Building the case for attending Summit and Synergy

Making Your Case:

 Think about the top goals that your organisation has for the year. What are some of the key initiatives
where Citrix technologies for virtualisation, networking or cloud computing might have impact?
 Review the conference agenda to determine what speakers and sessions are likely to have
information that aligns with those key initiatives identified. Review the list of exhibitors in the same
fashion.
 Build a sample agenda to begin identifying what you expect to gain from each session and how that
information will improve your organisation.
 Identify the Hands-on Learning Labs that best apply to you – these classes provide a hard dollar
value to your organisation (comparable programs cost €281 per class or more, as a Summit attendee
there is no charge).
 Use the template letter as a base to write your own request for approval to attend the conference.
Attach the sample agenda prepared in the last step to provide supporting information regarding the
benefits your organisation will get from Summit.
 Meet face-to-face with your manager to review the conference and how your plans line up with your
organisation’s top goals.
 Research the specific costs you are likely to incur. Use information from the Travel Justification
section to show how costs are being kept down through hotel discounts and special offers.
 Take advantage of a special 15 percent discount on instructor-led, virtual instructor-led and self-
paced online training from Citrix Education to prepare for a free Citrix exam at Summit.

While at the conference:

 Record the key information obtained in break-out sessions and your ideas about benefits to your
organisation and potential cost and efficiency benefits.
 While networking with your peers, write down their contact information so that you can follow up as
necessary.
 Spend time in the Hands-on Learning Labs so that you will have direct experience with the latest in
Citrix technologies.
 Visit the Summit and Synergy Testing Center to take a Citrix exam of your choice at no cost and
pursue your Citrix Certification – for free!

When you get home:

 Review the conference materials. Compare those with your notes to refresh your memory regarding
the most relevant and important sessions.
 Write a brief summary of the key messages, any action items and possible benefits you gleaned from
each session and meeting. Share that summary with your manager and your peers. Hold an informal
session to review these details with your team.
 Share presentations and videos from Summit and Synergy with your peers to increase the value of
the event.
 Identify and act upon one or two of the most relevant things you learned from the conference.
 Validate your certifications and expertise and provide your organisation with a unique competitive
advantage which will help your organisation grow.

Letter to Management
Dear ,
I’m writing to request your approval to attend Summit & Synergy 2010
(http://www.citrixsummit.com/summitberlin.html), an IT conference in Berlin on 4-7 October 2010, offered
to Citrix partners for the first time at one low fee for the entire event. I believe my attendance will provide
important benefits to our organisation, and that the costs will be more than offset by the training,
knowledge and certifications that I receive to build our business in desktop virtualisation, network
optimisation and cloud computing.
Citrix Summit is focused on intense training on the newest technologies and will give me the expertise to
answer our customers’ questions and meet their needs with the latest IT solutions. A comprehensive track
on Desktop Virtualisation includes sessions on FlexCast solutions, HDX technologies, VDI (hosted virtual
desktops), desktop streaming, client virtualisation (local virtual desktops), self-service on-demand
applications, application virtualisation and user profile management.
Summit Datacenter-Cloud sessions cover server virtualisation, datacenter virtualisation and application
networking solutions to capitalise on emerging hosted application and private cloud technologies. I’ll learn
how to combine datacenter-cloud customer initiatives with related desktop virtualisation projects to grow
the deal and help our customers to future-proof their 2010 investments.
Summit this year is combined with Synergy, a huge customer event, offering the unprecedented chance
to meet with our customers, attend over 50 technical sessions and view the latest IT solutions in a huge
Expo Hall. Unlike many conferences, Synergy is an open event that encourages input from many different
vendors – not just Citrix. Presenters will include industry analysts, opinion leaders, Citrix customers, and
technology experts from leading IT companies.
Finally, I plan to multiply the value of the conference by sharing presentations, videos and other
information from Summit and Synergy with my team when I return.
Thanks for considering my request. I’m confident the benefits will far outweigh the relatively modest cost
of attending Summit and Synergy in Berlin.

Travel Justification
The top reasons to attend Summit and Synergy in Berlin:
1. Negotiated room discounts for you. Please note, you must book your room through Synergy
Headquarters to receive the discounted conference rate.
2. Ride public transportation. Estrel Convention Centre is conveniently located within walking
distance of the Sonnenallee S-Bahn (city rail) station.
3. Berlin is one of the most acclaimed cities in Europe. Home to world-renowned universities,
research institutes, orchestras, theatres and museums, and recognized for its festivals, and
sporting events- there are multiple options for dining and other activities to fit any budget.