Apologies for the slight delay in the publication of this newsletter, as per usual down to the late arrival of my contribution holding up proceedings. I have been holding off in the hope that I may have some very exciting news to share concerning Synergy 2011 - more of which later. First of all I would like to extend a very hearty congratulations and well earned thanks to all those involved in the 2010 International Project Management Day which was hosted by Microsoft earlier this month. For those that were able to make the event I am sure you will agree it was a magnificent success and builds on the tremendous achievements of previous years. I would like to extend my thanks and those of the Board to the entire organising committee, particularly this years Project Manager Penny Farrar. I would also like to thank the hosts Microsoft, our other sponsors and the speakers who all contributed to making the day so successful. Once again I would like to highlight the fact the IPM Day 2010 was free to attend as compared to the not inconsiderable costs involved in attending similar events of this kind. The fact we are uniquely placed to be able to offer events in this way is very important to the Chapter.
As has become customary I would like to use this opportunity to provide a brief update on some of the exciting initiatives that we have planned for the coming months and in particular look ahead to 2011. As is usual we will have a number of Board members leaving us at the end of December when their terms comes to an end and whilst we will all be sorry to see them go we will also have a number of new faces joining us and to that end I would like to extend a warm welcome to Neil Coutts who will be joining us as Director of Membership. I hope to convince a couple of the existing Board due to step down to remain with us given we have such exciting plans for 2011 and will hopefully be able to say more on this in a later edition. On that note I was flattered to be asked by the Board to remain in post for a further 12months in order to oversee some of our exciting plans so I fear you will have to put up with me for at least a further 12months. We have however set in train some organisational changes including the creation of a vice-president role to ensure we improve succession planning.
In previous articles I have mentioned the fact we have been keen to establish a PMI UK Corporate Council. Well I am delighted to be able to announce that we have recruited far more organisations that we had hoped possible for the initial meeting that will take place early in the New Year. The focus of this initial meeting will be on ensuring a clear terms of reference for the Council and ensuring that it is well placed to influence the development of the Project Management Profession in the UK. I hope to invite a couple of guest speakers to the initial meeting to share some of the key emerging themes within the UK Project/Programme Management space. The creation of the council forms a landmark in the progress of the Chapter towards developing closer relations with the UK and global organisations that have such a significant impact on how we manage projects here in the United Kingdom.
Last but not least I would like to share the latest news concerning Synergy 2011. Synergy 2011 is the event we are planning for International Project Management 2011 which falls on Thursday 3rd November 2011 - mark your diary! Synergy 2011 will take celebrating the Project Management profession to a whole new level. We have secured an iconic Central London venue that can accommodate literally thousands of people and we want to fill it with Project Managers, yes you heard right, an iconic Central London venue filled with Project Managers. We want employers, professional bodies, academic institutions and of course practicing Project Managers to come together in recognition of the contribution we make as a Profession. I am delighted at the level of interest already shown in the event and would like to take this opportunity to share some of our plans with you in the hope that you too will begin to feel the same sense of excitement.
Synergy is not ‘just another conference’, in fact it’s not a conference at all rather it’s a landmark occasion aimed at celebrating the Project Management profession. This is important. Whilst being organised by the PMI United Kingdom Chapter we hope to benefit the professional at large. We truly hope all elements of the profession will wish to participate be it Professional Bodies, Corporations, Government, Education or Individuals. We have made it our business to ensure the event is as inclusive as possible. Given the global dimension to PMI we expect to attract participants from all over the globe, including the PMI executive leadership team, global Board of Directors and in excess of 200 Chapters worldwide. For us to achieve this we plan to host the event at an instantly recognisable, iconic London venue. We plan to announce the venue in a press release shortly and there will be accompanied by a marketing campaign aimed at raising the Project Management professions profile so watch this space!
Traditionally Project Management conferences have been costly affairs running into hundreds, if not thousands of pounds. We aim to challenge this model and charge much less, but offer much, much more. For us this is not about profit, it’s about putting something back into the profession of which we are all a part. An iconic venue, world class speakers and an unparalleled opportunity to celebrate the profession are all important ingredients. Through a combination of professional and personal networks I am confident we will be able to offer an unparalleled bill of speakers and performances from the UK and overseas, acts that inspire, speakers that truly make us proud to be Project Managers, both of which only a global organisation can attract.
For the past five years the UK Chapter has been successfully running an International Project Management Day event to recognise the success of the Profession and to celebrate Project Management. Synergy will continue in this tradition and be held on International Project Management Day in 2011, Thursday 3rd November. On that same day other events will be being held all over the world. We hope these events will share in our celebration and through a variety of media even participate.
As you can see we have big plans and in order to ensure we are able to realise these ambitions we will need the support of our members so if you are at all interested in learning more about how you and your organisation can get involved then reach out and one of the team will be only too happy to speak with you in detail. I hope I have been able to give you at least some sense of the excitement we are feeling about our 2011 plans. If so why not consider getting involved? Best....
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