Need approval to attend ESPC?
Attending a conference is an investment, and we know many professionals need manager approval before registering.
To help, we’ve created this guide to help you build a strong business case for attending ESPC. Use the points below to strengthen your request, then personalise one of our ready-to-use email templates for your manager.
How To Build Your Business Case
Every organisation is different, but most managers want to understand how attending will benefit both you and the business. When requesting approval, consider explaining the points below.
Why attending is relevant
Explain how ESPC connects to your current role, projects or business priorities. Microsoft technologies are evolving rapidly, particularly across Copilot, AI and Microsoft 365. Highlight why now is the right time to develop your skills and support your organisation’s goals.
What you’ll learn
Identify the sessions, workshops and learning tracks most relevant to your role. Build a personalised agenda around Microsoft 365, Copilot, AI, Azure, SharePoint or Power Platform, and explain how the knowledge gained will support your current projects and day-to-day work.
Access to Microsoft experts
Get direct access to Microsoft engineers, Microsoft MVPs and industry experts. Use Ask the Experts, technical sessions and networking opportunities to discuss real-world challenges, ask questions about your own organisation and gain practical advice you can apply when you return to work.
What you’ll bring back
Show how your attendance will benefit the wider team. You could share key takeaways, recommend improvements, identify practical actions and introduce new approaches learned during the conference. This helps turn new knowledge into real outcomes for your organisation.
Why it’s worth the investment
Explain how the knowledge gained could help improve productivity, support current projects, solve technical challenges or strengthen your organisation’s use of Microsoft technologies. Focus on the long-term value rather than just the cost of attending.
Connect it to business goals
If possible, relate your attendance to a current initiative or challenge within your organisation. Whether it’s improving security, adopting Copilot, modernising SharePoint or increasing user adoption, showing a clear business benefit can strengthen your request.
Ready to ask for approval?
To support your request, we have created ready-to-use email templates that help you clearly outline:
- Why attending is relevant to your role
- The skills and knowledge you’ll gain
- The value you’ll bring back to your team
Simply customise a template, send it to your manager and take the first step towards joining us.
Tip: Personalise this template by mentioning your current projects, the sessions you plan to attend and how you’ll share your learning with the wider team.
Dear [Boss’s Name],
I hope this message finds you well. I would like to request approval to attend ESPC, Europe’s premier Microsoft 365 and AI conference, taking place on 1–4 December. I believe attending would help me develop skills directly relevant to my role and support the work we’re currently doing as a team.
ESPC brings together leading experts and professionals from the Microsoft 365 and AI world offering valuable insights into [specific topics relevant to your work]. The sessions and workshops align directly with [specific challenges, goals, or projects] we’ve been focusing on, such as [examples].
Here are a few specific benefits I anticipate:
- Relevant Skills and Practical Knowledge: The agenda includes sessions on [enter specific and relevant topics], which could help us [specific outcomes, like improve efficiency, adopt new tools, or stay ahead of competitors].
- Access to Microsoft Experts: Through technical sessions, Ask the Experts and networking opportunities, I’ll have the chance to discuss real-world challenges with Microsoft engineers, Microsoft MVPs and industry experts, gaining practical advice that I can bring back to the team.
- Sharing Knowledge with the Team: I plan to take detailed notes, gather materials, and debrief our team upon my return to ensure everyone benefits from the insights and strategies shared at the event.
- Supporting Future Projects: Microsoft technologies are evolving rapidly, particularly across AI and Microsoft 365. Attending ESPC will help us stay up to date with best practices and apply new ideas to our current and future projects.
The cost of attendance is [amount], including registration, travel and accommodation and I’m happy to explore ways to minimise expenses e.g. by availing of the current sale [insert sale name] and/or sharing accommodations, if needed. I’m also happy to prioritise sessions that align with our current business objectives to ensure we get maximum value from the investment.
I believe the knowledge, practical insights and expert connections I’d gain from attending ESPC would provide lasting value for both my role and our wider team. Please let me know if you’d like me to provide additional details or discuss this further.
Thank you for considering this opportunity. I appreciate your support.
Best regards,
[Name]
Dear [Boss’s Name],
I hope this message finds you well. I would like to request approval for [insert colleagues’ names] and me to attend ESPC, Europe’s premier Microsoft 365 and AI conference, taking place on 1–4 December. We believe attending together would help us develop skills directly relevant to our roles and support the work we’re currently doing as a team.
ESPC brings together Microsoft engineers, Microsoft MVPs and industry experts, offering valuable insights into [specific topics relevant to your work]. The sessions and workshops align closely with [specific challenges, goals or projects] we’re currently working on, such as [examples].
Here are a few specific benefits we anticipate:
- Relevant Skills and Practical Knowledge: The agenda includes sessions on [enter specific and relevant topics], which could help us [specific outcomes, like improve efficiency, adopt new tools, or stay ahead of competitors].
- Access to Microsoft Experts: Through technical sessions, Ask the Experts and networking opportunities, we’ll have the chance to discuss real-world challenges with Microsoft engineers, Microsoft MVPs and industry experts, gaining practical advice we can bring back to the team.
- Cover More Ground: With 120+ sessions available, we can divide our time across different tracks and topics, covering more ground than one attendee alone. We’ll share notes, key takeaways and recommendations to ensure the wider team benefits from everything we learn.
- Supporting Future Projects: Microsoft technologies are evolving rapidly, particularly across AI and Microsoft 365. Attending ESPC will help us stay up to date with best practices and apply new ideas to our current and future projects.
The estimated cost of attendance is [amount], including registration, travel and accommodation and we are happy to explore ways to minimise expenses e.g. by availing of the current sale [insert sale name] and/or sharing accommodations, if needed. We’ll also prioritise sessions that align with our team’s current objectives to ensure we maximise the value of the investment.
We believe the knowledge, practical insights and expert connections we’d gain from attending ESPC would provide lasting value for our team and the wider organisation. Please let me know if you’d like us to provide any additional information or discuss this request further.
Thank you for considering this opportunity. We appreciate your support.
Best regards,
[Name]
Manager FAQs
Microsoft technologies are evolving rapidly, particularly across Microsoft 365, Copilot and AI. ESPC covers the latest developments through practical sessions focused on implementation, governance and adoption, helping attendees bring back ideas and solutions that support current projects and future business priorities.
Online resources are valuable, but they can’t provide a structured learning experience tailored to your goals. At ESPC, attendees can build a personalised agenda, choose sessions most relevant to their role and gain direct access to Microsoft engineers, Microsoft MVPs and Ask the Experts sessions for practical advice.
Attendees return with practical knowledge, expert recommendations and real-world insights they can apply immediately. They can share key takeaways with colleagues, recommend improvements and help the wider team adopt new ideas, tools and best practices.
Attendees can create a personalised agenda focused on their organisation’s priorities and current projects. By applying what they learn and sharing key insights with colleagues afterwards, the benefits of attending can extend well beyond the conference itself.
Yes. Attending as a team allows colleagues to cover more sessions, explore different learning tracks and bring back a broader range of knowledge. It can also support shared learning across technical and business roles. Contact ella@espc.tech to ask about available team discounts.
Attendees can immediately apply what they’ve learned to current projects, share practical recommendations with colleagues and identify opportunities for improvement. Session recordings also allow them to revisit key topics and continue learning after the conference.
The conference fee includes four days of learning, access to 120+ expert-led sessions, Ask the Experts, networking opportunities, and catering throughout the event. Rather than multiple individual training courses, ESPC provides concentrated access to the latest Microsoft knowledge and practical guidance in one place.
Yes. Organisations sending multiple attendees may be eligible for discounted group rates. Attending as a team also allows colleagues to cover more sessions and learning tracks, bringing back a broader range of knowledge to share across the organisation. Contact ella@espc.tech to ask about available team discounts.
