Plan your day at the WiPM Conference 2019

The Association for Project Management (APM) Women in Project Management Conference 2019 is drawing nearer and this year the event is focusing on diversity and how it can deliver better balance in the project profession.

Taking place at Etc Venues, 133 Houndsditch in London on Thursday 26 September, the conference, sponsored by Rider Levett Bucknall, will also look at embracing change and transformation and the tools and techniques that project managers need to succeed in the modern workplace.

As always, the schedule for the day is packed, so you need to plan your day carefully. Here are some highlights to look out for.

After opening remarks from conference chair Adeline Daly and APM president Sue Kershaw, don’t miss the opening keynote from British campaigner and fundraiser Claire Lomas MBE, which starts at 10.20. Lomas was paralysed from the waist down after an accident while competing in the Osberton Horse Trials. Determined not to give up, she went on to walk the London Marathon in a pioneering robotic suit, raising £210,000 for Spinal Research. She will tell her inspiring story at the conference, and the numerous fundraising projects she’s dedicated herself to since.

The bulk of the conference is split into three streams: Better Balance, Transformation and Change, and Tools and Techniques. Each stream will have three sessions, at 11.40, 13.35 and 14.20.

Stream one – Better Balance
The first stream focuses on soft skills and wellbeing. Dr. Clara Cheung of the University of Manchester unveils her research, conducted on behalf of APM, into wellbeing among project professionals.

Stream two – Transformation and Change
The Transformation stream is all about change management, with each session offering complementary views on how to make it work. Dee Tamlin, a legal project manager for Pinsent Masons, looks at change management in a context of diversity, based on her own experiences.

Stream three – Tools and Techniques
The third stream looks at the relationship between diversity and success in agile teams in a session hosted by Paul Erricker, founder and director at The Project Academy, will help you to tap into your strengths to maximise your impact.

Closing keynote
Cally Beaton is a media executive, entrepreneur and performer who has worked at ITV, Nickelodeon, MTV and Comedy Central (as senior VP of international sales at Viacom). While working at Comedy Central, she started a second career as a stand-up comedian, appearing on QI and The Museum of Curiosity, as well as performing her own show at the Edinburgh Fringe.

Through a combination of humour and insight, Beaton will discuss how we can encourage change and create a positive, agile, inclusive and inspiring environment in the workplace. She will also discuss the priorities of younger workers and how best to engage them.

Hopefully you’ll now know which sessions you’ll be attending. If you don’t have a ticket already, book yours here.