Introduction

For many professionals, deciding to attend a conference is the easy part. Getting approval from your manager is often the real challenge.

Training budgets are limited, workloads are busy and every investment needs to demonstrate value. That means your request needs to explain more than why you want to attend. It needs to show how your attendance will benefit your organisation.

The good news is that building a strong business case doesn’t have to be difficult. By focusing on the points that matter most to your manager, you can present a clear case for why attending ESPC is a worthwhile investment for both you and your organisation.

Think like your manager

When you ask for approval, your manager is unlikely to be asking themselves whether the conference looks interesting. Instead, they’re probably thinking:

• How will this benefit the business?
• Why is this conference relevant to our organisation?
• Can’t this be learned online?
• Is it worth the investment?
• What will the attendee bring back?

If your request answers these questions before they’re asked, you’re already in a much stronger position.

The most successful approval requests aren’t about attending a conference. They’re about solving business challenges, developing skills that support organisational goals and bringing practical knowledge back to the wider team.

Connect your request to business priorities

Rather than simply saying you’d like to attend ESPC, explain why it’s relevant to your role and your organisation. Think about the projects you’re currently working on or those planned for the coming months. For example, are you:

• Rolling out Microsoft 365?
• Adopting Copilot?
• Improving SharePoint or Teams?
• Strengthening governance or security?

Microsoft technologies continue to evolve rapidly, particularly across Microsoft 365, Copilot and AI. Demonstrating how ESPC supports your organisation’s priorities shows that attending is not simply professional development, but an investment in current and future projects. The more closely you can connect your attendance to real business objectives, the stronger your request becomes.

Explain what you'll learn

Managers want to know exactly what you’ll gain from attending, so take some time to explore the ESPC programme before requesting approval. Building a personalised agenda shows you’ve thought carefully about how the conference will support your role and your organisation.

Rather than saying: “I’ll learn about Microsoft 365”, show how you’ve identified sessions that support your role, your current projects and your organisation’s priorities. For example, if your organisation is:

• Rolling out Microsoft 365 Copilot, you could attend sessions on Copilot adoption, governance and building an AI-ready workplace.
• Strengthening security and governance, you might focus on Microsoft 365 governance, data protection, compliance and Defender.
• Modernising SharePoint, there are sessions covering intranets, SharePoint Framework and Copilot-ready content.
• Building with AI, you can explore sessions on agents, Azure AI, Microsoft Foundry and developer tools.
• Improving automation, there are dedicated sessions on Power Platform governance and AI-powered business solutions.

The ESPC programme also includes full-day tutorials, keynotes and technical sessions across multiple learning tracks, allowing you to build a personalised agenda based on your role and level of experience. By showing you’ve already identified the sessions most relevant to your work, you’ll demonstrate that you’ve carefully considered how attending will benefit both you and your organisation.

Highlight access to Microsoft experts

One question managers often ask is: “Can’t you learn all of this for free online?” It’s a fair question as there are countless videos, blogs and online courses covering Microsoft technologies.

However, what they can’t provide is direct access to the people building and implementing those technologies.

At ESPC, attendees can speak with Microsoft engineers, Microsoft MVPs and industry experts through technical sessions, networking opportunities and Ask the Experts. Whether you have questions about Copilot adoption, SharePoint migrations, governance or technical implementation, you can discuss your organisation’s specific challenges and receive practical guidance tailored to your own environment.

That kind of personalised advice is difficult to replicate through online learning alone, and it’s one of the biggest advantages of attending an in-person conference.

Focus on what you'll bring back

This is one of the most overlooked parts of any approval request. Managers don’t just want to know what you’ll learn, they want to know how the wider team will benefit. Think about how you’ll share your knowledge after the event. For example, you could:

• share key takeaways with colleagues
• deliver a short knowledge-sharing session
• recommend improvements based on what you’ve learned
• introduce new ideas or best practices
• share useful resources and session recordings

Showing that the learning will benefit more than one person helps demonstrate a stronger return on investment.

Show why it's worth the investment

When requesting approval, it’s natural to focus on the cost of attending. Instead, try shifting the conversation to the value your organisation will receive in return.

A full conference pass includes four days of learning, access to more than 120 expert-led sessions, full-day tutorials, Ask the Experts, networking opportunities and practical guidance from the people helping shape Microsoft’s technologies.

Rather than attending multiple individual training courses throughout the year, ESPC brings together a broad range of Microsoft expertise in one place. Whether your organisation is investing in Microsoft 365, Copilot, SharePoint, Azure or Power Platform, attendees can build a personalised learning experience that addresses several business priorities during a single event.

When viewed as an investment in developing practical skills, gaining expert guidance and bringing valuable knowledge back to the wider team, ESPC offers lasting value that extends well beyond the four days of the conference.

Conclusion

Professional development isn’t just about learning something new. It’s about bringing fresh ideas, practical knowledge and expert guidance back into your organisation.

Taking a little extra time to build a thoughtful business case can make all the difference when requesting approval.

If you’re planning to attend ESPC 2026, don’t leave your approval request until the last minute. Explore our Convince My Boss resources for practical guidance, manager FAQs and ready-to-use email templates. Then take a look at our Attendee Reviews, where previous delegates share what they learned, what they brought back to their organisations and why they would recommend ESPC to others.