as well as speakers from outside to share their insights. If you go to one WordPress event each year, WordCamp Europe will give you the highest value.

2. How will it improve your job?

Read through the schedule and identify those specific talks that you are planning to attend. WordCamp Europe will have a broad range of talks so it’s helpful to highlight the ones that will help you to grow and develop.

It can also help to contextualise the talks you want to see in relation to projects that you are working on. For example:

• this front-end development talk will help me learn how to effectively use JavaScript in my project
• this talk on international community building will help me speak to a global audience

3. What will you bring back to the company?

You should also think about what you can bring back to the company. Your boss has to think about the benefit to the overall company, as opposed to just your needs. Points that you can raise are:

• that talks will help you when building current or future projects
• that you will learn about new technologies that you can use in your projects
• that you will find potential new hires for the company
• that you will widen the company’s business network
• that you will be able to talk about and promote a new product
• that you will be able to find new collaborators and industry partners

Tailor your goals for the event to the current goals for your company. For example:

• if your company is focusing on hiring, tell your boss that you will actively look for people to hire and set a goal for bringing five potential new hires to the company.
• if your company is looking for a design partner, aim to speak to design agencies and bring back leads for your boss to follow up.
• if your company is thinking of changing hosting providers, plan to talk to hosting representatives about what they can offer and report back.

Tips

• ask your boss for a list of contacts that they’d like you to meet
• tailor your pitch to match your company’s goals
• put together a budget so that your boss knows exactly what the costs involved will be
• pick the right time to talk

Email template

You can use and adapt the below email template to convince your boss:

Dear [your boss’ name],

I would like to attend WordCamp Europe in Paris, from 15th – 17th June 2017.

As the biggest WordCamp in the world, WordCamp Europe brings together the best speakers from across the WordPress community and beyond. There will be up to 3000 attendees giving me the opportunity to network with like-minded professionals and WordPress community members, and learn new skills and processes that I can bring back to the company.

In attending the event I will:

• [Goal 1]
• [Goal 2]
• [Goal 3]

I’m confident that attending the conference will have a direct positive impact on [PROJECT].

When I get back from WordCamp Europe, I will put together a comprehensive report on the event and will share key knowledge and takeaways with the team, and explore how we can implement what I have learned.

The cost for attending WordCamp Europe is:

• Travel: [AMOUNT]
• Hotel: [AMOUNT]
• WordCamp Europe ticket: €40.00
• Subsistence: [AMOUNT]
• Total: [AMOUNT]

Thanks for taking the time to review this request. I’m happy to answer any questions you have, and look forward to hearing back from you.

Best,
[YOUR NAME]

Good luck! We’d love to see you in Paris!