Welcome to Day 1 of the Global Congress

 

​My day started quite early as I wanted to get registered and sorted in time (read: eat as much of the PMI breakfast as I could and drink tea!). The badge collection process was Streamless and very quick. 

Moving into the keynote, Stephen Maye did the introduction keynote and motivating the project managers to really get the most out of the conference and making the conference not just about your company or industry, but also about YOU. Then the keynote was Jon Dorenbos who motivated the crowd with his infectious enthusiasm and lust for life.

After the Keynote, i went to the Ask the Experts area and it's been non stop since! Below is a picture of the LinkedIn area where you can have a profile check as well as a picture taken.

During the break, there's a full array of snacks available and there's plenty of Gluten Free and Vegan options. This is one area where the PMI does not scrimp on and one thing that really sets you up for a good session.

My sessions today have been varied! I've seen people who I met with Last year who gave me an update on their situation and how my advice last year helped. Here are a few summaries of the people i met:

Annette:

- Annette is brand new to Project Management and wanted advice about how to learn more about Project Management and being able to get the necessary amount of hours for their project. We spoke about training opportunities, chapter opportunities etc.

Tony:

- Tony was having a few issues with their team and wanted some advice for how to manage conflict resolution and build a good team environment when there is a lot of negative energy and atmosphere. We spoke about what they can do to make a difference as well as simple, key effective strategies.

Sally:

- Sally has established her own PMO and has been responsibie for leading a successful team to astounding growth... but now her company is throwing every problem child at her and it's becomign too much so we spoke about ideas, solutions and what she can do to manage expectations with key stakeholders.

Pamela:

- Pamela is looking for a career transition and has been looking at the best way to market herself within a very competitive market and area. We spoke about establishing her core values and USPs and what she can do to stand out against her competition.

.... and we're still not done! We're here until 5pm where we will start a "Happy Hour" where people can drop in and chat to us. We've already had several discussions in our comfy sofas where people have been asking about risk workshops, chapter ideas and what we're doing here!

It's not just the "Ask the Experts" that has been alive today. The PM Wars area has exploded and you can sense the competition that has been rising.

It's also been a great day to meet other projectmanagement.com members including one promised selfie! 

Today has been a great first day and it's only looking to get better as the conference progresses. Do you want to know anything else about the event? Let me know below!

(Note: Names used have been changed to protect privacy)