You need to relate what you might learn at APEX to your company's immediate and company's/customers' future needs. And therefore be able to give your boss some tangible ROI. IF you don't know what future needs are then that is a good reason for going. Going to a major show is a way of finding this sort of stuff out, not just because the world's best are conference speaking and get-at-able, unlike your local uni, but also the best supplier people are on the stands/booths so you can speak to their experts too. Also you will be surrounded by your peers so can have useful chats with them. Your objective then can be spelled out to the boss something like this: Short term I will identify 3 things that we can implement in the next 1,2, 6 months. The benefits will be........ Longer term We will be able to...... Identify technology trends impact on customer needs and company response, likely impact on capital expenditure or what ever. Impact of new compliance legislation is...... Then as mentioned already you have to write a report saying what a good decision it was to suggest you because you found out the following: Alternatively a higher risk strategy is that you make a case for you both to go and hope he ducks out. Of course he may go instead you, but next year it will be easier to make the case for you to go as he knows the benefits. Regards Mike -----Original Message----- From: TechNet [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Lee parker Sent: Monday, February 02, 2009 9:52 PM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: [TN] Apex Expo Genny It is my experience that trying to argue that only at an IPC meeting you will gain a superior knowledge of the industry is usually a stretch. I was sometimes told to purchase the proceedings and if I had questions call the author. What I did find effective was that if the company was to have any control of the industry such as the specs then they would need to have active participates on the committees controlling these specs. This comes about by attending the General meetings and participating in the committee's activities. Otherwise, your company will to unacceptable extent be controlled by its competitors who do participate. If a company does not see the necessity of controlling its own destiny it may well have entered an exit strategy. Best regards Lee ----- Original Message ----- From: Gen Gibbard<mailto:[log in to unmask]> To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> Sent: Monday, February 02, 2009 3:38 PM Subject: [TN] Apex Expo I am trying, for the 1st time, to convince my co. to send me. I have never been. I feel there is value in going but it is difficult to quantify. There is resistance, primarily to the travel costs. There has to be some clear benefit to going there, over top of local learning opportunities, and I am being encouraged to look for classes at the local university and tech schools to 'better myself', rather than looking to be sent to Vegas. Any help you can give me to quantify the benefits of Apex?Genny __________________________________________________________________ Yahoo! Canada Toolbar: Search from anywhere on the web, and bookmark your favourite sites. Download it now at http://ca.toolbar.yahoo.com<http://ca.toolbar.yahoo.com/>. --------------------------------------------------- Technet Mail List provided as a service by IPC using LISTSERV 15.0 To unsubscribe, send a message to [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> with following text in the BODY (NOT the subject field): SIGNOFF Technet To temporarily halt or (re-start) delivery of Technet send e-mail to [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>: SET Technet NOMAIL or (MAIL) To receive ONE mailing per day of all the posts: send e-mail to [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>: SET Technet Digest Search the archives of previous posts at: http://listserv.ipc.org/archives<http://listserv.ipc.org/archives> Please visit IPC web site http://www.ipc.org/contentpage.asp?Pageid=4.3.16<http://www.ipc.org/contentp age.asp?Pageid=4.3.16> for additional information, or contact Keach Sasamori at [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> or 847-615-7100 ext.2815 ----------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------- Technet Mail List provided as a service by IPC using LISTSERV 15.0 To unsubscribe, send a message to [log in to unmask] with following text in the BODY (NOT the subject field): SIGNOFF Technet To temporarily halt or (re-start) delivery of Technet send e-mail to [log in to unmask]: SET Technet NOMAIL or (MAIL) To receive ONE mailing per day of all the posts: send e-mail to [log in to unmask]: SET Technet Digest Search the archives of previous posts at: http://listserv.ipc.org/archives Please visit IPC web site http://www.ipc.org/contentpage.asp?Pageid=4.3.16 for additional information, or contact Keach Sasamori at [log in to unmask] or 847-615-7100 ext.2815 ----------------------------------------------------- ***This email, its content, and any files transmitted with it, are intended solely for the addressee(s) and may be legally privileged and/or confidential. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by return and delete the material from any computer. Any review, retransmission, dissemination, or other use of, or taking of any action in reliance upon this information by persons or entities other than the intended recipient is prohibited. Messages sent via this medium may be subjected to delays, non-delivery, and unauthorized alteration. This email has been prepared using information believed by the author to be reliable and accurate, but Indium Corporation makes no warranty as to accuracy or completeness. Indium Corporation does not accept responsibility for changes made to this email after is was sent. Any opinions or recommendations expressed herein are solely those of the author. They may be subject to change without notice.*** --------------------------------------------------- Technet Mail List provided as a service by IPC using LISTSERV 15.0 To unsubscribe, send a message to [log in to unmask] with following text in the BODY (NOT the subject field): SIGNOFF Technet To temporarily halt or (re-start) delivery of Technet send e-mail to [log in to unmask]: SET Technet NOMAIL or (MAIL) To receive ONE mailing per day of all the posts: send e-mail to [log in to unmask]: SET Technet Digest Search the archives of previous posts at: http://listserv.ipc.org/archives Please visit IPC web site http://www.ipc.org/contentpage.asp?Pageid=4.3.16 for additional information, or contact Keach Sasamori at [log in to unmask] or 847-615-7100 ext.2815 -----------------------------------------------------