As I prepare for the 2025 PMI Global Summit in Phoenix, a lot’s been running through my mind, especially while packing up in this small city tucked deep in the woods of Northern Canada.
What’s the real probability of making the most of this time away from home and the potential impact it could have?
What are the risks, both positive and negative?
Do I have solid mitigation plans in place? How reliable are those plans, given the current state of the world?
What contingencies have I built in?
And where can I access a repository of lessons learned from those who’ve done this before?
Plenty of questions swirling around.
Help this PM think them through; your insights are welcome.
From my perspective, attending the PMI Global Summit is like managing a project, it has both risks and rewards. I see the positives in networking and learning, while the main risks are time, cost, and travel issues. Clear goals and flexibility help make the most of the experience.
I like how you framed your trip through a risk management lens — truly a PM mindset. I’d say the “positive risk” here is the connections, learning, and fresh perspectives you’ll gain at the Summit. The “negative risks” — travel fatigue, unexpected disruptions, or missed opportunities — can be mitigated with clear priorities and time blocks. A good contingency? Stay flexible and open — that’s where most lessons are found.
Program Manager| HARPER SRLSanto Domingo / Distrito Nacional, Dominican Republic
Greaet, a personal “risk analysis” before a major professional event.
I think the positive risks (opportunities) often outweigh the negatives in moments like this. The chance to build connections, gain new perspectives, and recharge your professional energy can have lasting impact beyond the summit itself.
For me, the best mitigation strategy for the uncertainties is intentionality, knowing what I want to learn, who I’d like to meet, and what value I want to bring back to my projects. That transforms the trip from an expense to an investment in growth.
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1 reply by Akin Fadare
Oct 29, 2025 8:11 PM
Akin Fadare
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Pimentel Sosa
Thank you! Intentionality makes life easier in a mega event like the Global Conference. Thank you for sharing.
If possible, go to your local bank and exchange some currency for USD. If that's an option, they'll likely have better rates than trying to exchange at a hotel or bank, here. In the little traveling I've done, it wasn't an issue, but I friend of mine was recently in Germany and needed local currency to be treated at a hospital. That may be less of an issue here, but a little cash can come in handy.
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1 reply by Akin Fadare
Oct 29, 2025 8:08 PM
Akin Fadare
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Thank you, Aaron. Yes, I plan to do that. Local exchange is better than on the American side.
Saving Changes...
Luis BrancoCEO| Business Insight, Consultores de Gestão, LdªCarcavelos, Lisboa, Portugal
Akin Fadare What a thoughtful and timely reflection, and an excellent reminder that risk analysis doesn’t just live in spreadsheets, but in the way we experience uncertainty.
I’ve learned that every trip carries both kinds of risk: the logistical and the human.
A few lessons from experience:
- Pack light, mentally too.
The less you carry, the more present you become.
- Have a flexible plan.
Schedules shift, flights delay, but the best insights often come in unplanned conversations.
- Prepare your “intentional questions.”
Know what you want to learn, who you want to meet, and what you’d like to bring back.
That’s how you transform a trip from an expense into an investment.
- Leave space for silence.
Some of the most valuable ideas come when you step away from the crowd and let the experience settle.
From a regenerative perspective, risk isn’t just about avoiding disruption, it’s about engaging consciously with uncertainty.
Every risk carries the potential for connection, learning, and renewal if we stay curious and grounded in purpose.
That’s what true risk maturity looks like applying the same awareness we bring to projects, to life itself.
Safe travels to Phoenix, may you return not only with new contacts, but with renewed clarity and inspiration.
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1 reply by Akin Fadare
Oct 29, 2025 8:12 PM
Akin Fadare
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Luis Branco, thank you for the wishes. More connections and more clarity, I pray for.
Akin
Saving Changes...
Sergio Luis ConteHelping to create solutions for everyone| Worldwide based OrganizationsBuenos Aires, Argentina
All you need is using AI, mainly Generative AI. Saving Changes...
If possible, go to your local bank and exchange some currency for USD. If that's an option, they'll likely have better rates than trying to exchange at a hotel or bank, here. In the little traveling I've done, it wasn't an issue, but I friend of mine was recently in Germany and needed local currency to be treated at a hospital. That may be less of an issue here, but a little cash can come in handy.
Thank you, Aaron. Yes, I plan to do that. Local exchange is better than on the American side. Saving Changes...
Greaet, a personal “risk analysis” before a major professional event.
I think the positive risks (opportunities) often outweigh the negatives in moments like this. The chance to build connections, gain new perspectives, and recharge your professional energy can have lasting impact beyond the summit itself.
For me, the best mitigation strategy for the uncertainties is intentionality, knowing what I want to learn, who I’d like to meet, and what value I want to bring back to my projects. That transforms the trip from an expense to an investment in growth.
Pimentel Sosa
Thank you! Intentionality makes life easier in a mega event like the Global Conference. Thank you for sharing.
Akin Fadare What a thoughtful and timely reflection, and an excellent reminder that risk analysis doesn’t just live in spreadsheets, but in the way we experience uncertainty.
I’ve learned that every trip carries both kinds of risk: the logistical and the human.
A few lessons from experience:
- Pack light, mentally too.
The less you carry, the more present you become.
- Have a flexible plan.
Schedules shift, flights delay, but the best insights often come in unplanned conversations.
- Prepare your “intentional questions.”
Know what you want to learn, who you want to meet, and what you’d like to bring back.
That’s how you transform a trip from an expense into an investment.
- Leave space for silence.
Some of the most valuable ideas come when you step away from the crowd and let the experience settle.
From a regenerative perspective, risk isn’t just about avoiding disruption, it’s about engaging consciously with uncertainty.
Every risk carries the potential for connection, learning, and renewal if we stay curious and grounded in purpose.
That’s what true risk maturity looks like applying the same awareness we bring to projects, to life itself.
Safe travels to Phoenix, may you return not only with new contacts, but with renewed clarity and inspiration.
Luis Branco, thank you for the wishes. More connections and more clarity, I pray for.
From my perspective, attending the PMI Global Summit is an investment with both risks and rewards. The key is to treat it like any project, define clear objectives, assess potential challenges, and plan contingencies. The positive risks include valuable networking, learning, and inspiration, while the negatives might be time, travel, or cost. With clear goals and flexibility, the benefits often outweigh the risks.
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