Conference & Special Event Attendee Expectations Policy

As a part of your employment with The Minerva Group you may be invited to attend a conference for continued education or to represent The Minerva Group in various capacities.

We want to make this an opportunity for every employee to get the most out of each event/conference.

There are significant expenses to sending an employee to an event/conference. Therefore, if you do not feel that you would get significant value out of the event you are welcome to decline the invitation. Please do so as soon as you have made a decision, preferably not later than 90 days prior to the event so that we can cancel reservations without penalty.

Attendance:

If you have been invited and accept the invitation to attend a conference or event you will be expected to attend the full event from start to finish. Please keep this in mind when planning transportation and alternative activities.

Unless TMG work or extenuating circumstances require your absences, you are required to attend all available sessions and attend “breakout” sessions when offered.

Exemptions may be given for attendance in cases where travel schedules conflict and you are unable to make it in on time or if you need to leave early. These exemptions must be approved ahead of time by the CEO or COO.

In the case where an event overlaps a weekend day(s), you may request a vacation day to offset the additional working day, however this must be pre-approved in accordance with the TMG Vacation Request Policy.

If you would like to stay at the event location beyond the conference dates, you are welcome to do so at your own expense. If there is a significant difference in air fare on your return flight (if applicable), due to the difference in flight day, you will be asked to re-pay TMG for the difference.

Reimbursements & company card expenses:

It is expected that each employee will do what they can to help reduce costs during an event when possible (i.e. taking a train or ride-share instead of a taxi).

Reimbursement/expenses for meals, incidentals and lodging will follow the GSA recommendations for the specific city you are in at the time of the expense. The following lookup tool can be used to determine approved amounts: https://www.gsa.gov/travel/plan-book/per-diem-rates

If the event/conference offers a suitable meal, beverage service or transportation, but you choose an alternative (choosing to eat at the hotel or make a purchase from a preferred establishment instead of choosing the conference offering), these items will not be reimbursable or included in daily per diem.

If TMG has organized a group meal/activity and an employee opts out of activity any meals/purchases during that same time will be considered non-reimbursable.

Alcoholic beverages, not offered during a TMG organized meal/activity are not reimbursable.

If you have a company credit card, you will be provided a budget on the card. This budget is not intended to allocate your per diem or allowable reimbursements, but a simple maximum for control purposes, please refer to the GSA recommendations for specific allowances. This card may be used in the place of being reimbursed at a later date for per diem and event expenses.

If an item is charged to the hotel bill (room charges), these will offset any per diem that may be reimbursed. If the charges are more than the allowance, the employee will be asked to re-pay TMG for the excess within 30 days.

Behavior:

Every employee of The Minerva Group (TMG) is expected to maintain the following behavior when attending an event/conference as a TMG representative:

• Treat other staff members and conference attendees with respect, consideration, and dignity.
• Questions and discussions should be respectful, constructive and focus on ideas rather than individuals.
• Comments or behaviors that may reasonably be assumed to have the effect of creating, contributing to, or maintaining an environment that is hostile toward or damaging to a person or group are prohibited, no matter whether they are made directly (e.g., in person or online) or indirectly (e.g., via social media).
• If you choose to drink alcohol during the “social events” of conference, we request that you limit your intake so as to remain professional and coherent.
• The use of illegal substances is strictly prohibited.
• Do not use legal intoxicants to the extent that your ability to act professionally is compromised.

Additional Information:

In order to keep costs down, so that more people may attend events, we will often ask employees to share hotel rooms and transportation. If this is the case, you will be notified ahead of time. If you would like to pay for the other portion (usually half) of the cost so that you may have the room/transportation to yourself, you may request this option through the CEO or COO and they may approve your request upon availability. Though many conference and event schedules will consume a majority of a normal working day, you are required to monitor and attend to your regular work as needed; this may include attending to “normal” work in the evening after the formal conference schedule. (Please ensure an out of office message is active on your email and voicemail during the event.)