10th Biennial Childhood Obesity Conference

Who Should Attend

• Academic researchers
• Community and business leaders
• Education community
• Early childhood and after school providers
• Food system professionals
• Health care professionals
• Parent and youth-based organizations
• Parks and recreation planners and providers
• Philanthropic leaders
• Local and State health department staff
• National public health entities and organizations
• Community-based organizations
• Policymakers
• Public health professionals
• Urban and rural planners
• Registered Dieticians
• Certified Health Education Specialists

Make the Case to Attend

Attending the 10th Biennial Childhood Obesity conference will be the most cost-effective professional development choice all year! It is the most relevant and densely-packed educational and networking opportunity focused on childhood obesity issues available to professionals nationwide.

Getting approval to participate in any professional event can be a challenge these days. Take the initiative and show your organization why attendance at the 10th Biennial Childhood Obesity Conference will strengthen your organization’s performance, and benefit those you serve.

Here Are Eight Tips to Get Employer Support to Attend the 10th Biennial Childhood Obesity Conference:

1. Explain in specific terms what you will gain by attending, and how that will benefit your work, your organization's goals, and the community.


2. Offer to prepare and deliver a briefing with Q&A to your colleagues and/or the leadership team to share what you learned, so that others in your division will receive the benefits of your attendance, too.


3. Share speaker handouts and other collected materials with your colleagues. As an attendee, you will have unlimited access to all speakers' materials online.


4. Ask "what is the cost of NOT attending," in terms of both your ability to stay abreast of new developments and missing valuable tools, perspectives, research and relationships that will help your organization accomplish their goals.


5. Prepare a plan showing how critical work will get done and by who while you are attending the conference.


6. Offer to share a room to reduce hotel expenses, and note that the conference is located in an easily accessible location with reasonable airfare and a low hotel rate.


7. Commit to your manager up front that you will prepare and share a conference report with him/her and the team. A conference report of one to three pages conveys key information about the conference to people who did not attend, and ensures that you will transmit its value effectively to your organization.


8. Commit to developing a strategic networking strategy and that you will report to your manager and staff on how you intend to connect and foster each new relationship to further the work of your organization post-conference.