Gaining Approval to Attend

PNCWA recognizes the importance of organizations getting the most return on investment for training dollars and offers the following communication tools that individuals may use to assist in analyzing and supporting budget decisions regarding PNCWA2021 conference attendance.

Focus on what you will bring back to your organization as a return on their investment: Write down the three to five most important issues being addressed in your workplace right now.

Think about how you personally are expected to contribute to those issues. How is your work aligned with solving the issues your organization is facing? What assignments have you been given?

Review the conference technical program and pre-conference workshop info and mark the sessions you want to attend that relate to your list of personal contributions and/or expectations regarding the most important issues facing your organization, and also make a note of speakers or other people at the meeting you would like to be able to network with on ideas about these issues. What about tools and technologies that you’ll be able to explore in the Exhibit Hall or during a plant tour?

If the need for CEUs applies to you, include the number of CEUs you think are applicable to your intended sessions. One hour of training = .1 CEUs (rounded down to the nearest hour). Check to see how many CEUs are being requested for the overall conference. That includes the maximum CEU Preconference Workshop, the Opening Session and a training presentation in each available timeslot during the technical tracks.

Think about offering to prepare and deliver a short presentation with a Q&A to your peers who were not able to attend after you return. (As an attendee you’ll be able to log in to the PNCWA website and download PDFs of the presentations to go along with your notes.)

Once you’ve thought about all of the above, write a letter to your employer that identifies the benefits to your agency. Include your expenses (lodging and registration costs are on the Rates and Info page. Complete package registration is a great deal with all the meals it includes.

Been approved?

Prepare for the meeting: Make a list of people you’d like to meet at the conference and why you want to meet them. Don’t be shy! Presenters and other “luminaries” are more accessible than you might think, especially if you make plans with them in advance. Contact the people on your list a week or two in advance. Make a specific plan for a meal, coffee, or a time and place to get together.
Check the PNCWA website for detailed information on all registered exhibitors and make a list of the state-of-the-art technologies you want to explore.

After the meeting: Write a concise summary of what happened at the conference and how you will use the information you received and contacts you made to further the strategies of your organization. Submit the summary to the person who sponsored your attendance, thanking him or her for the opportunity to attend and gain the valuable knowledge presented.

The most important of all:

Wastewater professionals are tasked with huge responsibilities for maintaining service, safety, public health and cost efficiency. PNCWA training provides the skills and knowledge for utilities to reduce both risks and expenditures. There’s no other place to get this much focused, top-notch training in the Pacific Northwest.