THINK DIFFERENTLY ABOUT PEOPLE IN PROJECTS
This is the conference for the people behind the projects – for you, the project professional; for your teams and for your stakeholders.
The last eighteen months has made us all think differently about the way we work, manage our teams and deliver projects. This week-long virtual event, which is sponsored by Fujitsu, offers the chance to reflect on the opportunities the ‘new normal’ has brought for us and our workforces. We’ll be thinking differently about mental health and wellbeing, diverse project communities, leadership, communications and continued professional development (CPD). We’ll be breaking down barriers to positive change in the workplace and providing opportunities to build networks, take part in live sessions and interact with our expert sponsors.
We are pleased to announce the Women in Project Management Conference returns in-person at Edgbaston Stadium, on Wednesday 22nd September, in our first hybrid conference.
BOOK YOUR TICKET
Virtual
✔ Access to the virtual conference, featuring sessions to develop your skills every day
✔ Catch up on sessions you missed during the week
✔ Take part in online discussions and networking opportunities
✔ Enjoy full access to interactive elements such as polls
Members: Free
Corporate Partner Employees: £15
Non-Members: £25
Virtual & In-person
✔ Access to the virtual conference all week, including all benefits of the virtual ticket
✔ Join us in-person at Edgbaston Stadium on day three for the Women in Project Management Conference
✔ Enjoy exclusive live sessions only available to our in-person audience
✔ Network with other delegates face-to-face
Members: £250
Corporate Partner Employees: £280
Non-members: £300
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Christine Armstrong
Expert in Human Behaviour and Performance
Christine Armstrong is a writer and consultant specialising in the future of work, workplaces, leadership and company communication. She is the author of The Mother of All Jobs: How to Have Children and a Career and Stay Sane(ish). She also co-founded the communications consultancy Jericho Chambers and now leads her own consultancy helping businesses to operate in an uncertain, disrupted world.
See our keynote speaker in person. Christine will be speaking exclusively at our hybrid event on Day Three. Find out more below.
WITH THANKS TO HEADLINE SPONSOR
Fujitsu UK & Ireland employs over 9,000 people. We promote a Human Centric Intelligent Society, in which innovation is driven by the integration of people, information and infrastructure. We are committed to Digital Co-creation, blending business expertise with digital technology and creating new value with ecosystem partners and customers. We enable our customers to digitally transform with connected technology services, focused on Artificial Intelligence, the Internet of Things, and Cloud - all underpinned by Security. Our customers cover both the public and private sectors, including retail, financial services, transport, manufacturing, government and defence.
For more information please see http://uk.fujitsu.com
Interested in sponsoring at Think Differently?
WHAT TO EXPECT
Day one – Monday - Virtual
Think differently about the project workspace
There’s no question that the pandemic changed the way we work – but in the context of collaboration, wellbeing and inclusivity, what new ways of working should we adopt going forward?
Start the week by joining the discussion to discover what’s required for the ultimate project workspace.
Day two – Tuesday - Virtual
Think differently about your project team
Managing remotely is challenging – so how can project professionals consider diverse needs, be agile and create collaborative and productive environments in this new normal? And how can project managers become project leaders?
The second day aims to answer these burning questions and more.
Day three – Wednesday - In person @ Edgbaston Stadium & Virtual
Think differently about women in project management - a hybrid conference
The much-celebrated women in project management conference is back. In the first face to face event APM has delivered since March 2020, we’ll be inviting delegates to take part in interactive live discussions and exclusively hear from inspirational expert speakers. It’s a chance to discuss how the pandemic has affected women in the profession, find out what comes next for female project managers and build back your network with hundreds of other project professionals.
The event takes place at Edgbaston Stadium near Birmingham and delegates can be confident their experience will be carefully managed to be safe and enjoyable. Tickets will be strictly limited and available on a first come first served basis for this hybrid event. It’s not to be missed.
Day four - Thursday - Virtual
Think differently about project stakeholders
Project professionals play a crucial role in keeping stakeholders engaged and informed about a project, a job not easy during a pandemic. We will provide valuable tools and knowledge for project professionals to re-engage their stakeholders: promoting inclusive design, successfully managing change, and effectively communicating to ensure successful project delivery.
Day five – Friday - Virtual
Think differently about YOU
After a week of learning, absorbing knowledge and replenishing your toolbox, we’re giving you a chance to reflect on your own developmental needs. We’ve all lived through a time that has made us step back a reassess what’s important, and the final day of this conference is all about YOU. Reflect on your career, work out how to identify (and fill) knowledge gaps, consider your own mental health and wellbeing needs, and map your own continued professional development (CPD) journey.
THE PROGRAMME
Day One - The project workspace
| 11:00 |
Welcome 🕑 15 mins |
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| 11:15 |
Keynote 🕑 30 mins |
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| 12:15 |
Panel discussion: Thinking beyond the office - what's the ultimate project workspace? Project organisations have an opportunity to take the lessons learned from the pandemic to create a new, fit for purpose project workplace in the future. How can effective collaboration be done remotely? Do the distractions of the office impact productivity? What's the ultimate workspace for project professionals? This debate will aim to address these questions in the context of wellbeing, productivity, inclusivity and collaboration to help define the future of project working. 🕑 60 mins |
|
| 13:45 |
How organisations can (and should) raise the profile of their project teams It's often been said that the project profession is 'coming of age'. If this is the case, where are the CEOs and c-suite leaders with a project background? In this session we'll explore why organisations should be flying the flag for their project teams, what this looks like, what the key benefits are and examples of how this has been done successfully. 🕑 45 mins |
|
Day Two - Your project team
| 11:00 |
Creating a positive and productive team environment that gets results As a team leader you're responsble for ensuring your team is productive and happy. This session will provide anyone leading a project team with advice and guidance on creating a collaborative environment, understanding learning styles and identifying working needs to bring the best out of people. 🕑 45 mins |
|
| 12:15 |
Panel discussion: Leadership vs management Project professionals are great at managing - that's their job. But how does a project professional move from management to leadership? What skills do they need and how do they get there? What habits of managing do they need to lose? And most of all - how does project leadership differ from project management? 🕑 60 mins |
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| 13:45 |
Agile team working Agile working is a term often referred to in managing projects. But how can it be applied to managing teams? This session will cover how an agile, adaptable and diverse team can help you get the results you're looking for. 🕑 45 mins |
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Day Three - Women in Project Management
| 9:30 |
Welcome APM Women in Project Management Specific Interest Group 🕑 15 mins This session is exclusive to those attending in-person |
|
| 9:45 |
Keynote 🕑 45 mins This session is exclusive to those attending in-person |
|
| 11:00 |
Building a thriving career in a volatile world It's hard to ignore the impact lockdown has had on the professional lives of women. In a world that continues to be volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA), how can women in the project profession make the right impact for a thriving career? This session aims to talk through some of the opportunities women in project management can act on to move their careers forward, be more visible and achieve greater influence. 🕑 45 mins |
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| 12:15 |
Build back your network No matter your situation during lockdown, bulding and maintaining your network has been a challenge. In this session we'll give you the tools to not only build back your network, but also revive and invigorate it. We'll talk about how to have meaningful conversations in a hybrid world and how to make - and keep - the right connections. 🕑 45 mins |
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| 14:00 |
Panel discussion:Taking growth mindset to the next level Growth mindset may be something that has been talked about in your organisation - but what is it, why do we need it, and how can it be enabled to achieve your objectives? In this panel discussion we'll tackle these big questions and provide practical advice on how best to apply growth mindset to your work to get real results. 🕑 60 mins |
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| 15:30 |
Keynote
🕑 60 mins This session is exclusive to those attending in-person |
|
Day Four - Project stakeholders
| 11:00 |
How to manage stakeholders through change in uncertain environments Project professionals are masters of change - but it's challenging to keep stakeholders engaged when the parameters are constantly changing too. In this session we'll provide tools and practical advice for project professionals about how to keep a range of stakeholders engaged through change projects in ever-changing environments. 🕑 45 mins |
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| 12:15 |
Panel discussion: The practicalities of inclusive design in project management How can projects best utilise inclusive design principles to maximise benefits to the diverse nature of the end user? This panel session will combine theory with practicalities of inclusive design in project management, using real-life examples. 🕑 60 mins |
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| 13:45 |
Communicating effectively with challenging stakeholders Communication is key to good stakeholder management - but communicating effectively with certain stakeholders can be a challenge. This session will look at communication techniques and tools that will help project professionals to minimise stakeholder conflict and manage difficult situations, leading to harmonious stakeholder relationships. 🕑 45 mins |
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Day Five - You
| 11:00 |
Develop yourself - how to identify (and fill) your skills gaps There's never been a better time to develop and learn. This session will provide tools to identify where you need to develop, where to find the right resources and learning, and how best to utilse that learning to grow and develop yourself personally and professionally. 🕑 45 mins |
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| 12:15 |
Managing burnout - how to thrive in the project workspace Burnout is a term that has been used often in recent months in relation to the lockdown experience. This session provides an opportunity to reflect on how your work can affect your wellbeing and to try out tools to help you to thrive in your role and be ready to manage future challenges effectively. 🕑 45 mins |
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| 13:30 |
Panel discussion: The adaptive project professional - how to future proof yourself Change is set to be the defining characteristic of the decade ahead; the project professional will play a key part in creating and delivering that change. Adaptability will be key - and in a VUCA world, you need to be ready to continually evolve and grow both personally and in what you deliver through your work. In this session the panel will discuss key actions that project professionals should be considering to be ready for the challenges of the future. 🕑 60 mins |
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Programme may be subject to change
