When budgets are tight, professional development is usually the first line item to get questioned. Your board or CEO wants to know why you need to be at the Engaging Associations Forum (EAF) 2026 and exactly what the organization gets in return.

EAF isn’t just another conference; it’s the investment in strategic clarity your organization needs to navigate the year ahead. You know you need to be in the room in Ottawa this July. Now, you just need to show your board exactly how your attendance will drive momentum and clear direction for the entire organization.

Use the talking points, investment breakdown and email templates below to build your case. Copy, paste and get it approved before the May 21 early bird deadline.

Pick your talking points

When you make your request, focus on the specific problems your leadership team is trying to solve right now.

If you are an Executive Director pitching your Board:

• Revenue: I will learn how other associations are actually diversifying their non-dues revenue, rather than just talking about it in theory;
• Governance: I will get peer-tested advice on navigating board alignment and updating our governance structure; and
• Knowledge share: I will bring a summary of what is working right now back to our leadership team so we can apply it to our 2026 strategic plan.

If you are an Event Professional pitching your CEO:

• Sponsorship: I will learn how to turn basic logo sponsorships into sustainable revenue partnerships;
• Contracts: I will learn how to spot risky venue contract clauses that could end up costing our organization thousands; and
• Format fatigue: I will see firsthand what executives actually want from events right now, so we can stop running conferences our members are tired of attending.

Provide the financial breakdown

Transparency builds trust. Copy and paste this breakdown into your proposal to show exactly what the trip costs and why acting before May 21 matters.

Copy and paste your email

Choose the template that fits your role, fill in the brackets and send it to your leadership team.

Option 1: For executive directors and senior leaders

Subject: Approval request for EAF 2026 attendance

Hi [Name],

I would like to attend the Engaging Associations Forum (EAF) 2026 in Ottawa this July 22 to 24.

EAF is a peer-driven forum designed specifically for leaders in the association and not-for-profit sector. Attending puts me in the room with other executives to talk honestly about [insert specific challenge, e.g., diversifying our revenue or modernizing our governance]. It ties directly into the strategic goals we set for this year.

I put together a quick breakdown of the estimated costs below. The early bird registration rate ends on May 21. If we secure my ticket before then, we save money.

[Insert Pricing Table from above]

I know budgets are tight right now, but I am confident the insights I bring back from this room will be worth the investment. Let’s discuss this briefly at our next meeting.

Best regards,

[Your Name]

Option 2: For event professionals

Subject: Approval request for EAF 2026 attendance

Hi [Name],

I would like to attend the Engaging Associations Forum (EAF) 2026 in Ottawa this July 22 to 24.

This is not a standard logistics conference. It is a strategic leadership forum. Attending gives me direct access to the executives who actually attend our conferences. I will also be sitting in on sessions about driving non-dues revenue, navigating event contracts and designing experiences that get members to come back year after year.

I put together a quick breakdown of the estimated costs below. The early bird registration rate ends on May 21. If we secure my ticket before then, we save money.

[Insert Pricing Table from above]

I am confident the insights gathered in this room will help us improve our own event portfolio. Let’s discuss this briefly at our next one-on-one.

Best regards,

[Your Name]