Justifying to your boss why he should send you to CiscoLive! in San Diego– What to say and what not to say.

Justifying to your boss why he should send you to CiscoLive! in San Diego – What to say and what not to say


So, you want to go to CiscoLive! in San Diego this year and you are adding up the costs and trying to figure out how to justify the expense to your boss.

I found this old post written by Peter Kurdziel on March 23, 2011 in his Pete’s Packet Limitless blog (https://usaccie.wordpress.com/) with some good points to present to your boss.  The blog does not look active, but there are a lot of cool posts that are still up there, so you may want to check it out.   I have also added some points you may not want to bring up to your boss to justify your trip.

Here is a portion of Peter’s post:

“It’s simple: the knowledge you get, the skills you build, and the connections you make offer a tangible payoff for your employer. By sending you to Cisco Live, your company can:

  • Discover innovative ways that networking and communications technology can help you reach new markets and boost revenue from existing customers.
  • Understand which solutions are right for your specific challenges, so you can make smarter use of your technology budget.
  • Do more with the technologies already in place, to help you stay competitive and keep costs down.
  • Build in-house skills at a lower cost than hiring a third-party consultant.
  • Up-level the skills and experience of your department with advanced Cisco certifications.
  • Anticipate emerging technology and communications trends, so you can plan for any impact on your business.
  • Understand how innovative, market-leading companies are using technology to build and sustain a competitive advantage.
  • Plug into a worldwide network of knowledgeable professionals who share ideas on how to accomplish more with less and keep costs down without sacrificing innovation.
  • Connect with thousands of experts – including hundreds of Cisco engineers plus thousands of the brightest innovators in IT – for guidance and advice on the specific IT challenges your company may be facing.”

Peter has made some very good points. 

Here are 10 points I do not think you should use to justify going to CiscoLive!

  1. Hey man, it’s San Diego, what else do I need to say?
  2. Trust me, I will go to sessions all day and will get back to the hotel early so I will be fresh in the morning.
  3. Look, the kids are out of school and need a break, dude.
  4. Gaslamp Quarter, what’s that?
  5. Come on, let me go.  They got the best zoo in the world.
  6. And it’s only 20 miles to Tijuana.
  7. You better let me go or I will hold my breath until I turn blue.
  8. A limo ride from the airport to the hotel is a lot cheaper than you think.
  9. I won’t even take my girlfriend, or my wife.
  10. It's only money.

Bonus: I will work extra hours to make up for the time I will miss after I get back.

So, there you have it – what to say and what not to say to convince your boss you should go to CiscoLive! in June.

And when you get there, don’t forget to stop by the NterOne booth, #3814 and #3816 in the World of Solutions.  We are right across from The Park, which is where the Brew Station will be.  I probably would not mention that last part to your boss.

See you in San Diego!!!!!!

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