Keeping abreast of what is happening in your particular industry is crucial for survival in today's highly competitive business environment. One way to do this is to plan regular attendance at related industry conferences. This can also serve as a great motivator to company employees who are chosen to attend. To get maximum value from these events you should:

• Research the content and relevancy of speakers closely beforehand.
• Give careful consideration to who is the best person to attend, with the intent of sharing this responsibility over time.
• Review the agenda and discuss your expectations with the attendee beforehand.
• Have the attendee prepare a post conference report, including specific recommendations of how the new knowledge can be applied to your work situation.
• Convene a forum for discussing results with all employees.
• Follow up on the recommendations to the extent practicable.
• Start up a database of relevant conferences to help in selecting those with best value.

Train at least one employee in Internet search techniques to find appropriate sources of industry-specific resources to suit your business, and to be shared with other employees.


If you are looking for training unique to your particular industry, a good place to start is by locating any industry-specific governing bodies, associations or sector councils. In Canada, the sector councils are easily located on the following government site:


  The Alliance of Sector Councils


  Industry Associations