PMI UK Chapter - A Past-Presidents Perspective.

More Synergy News!!

What is Synergy?

For the past five years the PMI 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 3^rd 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 participate with us.

Synergy 2011 will take celebrating the Project Management profession to a whole new level.  We have secured an iconic Central London venue, IndigO2.  The venue can accommodate almost two thousand people and we want to fill it with Project Managers, yes you heard right, an iconic Central London venue filled with Project Managers. 

 

So what makes Synergy different?

 

The event is inclusive.  We want employers, professional bodies, academic institutions, government and of course practicing Project Managers to come together in recognition of the contribution we make as a Profession.  Thus far we have had expressions of interest from the International Project Management Day movement, Project Management Institute, APM Group and IIBA as well as a number of large corporations.

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.  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.

The event is a celebration.  Synergy will highlight the value of Project Management and the impact it has when put to use effectively.  A number of organizations are currently seeking to raise the level of professionalism specific to their Project Management capability – a theme that we will keep coming back to throughout the day.  Syenergy 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 as we wish to make the day truly memorable.

The event is accessible.  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.  We expect ticket prices to be in the region of £50 per person.  For us this is not about profit, it’s about putting something back into the profession of which we are all a part.  Through a combination of professional and personal networks we are confident we will be able to offer an unparalleled bill of speakers and acts from the UK and overseas, acts that inspire, and speakers that truly make us proud to be Project Managers, both of which only a global organisation such as ours can attract.

The event is unique.  The format of the event ensures the audience will enjoy the day rather than ‘endure’ it.  Speakers from the Project Management profession and Industry at large will be combined with entertaining acts that portray key elements of Project Management.  Further we have plans to undertake something never done before - more later.

The event is ‘glocal.’  The fact that the event is part of a wider network of events ensures a global dimension to the event, so global.  The fact that it is being organized by the UK Chapter ensures a local flavor, hence glo-cal.  The vision is that the event will be a hub for the activities being organized to celebrate International Project Management Day 2011.  Picture a video wall beaming in representatives from PMI Chapters world-wide and you won’t be far wrong.

Who should come?

 The event is aimed at anyone who wishes to celebrate Project Management as a profession.  The unique nature of the event combining entertainment with education mean we anticipate attracting a diverse audience all of whom have one thing in common – their love of the Profession.  Clearly the event is particularly relevant to those who are practicing project managers or wish to understand the nature of the profession better.

Sponsor Opportunities?

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 partners so if you are at all interested in learning more about how you and your organization can get involved then reach out and one of the team will be only too happy to speak with you in detail. 

The PMI UK Chapter is a not-for-profit organization and thus we are heavily dependent upon the support of our sponsors.  We are currently seeking a variety of sponsors including headline and associate conference sponsors.  A variety of other packages, including a VIP package aimed at entertaining clients are also available.

We are currently seeking our Diamond Sponsor.  As the Diamond Sponsor, your organisation will be the overall conference sponsor. This special opportunity will enable your organisation to show genuine support and commitment to the perpetuation of excellence within Project Management in the UK.

Synergy 2011 Venue (unofficially) Announced

Just a very brief post to wish everyone a fantastic New Year! and share a word to the wise that we have secured IndigO2 as the venue for Synergy 2011 - #excited! ....much more to follow!

Synergy 2011 - Passion at Work!

My open letter to wet the appetite....

I am delighted that you have expressed a keen interest in Synergy 2011 as its success is very important to both the PMI UK Chapter Board and me personally.  I 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.

The PMI UK Chapter is a not-for-profit volunteer-led organisation with almost 3,000 members; we are run by Project Managers for Project Managers.  We are Chartered by the worlds largest Professional Body for Project Managers, the Project Management Institute with some 400,000 members world-wide.  In total there are over 5,000 PMI members in the United Kingdom. 

Given the global dimension to our organisation 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.

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 performers 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 3^rd 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.

We are planning something unique, something that very few organisations have attempted in the past and something we are confident will be a resounding success.  I hope I have been able to give you a flavour of what we have in mind and inspired you to be a part of what I expect to be a memorable occasion for all involved.

 Should you wish to know more the team will be only too happy to address any of your questions.  I’m equally happy to discuss your involvement in much more detail. In the meantime I wish you and your organisation every success both now and in the future.

You can register your interest here: http://bit.ly/8Yqrp0

Synergy 2011

It's been all together too long since I last posted anything here, but a number of exciting events affecting the Chapter have prompted me to jot down a few lines at least.  Last week the UK Chapter Board agreed to invest a considerable amount of money in what we hope will become the largest Project Management event in Europe, if not world-wide - Synergy 2011.  We hope to run the event next November at an iconic London location to coincide with International Project Management Day (see http://www.internationalpmday.org/) The event is intended to be a celebration of Project Management and we will be ensuring that costs are kept to a minimum so as many of the Project Management profession as possible can participate in this landmark event.  This is not something we are planning in order to make huge profits, but to provide a platform to raise the profile of the Profession here in the UK.  I will endeavour to post much more on this event over the coming weeks, but in the meantime we are embarking on a major marketing campaign to generate as much interest in the event as possible so please feel free to reach out to me or any other member of the Board.

In additional to Synergy 2011 we have also recently launched the PMI UK Chapter Corporate Council which we hope will become a real opportunity for major employers of Project Managers in the UK to work with the Chapter and PMI at large.  I am delighted with the level of interest that this has received and hope we will be able to host the innaugural meeting of the Council this year.  The Council is particularly exciting as it offers organisations in the UK a real opportunity to contribute to the development of PMI in the UK specifically.

Incidentally, I have noticed that there is an increasing trend for those involved with the Project Management profession to write a blog, perhaps I should start to give them something of a run for their money!  As a starter for ten, and as a recurring theme for future posts I will perhaps start to share my thoughts on my latest project, a Project Management manual entitled, 'Process is for Wimps'.  I invite anyone who happens to stumble on this article and is intrigued by the title to reach out and learn more.

Forthcoming Events

Hey All.  Thought you may be interested to know there is a PMI UK Chapter event on Wednesday 1st July in London, IBM Southbank to be precise.  Plenty of PDU's up for grabs!  All the details are at http://www.pmi.org.uk/events/london.asp but suffice to says it's all about Talent Management and proving to be very popular.  This event is organised by our London Events Committee.  As we have a Board meeting in London that same day I hope to be able to make it along so perhaps I'll bump into a few of you there?!

Whilst not for a while yet - October in fact, I would also like to use this little corner of the web to promote an event we are running in Edinburgh on 5th October.  The event is being held at Standard Life offices and will be a very different format from past events the Chapter has held.  I expect places to be very limited given the exciting nature of the event.  You can find out more at http://www.pmi.org.uk/events/downloads2009/Scotland_Pilot_Stakeholders_5_Oct_09.pdf.  If anyone who reads this does attend the event I would be very interested in your feedback as if this format is a success (which I am sure it will be) we hope to roll it out more widely next year.