Convince your manager templates

How to use these templates

This document is intended to help you write a request for your employer to cover the costs of your attendance at KotlinConf 2026.
Personalize the templates based on your role, team priorities, and internal approval process.

Here are a few ways to use them:

  • Use the email template for formal internal requests or ticketing systems.
  • Use the Slack message template for quick approvals or informal communication.
  • In the purple-highlighted bullet list of the email template, edit specific bullet points so that they show which areas of KotlinConf are relevant to your work (e.g. multiplatform, backend, AI, tooling, etc.).
  • Use the cost estimates specified below to give your employer an idea of the total expenditure of your trip. KotlinConf includes lunch and snacks on all three days, plus a party dinner on May 21. This can reduce your daily meal expenses.
  • Remove anything that doesn’t apply to you. These templates are meant to be flexible.

Email template

Subject: Requesting approval to attend KotlinConf 2026 (Munich, May 20-22)

Hi [Manager’s Name],

I’d like to request approval to attend KotlinConf 2026 in Munich on May 20–22, as well as participate in one hands-on workshop on May 20. KotlinConf is the main global Kotlin event hosted by JetBrains, bringing together over 2,000 Kotlin engineers, contributors, and teams using Kotlin in production.

This year’s agenda matches our current priorities and is relevant to my work. I can focus on sessions that benefit the team most, for example:

  • Kotlin and Compose Multiplatform: adoption patterns and case studies that reduce duplication and speed up delivery
  • Backend architecture with Ktor and Spring: scaling services, improving performance, and simplifying long-term maintenance
  • Kotlin + AI: practical LLM integrations, workflow automation, and AI-assisted development tools
  • Kotlin roadmap updates to help us plan work around upcoming language and tooling changes
  • Deep dives that help us make better architecture decisions and improve performance

In addition to the conference, I’d like approval to attend the [Workshop title] workshop (€715).

Workshops are full-day sessions (9:00–17:00) that include:

  • 6 hours of guided hands-on learning
  • Expert instructors from JetBrains or certified trainers
  • Personalized feedback
  • Preparation materials
  • A Certificate of Attendance for training records

Workshops have limited spaces, so early registration can help secure a spot.

One of the biggest advantages is direct access to JetBrains engineers, Kotlin maintainers, and teams running multiplatform and backend systems at scale. These discussions often address very specific technical or architectural challenges, and I can use them to get answers to questions we’re working through.

Estimated total cost: €1,380–€1,830 (€580 (excl. VAT) ticket, €550–€750 hotel for three nights, €150–€350 travel for European routes, and €100–€150 for meals) + €715 (excl. VAT) for the workshop. KotlinConf also provides an official Certificate of Attendance for training records.

After the event, I’ll share a summary of key takeaways and recommendations so the team benefits from this investment.

More details: https://kotlinconf.com

Thank you for your consideration,

[Your Name]

Slack message template

Hey [Manager’s Name] – quick request: I’d like approval to attend KotlinConf 2026 in Munich (May 20–22), plus one hands-on workshop. It supports our priorities, especially Kotlin Multiplatform + Compose Multiplatform as a single cross-platform solution, plus backend development with Ktor/Spring, and practical Kotlin + AI workflows.

The (“[Workshop Title]”) workshop is a full-day, hands-on session led by Kotlin experts. It includes personalized feedback and a Certificate of Attendance.

It’s also a good chance to talk with JetBrains engineers and teams running these technologies in production, and bring back answers to questions we are working on.

Estimated cost: €1,380–€1,830 (ticket, hotel, travel, meals) and €715 (excl. VAT) for the workshop. KotlinConf provides a Certificate of Attendance for training records.

More info: https://kotlinconf.com

Let me know what you think!