GHC News: View from the Program Co-chairs
It is a nice view here, being a Program Co-chair that is. Since the very first conference I have been a presenter, an attendee, a member of the Industry Advisory Board, Chair for the Papers/Panels/Workshops committee (twice at that!) and now I am here, in this lovely seat. It has given me a different perspective of the immense amount of effort it takes to put on this celebration (by the way – it is more than you can ever imagine). And, it really gives me an opportunity to explain why this celebration is so important to not only our industry sponsors but also potential attendees from the business world.
Yes, it is a celebration and that had always been a sticking point back at the office. A good friend, mentor and engineering fellow at Digital Equipment Corp (that is where Anita Borg worked when this all started) told me time and again, the conference needed to be more technical. I would always nod and say, “Thanks for the input Alan.” I don’t think he can say that anymore and I certainly never thought that was an issue. From the start this conference has been all about providing women a place to gather, network, learn and, well, have a bit of fun. This is a place for women to openly discuss often difficult topics related to the work environment, to discover that there are so many others like them, to share knowledge without feeling awkward or threatened, to gain technical insight into the directions of the industry, to show the world that women are, well, brilliant!
So just how can you convince your manager, sometimes it is not easy, that they should sponsor your attendance? I truly don’t know the answer. Over time I was funded by my own group and by a group that heard about my work for the conference committee and found out I had no way to get to the conference. I had many co-workers who sometimes had funding, had partial funding and on occasion, paid for their own attendance. We all worked for a large corporate sponsor. So on the one hand, the company saw value in being a sponsor but sometimes not in actually sending anyone to the conference. Maybe they were just squeezing budgets. Being creative always seemed to help. Here are a few suggestions:
- Share key parts of the program schedule with your manager – the keynotes are great, the invited technical talks are spot on and important to all of us in industry, the phd forum and new investigator sessions really gives you a heads up on what direction things are taking, the technical sessions are expanding. The addition of the special topic tracks seems to be a big win from this perspective. The career development and mentoring opportunities are unique.
- Point out the opportunity for networking with people from other companies in your industry. You can learn much from them!
- Sometimes it is helpful to just refer to this as a technical conference for women and downplay the celebration part when requesting that your manager sponsor you. Friends found this sometimes helped particularly when discussing with a male manager.
- Point out this is a great place to go for a vacation – well, maybe not this one….
- If your company is a sponsor, hint that they must think it is important and they need to send you to find out and report back. Reporting back is always a good thing, even if you only share with other women in your organization and perhaps some HR folks and senior managers.
- If your company is not a sponsor hint that not only should they send you, so you can take advantage of the great offering, but also that they should consider becoming a sponsor of the next conference. There are benefits to both attendees and sponsors!
- Let your manager know you are interested in helping to learn about retention of women in computing and you want to help them in this area. Don’t threaten to quit if they won’t send you – the job market is not all that great right now.
- Remind your manager how much you like to dance. Okay, maybe not this one either.
- Get involved – submit a proposal and become a presenter. Maybe you did that and discovered it is getting harder and harder to have them accepted. Some companies will give you credit for trying and send you. And, for many, your proposal will get accepted and your company might send you.
- Get involved – join a committee. Sponsor companies will recognize the effort you do on their behalf and perhaps send you along. And, even if they don’t, you will learn a lot about working remotely, communicating with a diverse and distributed team. All skills you can use to further your career.
- Let your managers know that they will see a great improvement in your overall attitude toward work. You will return with an amazing sense of being energized. It is a win-win situation!
- If all else fails, consider splitting the cost with your company. Have them cover the conference fees, you pay travel and then find someone to share a hotel room with. Lots of folks do this. Last year I shared a room with the conference general chair. Figure out which way the cost splitting works to your advantage, take note of the discounted registration for industry people paying their own way.
Over the years I have tried to remain optimistic that I could find a way to attend the conference. My company went through two mergers, one the largest in the industry just a few years ago. I have been to all but 3 conferences. I have learned so much. I have made lifelong friends. I believe that Anita and Telle had a spectacular vision when they came up with the idea. I believe that, although perhaps initially rolling over in her grave, Admiral Grace Hopper would wholeheartedly approve of how far we have come. And, I truly believe attending that this celebration is one of the best investments you (and your company) can make in your career.