This month will see the biggest international event in the project management (PM) world come to Dublin. It will also be the largest PM event for the next ten years to come to Ireland and Aspira is delighted to participate in the event this year.
What is all the fuss about?
The Project Management Institute (PMI) is the biggest PM professional body in the world, and was founded 50 years ago in Philadelphia. There are two big events held every year; one in North America and one in the EMEA region. This year, the North American event will be back in Philadelphia to mark its 50th anniversary, while the EMEA event will be held in Dublin.
Because project managers are good at managing resources, the PMI actually roll up two events into one. On the Friday, Saturday and Sunday, they hold what is called the Leadership Institute Meeting (LIM for us lovers of three-letter acronyms). The LIM is an invitee-only event, and it is where the leaders of the PMI from all over the world come together to share ideas, initiatives, discuss new trends, and go networking.
Aspira at the Congress
As CEO of Aspira, along with my colleague Norma Lynch, who is Head of Training at Aspira, we will deliver a session on ‘Influencing Without Authority – An Essential Skill for Project Managers’. In most organizations, project managers need to manage people by influence rather than by control, and this can be a hard thing to achieve if you don’t have authority in an organization.
Aspira offer a two-day training course on ‘Influence without Authority’ and the core concepts shared in that course have been distilled down into a 75 minute interactive session. There has been a huge amount of interest expressed by Congress attendees – so much so that we have been asked to deliver an encore presentation on the same topic on Tuesday. Special prize for anyone who attends our keynote on both days!
My involvement at the Congress as President of the Ireland Chapter of PMI
In my role as President of the Ireland Chapter of PMI, I am honoured to deliver the welcoming address as part of the opening keynote session to the LIM, where I will also introduce ‘The Sky at Night’ TV presenter Dr. Maggie Aderin-Pocock, who is a fascinating speaker. As part of the social setting we will introduce our PM Leadership colleagues from around the world to iconic Irish cultural activities, such as pouring a pint of Guinness and trying out for a Riverdance troupe. It will be interesting to see if project managers can bust a few Michael Flatley moves!
In my PMI role, I will deliver a talk on Sunday morning on the subject of Sponsorship and Project Management. This is a topic I am very keen on, as establishing and maintaining a good relationship with sponsors can deliver a real win/win for all concerned.
On Monday, the Congress commences. Attendance is not restricted to this – basically anybody interested in project management can participate. The Congress attracts a huge crowd from all over the world – it is the most geographically-diverse group in the PMI annual calendar. It runs from Monday, 13 May to Wednesday, 15 May and will include a number of site visits to real-life working projects in the Dublin area.
The Congress will wrap up with a TED session on Wednesday, exploring aspects of Project Management. I am a huge fan of the TED format so I have high hopes for the event to have a fantastic finish.
It is exciting to welcome so many people with a passion for project management to Dublin. Ireland has deservedly established an international reputation as a centre of project management excellence and this event gives us an opportunity to demonstrate our expertise and talent in project management.