Professional development is a big deal at Baton Rouge software development firm Envoc.
As Business Report details in a feature from the current issue, about one-third of the firm’s 28-person staff attends an offsite conference every year—and the price tag isn’t cheap. Registration and travel fees associated with the training Envoc employees find helpful can total between $2,000 and $3,000 per person, says founder Calvin Fabre. For example, the web design conference, An Event Apart, fetches about $1,100 for a two-day registration.
But instead of cutting or limiting the professional development budget, Fabre has instituted specific measures to ensure the company sees good return on investment. It’s a trend playing out among a growing number of managers who believe that thorough preparation and a conference game plan and follow-up will improve learning and yield actionable results.
Prior to a conference, Envoc employees research the scheduled presenters by reviewing their blogs, articles and past workshop reviews, Fabre says. During the conference, they tweet regularly about what they’re learning and with whom they’re networking. This practice demonstrates to clients and prospects that Envoc believes in fresh ideas and leading-edge methods, Fabre adds. After the conference, each employee is required to give a one-hour training session to fellow staff within a week of their return.
“We believe in sending our guys out to go get trained, but we want to get the most out of it,” Fabre says.
Envoc isn’t alone. As companies have become more cost-conscious and as fees associated with conferences have risen, the corporate culture surrounding professional development has become more strategic, says Lisa Verma, director of custom and onsite programming for LSU Continuing Education and a corporate trainer.
“There is a push to be more productive both for the person attending the conference and for the conference organizers,” Verma says. “For an employee, you have to ask how can you get the most out of it for you and for the organization.”
Read the full story, in which you’ll find six tips for getting the most bang for your conference bucks.
