How do I convince my boss?

Building a compelling case to justify your trip is also a good way to make sure you get the most from your conference-going experience. At the PMDMC you’ll find:

Ideas

Actionable strategies and tools that have direct application to your work and your station.

People

Support, friendship, camaraderie around a shared cause.

Networking

Opportunities to meet new people and strengthen relationships to inform professional development and learning.

Content

Fantastic keynotes and breakout sessions that delve into both big ideas and tactical details.

Connection

Singular, centralized access to national organizations, producers, and talent.

Inspiration

Focused time and space to think deeply and critically about public media fundraising, plus conversations that spark novel ideas and move people to action.

Make your case.

Take the time to think through the following points for your job responsibilities within your organization:

Understand the Value

Outline what the PMDMC will offer, and be as concrete as possible. What projects are you currently working on that can be directly informed by specific sessions?

• Bring back actionable ideas and strategies that you can put into place to immediately drive more revenue at your station.
• Return feeling energized and more passionate than ever about the mission of public media.
• Fuel your commitment to your station’s success and use conference visibility to demonstrate your station’s presence as a system citizen and thought-leader.
• Meet colleagues at other stations who can be called upon for ideas and data. Collaborate with them on multi-station fundraising opportunities.
• Recruit talent on behalf of your station. Advertise your station’s openings and meet people face-to-face who might make perfect candidates.

Be Prepared

Before you sit down to talk to your supervisor, create a written proposal. It should include:

• The cost of the event, including estimated travel expenses. Highlight the opportunity to save $100 by registering as an early bird. Consider finding other individual ways to save money.
• Details about how the conference will specifically benefit your work.
• A plan to share your newfound knowledge with station colleagues.

Share the Wealth

Outline what you will bring home from the PMDMC that can be shared with your entire station. Propose ideas about how to disseminate your conference knowledge to your colleagues, for example:

• Before the conference: share a list of breakout sessions with your entire department as well as other departments that intersect with yours. Find out which sessions are of greatest interest to your colleagues.
• At the conference: take excellent notes (including follow-up & action-item takeaways).
• After the conference: type up your notes to share with colleagues. Make a presentation about what you learned and how to apply it to your own work.