7th National Forum on FOCI - Justification Guide

September 30 – October 1, 2024

The National Union Building, Washington, DC

Practical takeaways for managing heightened national security threats for companies under Foreign Operation, Control or Influence.

Justification Guide

If you need to justify the costs and time out of the office to attend the 7th National Forum on FOCI, then this guide is for you!

Hello!

To make the most of your experience and to help provide tangible value to your attendance use this handy toolkit to set goals and clearly define objectives to juxtapose your organizations investment with the plethora of benefits you’ll receive from attending this summit.

Here’s a quick overview of each step:

STEP 1: Identifying your motivations when deciding your attendance

STEP 2: Quantifying the benefits and ROI of your attendance

STEP 3: Summarizing your business case for attendance in a letter to your firm

What past attendees have to say:

Really appreciated the conference. Very practical information that could be utilized to support our compliance programs or for consideration during the next transaction. Not all FOCI have as much real-world information – so most appreciated. Avon Protection Systems

My experience was very valuable. Learned things that I can immediately apply to my work. Public Services and Procurement Canada

The in-person interaction was great – both learning about other’s initiatives and creating networking opportunities.

Indiana University

STEP 1: Identify Your Company Needs When Deciding Your Attendance

Although you understand the benefits of attending the 7th National Forum on FOCI, your manager/company may not. Let us help you list concrete benefits that your attendance will bring not only to you but to your workplace. Below are some questions your manager may have and suggested answers you could give.

What is the 7th National Forum on FOCI about?

The 7th National Forum on FOCI is the only event on the market that delivers actionable mitigation strategies for companies under FOCI, that is open to the public. This forum will take a deep dive into determining which FOCI companies, non-FOCI companies, public trust contracts and third-party contractors are subject to increased scrutiny.

Who will you meet there, and what is the benefit of these connections?

I will meet industry peers as well thought leaders at all levels expertise. There will be attendees across North America and beyond, which is a depth of experiences, ideas and solutions I will be able to tap into — both during and after the event. In addition, fellow attendees, there will be a wide variety of solution providers in attendance giving me the opportunity to evaluate new products and services and stay on the cutting edge.

What are the practical benefits for your firm if you attend?

Through expert sessions I will be able to explore and understand managing intensifying national security threats for companies under Foreign Operation, Control or Influence and examine the play-by-play of how a FOCI mitigated company will now need to react to a cybersecurity breach under stricter Department of Defense and CMMC safeguards. This knowledge will allow me to advise the company on ways in which to create new business opportunities.

How will the company benefit from you attending the conference?

Beyond bringing vital information back to the company, I will also be a representative for our company and ensure that we are increasing brand awareness amongst our industry peers and leading solution providers.

STEP 2: Quantify the Benefits and ROI of Your Attendance

Before you can begin to justify the investment of attending the summit, you need to calculate the total investment. To do so, you can use the following investment worksheet.

* To qualify for a group booking discount (A) all participants must be from the same organization and must book together in one transaction, (B) substitutions are permitted but this booking is non-refundable, (C) group booking discounts apply to the conference-only fee and do not include pre-conference programs.

STEP 3:

Summarize Your Business Case for Attendance in a Letter to Your Boss

Now that you have thought about the direct benefits to your company and the associated costs, below is a letter that you can customize and use to support your attendance.

Re: 7th National Forum on FOCI - Washington, D.C., September 30 – October 1, 2024

Dear [INSERT NAME],

I would like you to approve my attendance for the above-mentioned summit, and I have outlined below the direct business benefits to our company. If anything needs clarification or elaboration, please let me know, and I will be happy to provide additional detail.

The National Forum on FOCI is the most important gathering of the community and is an opportunity for me to learn from other attendees in this unique field.

This year’s event is especially important because The Defense Counterintelligence Security Agency (DCSA) is increasing its scrutiny and compliance expectations in the wake of significant new and anticipated developments. No other conference provides the same quantity and quality of educational programming for this community in one place that is practical and can be immediately applied to our company's needs.

Upon my return, I will provide you and the team with a full post-conference report/meeting outlining the specific lessons learned and my recommendations.

I appreciate that my attendance will represent an investment of time and money. Below you will find a breakdown of expected costs and my plan for keeping expenses to an absolute minimum.

The cost of my attendance breaks down as follows:

I believe my attendance at the event represents an appropriate use of our training budget and will pay dividends for our copy. I very much appreciate your consideration of my request. If you would like to discuss this further, please let me know.

Sincerely,

[INSERT NAME]