Society News Archive

5 June 2013
Conference Attendance for Federal Employees

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued new guidance to all federal agencies that acknowledges the need for federal employees to attend mission-related conferences and provides some best practices for approving travel and conference expenses. This new guidance adopts many of the best practices suggested in a meetings protocol that the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) provided to the OMB at their request.

While government attendance at conferences is likely to continue to be hampered by sequestration budget cuts, OMB has stated in clear fashion that federal agency employees are encouraged to attend conferences that support their agency's mission. The OMB guidance can be found here.