Our very own PMG Career Whisperer had the honour of being one of the headline speakers at the UK’s biggest event for professional project managers: the Association for Project Management (APM) 2024 Annual Conference.
The conference, themed “Navigating Tomorrow: The Future Skills for Project Managers,” was held at the Coventry Building Society Arena and welcomed over 800 practitioners, experts, suppliers and association staff. For the first time in its history, the event spanned two days, a nod to its comprehensive agenda. And even with the best will in the world a mere mortal could not get around to see everything that was on offer across the multiple rooms, breakout areas, workshop drop-ins and learning pods.
The same relaxed atmosphere of previous years was evident, yet this year felt even more social. Perhaps it was the open-plan feel of the central atrium, where the conference hosts and industry suppliers kept us topped up with a never ending flow of refreshments, sweet-treats and chit-chat. Attendees mingled with familiar industry faces over coffee in the networking hall, shared rapturous applause during the Education Awards, enjoyed drinks at the evening dinner, and shared breakfast on the final day.
The speakers were truly the highlight of the event—and I say this not just because I had my own, 45-minutes of fame on the second morning. There really were some truly awesome speakers!
The conference kicked off with Dr. Paul Redmond, who delivered a masterclass on generational differences. His insights into what Generation Alpha will bring to project management were particularly intriguing. I can’t wait for them to get here!
Eddie Obeng’s keynote on developing emotional intelligence captivated the audience. I was so blown away by his wisdom that we have secured Eddie for a future guest writer piece, right here for PMG. He will explore his exceptional career and dedication to the profession. So watch out for our special feature in a few weeks’ time.
Thimon De Jong energized the start of the second day with his interactive session, transforming the audience into Ben & Jerry C-Suite leaders to tackle the challenge of unwanted ice-cream flavours. His light-hearted workshop on how to tackle change and bring your stakeholders with you led us on an unexpected path to a secret area at the back of a manufacturing plant somewhere in Waterbury, Vermont, USA.
And if you don’t believe me that this is a real thing, you can check out the Ben & Jerry’s website to see just what they do.
The big-ticket debate on AI’s impact on the project profession was a standout session. David Corbin of Gleeds and Dev Amratia, Co-Founder and CEO of nPlan, expertly debated the pros and cons of technology’s rapid advancement.
Dr. Anne-Marie Amafidon closed the conference on the final day, with a powerful keynote, addressing seismic systemic issues in society and the role of project professionals in driving change.
Beyond the main stage, several other speakers left a lasting impression:
Sharing my insights on the rise of AI and how to compete in the future project management market, with over 200 fellow project managers was both a delight and an inspiration. Here I am asking my audience to identify their animal type, to better understand their mindset towards the implementation of new AI technologies.
For those interested in future project management industry events, check out the PMG calendar for our top suggestions from around the world. And to see more content from the APM 2024 Conference, visit their website.
The APM 2024 Annual Conference was an absolute blast; filled with enriching experiences, valuable insights and the opportunity to network with fellow project managers from a range of professional backgrounds and diverse sectors. For those who couldn’t attend, I hope this recap gives you a sense of the event’s warm atmosphere and inspirational sessions.
The APM Annual Conference took place on the 5 & 6 June 2024 at the Coventry Building Society Arena, Coventry, UK. For more on the work of the APM visit their main website https://www.apm.org.uk/
Swanwick House, 22 Towcester Road, Old Stratford, Milton Keynes, MK19 6AQ, UK
© 2024 Project Management Global. All rights reserved | Privacy Policy
