We know time away from your facility and funding for professional development can be hard to get approved by your supervisor or organization. That is why we have developed this toolkit to assist you in convincing your superior that IMBC is worth the investment. It’s easy to use these tools and we hope they help you present your case. Simply click on the links below to get started!
Message from AMI's President and Chair
IMBC was created to bring together marina and boatyard professionals from around the world to network, share ideas, and exchange information. It has become known as the premier industry event for marinas and boatyards that provides the best value for your dollar for professional development. Whether you’re looking to create valuable relationships with industry professionals, purchase equipment for your facility, learn ideas to improve your business, or expand your knowledge, IMBC is the right place for you. Although the economy changes frequently, the need for professional development and the importance of networking and creating professional relationships does not. It is constant and essential in growing and sustaining your business and career.
Jim Frye, CMM, AMI President
Check back soon for 2013 downloads
Downloads
Justification Letter Template - Simply fill in the blanks and give this letter to your supervisor
General Tips for gaining approval
Cost Comparison- Learn the value of attending versus participating in many shorter events or webinars
Calculations Worksheet - Determine your expenses and show the value of your attendance
Benefits of Attending IMBC - Use this to show your supervisor why IMBC is an event not to be missed
Get the Most out of Attending - Download these tips to get the most out of your time while at IMBC.
Other Resources and Data
Cost Comparison: The Value of Attending IMBC (based on IMBC 2012)
The association industry standard for the cost of a stand alone webinar is between $100 - $125 for members. Participating in multiple webinars can get expensive. But at the International Marina & Boatyard Conference (IMBC), you can participate in nine education sessions (over 550 minutes of learning), a value of $1,000 for the member rate of only $365 ($485 for non members). That’s over $970 in savings on education alone! And, remember with all of that knowledge, you also get multiple in person networking opportunities, and access to over 130 of the industry’s suppliers.
$125: Average cost of a webinar (times 9 (# of IMBC seminars) = $1,000)
$365: IMBC member registration fee includes:
- Nine educational sessions (over 550 minutes) – a $1,000 value
- Two lunches – $100 value.
- Four refreshment and networking breaks – $35 value.
- Four evening receptions with hors ‘doeuvres – $200 value.
- Six and a half hours of exclusive exhibit hall access. The hall has historically featured over 125 companies.
- Complimentary bag with conference program, name badge, and USB drive.
- Admittance into all of IMBC’s receptions and networking socials.
- Admittance into IMBC’s product demonstrations
$1,335: Total Value
-$365: Actual member cost
$970: Actual member savings!
Resources and Data
Meeting Professionals International, along with a major investment from Reed Travel Exhibitions through AIBTM, is focused on studying and understanding the appreciable business value of meetings through key research findings. Below is an excerpt from Meetings Deliver, a white paper developed with recent research and survey results from the likes of the U.S. Travel Association, the National Business Travel Association and MPI. This data exists to back up an industry that has long strove to prove its return on investment.
The survey results conclude that: 40% of prospects are converted to new customers through face-to-face meetings and without these face-to-face meetings, 28% of current business would be lost.
Also, according to Meetings Deliver, the business benefits of face-to-face meetings include:
- A 12.5:1 return on investment in business travel
- The opportunity to “seal the deal” and form long-term business relationships, negotiate important contracts, interview senior staff for key positions and understand the needs of major customers
- A 4:1 return on investment in incentive travel, in the form of heightened employee moral and performance
- A more effective mechanism for communicating and negotiating across cultures
- The opportunity to observe verbal and non-verbal behaviors that are lost in most virtual conversations
- The greater ability of face-to-face participants to build transparency and trust, communicate informally during breaks, learn the culture and norms of the group and establish their own social identities within a group
- Stronger brand awareness through customer experience
- Improved productivity attributable to government travel
White Paper Article
Why Face-to-Face Business Meetings Matter, Richard Arvey
http://www.iacconline.org/content/files/WhyFace-to-FaceBusinessMeetingsM...