Inconvenience caused ...

I am sorry for any inconvenience caused by my inability to attend the event/conference.

1] Je suis désolée pour tout désagrément causé.

2] Je vous prie de m'excuser pour tout désagrément causé.

What is the appropriate French sentence in this context.
For example, you have told/promised to attend a party/conference; however, just at the last moment you had to withdraw on account of an illness.

I have promised to attend a conference. I have to go there at 8 o' clock in the morning. They provide breakfast, lunch and dinner for all the registered participants. I can't go there tomorrow morning because I hurt my knee while training yesterday. I have difficulty in walking.

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Permalink Reply by Frank on November 1, 2009 at 11:43am

Hi Crack,

There's a couple of possible translations for "sorry for the inconvenience", but this is the kind of phrase we usually say when something is done and has sensible side effects, not when you can't attend a conference.

La ligne 1 du métro sera coupée demain soir pour cause de travaux. Nous nous excusons pour ce désagrément.

Chers voisins. Je suis locataire de l'appartement 42 et j'organise une soirée samedi pour un anniversaire. Il y aura peut-être de la musique un peu forte. Par avance, nous nous excusons pour la gêne occasionnée.

See the point? What you're excusing for is the side effect of an action. Although that side effect might be that someone or a service will be missing.

In your case, and unless the fact that you're staying away from the conference would cancel it, I think something like "thanks for your understanding" would be way more suitable:

Merci de votre compréhension.