Project management conferences are a fantastic way to meet new people and improve your skills. I always come away feeling energised about where I am in my career and relieved having met people with similar problems to me.
Many conferences have early bird pricing so it is worth checking out the events that interest you as soon as you can in case you need to get corporate funding to attend.
If you are looking to attend a project management conference in 2020, chances are there is something happening near you that will be fun and meet your professional goals.
I’ve compiled this extensive list of conferences both local to me in the UK and around the world.
January to March 2020
PMI Sweden Passion for Projects: Malmo Live, Sweden 9-10 March 2020
The PMI Sweden is an event with inspiring speakers, professional colleagues, and companies in different sectors gathered with the goal of sharing their knowledge and experience in project, portfolio, and program management. The theme this year is orchestrating projects in a transformative world. It will be held at the Clarion Hotel and Congress in Malmo Live.
April to June 2020
International Scientific Conference on Project Management: Riga, Latvia, 23-24 April 2020
The conference takes place in Latvia, but the official language of the event is English. The theme is Project Management Development — Practice and Perspectives. Its focus is on discussing scientific research related to project management issues and to encourage networking between professionals in the industry.
I think events like this are showing how diverse the project management community is. We’ve come a long way since Henry Gantt.
Change Management 2020: Anaheim, California, USA, 3-6 May 2020
The Association of
The opening keynote speaker is Jacob Morgan, author and founder of the Future of Work University. It is being hosted at the Anaheim Marriott within walking distance of Disneyland making this a great conference to combine business with a vacation.
Global Scrum Gathering: New York, NY, USA, 11-13 May 2020
This conference has two sessions this year. Look below for the details of the October Gathering in Lisbon. The focus will be taking
It takes place at the New York Marriott Marquis right in Times Square. I’m not an
Elizabeth Harrin speaking at EVA 2015
APM Power of Projects Conference: London, UK, 21 May 2020
APM is always an exceptional event and I’ve spoken at it in the past (You can read my write up of the 2016 conference here). This year’s theme is Power of Projects. It is one in a series of three conferences, with other events happening in Edinburgh and Manchester.
It is being held at the Royal Lancaster London next to Hyde Park and within walking distance of Paddington Station. You do not need to be a member of APM to attend.
PMO Conference UK: London, UK, 2-3 June 2020
Completely focused on all things PMO, this two day event features expert speakers, an exhibition with PMO products and services, plus the chance to connect with other professionals in the industry. It is taking place at a new venue this year, The Mermaid at Blackfriars Bridge in London.
I attended the conference in 2018 and interviewed Geoff Crane. Watch the video below.
PMI EMEA Global Congress: Prague, Czechia 14-16 June 2020
Three days of professional development with hundreds of project, programme, and portfolio managers from around the world. It aims to teach you the concepts, skills and behaviours to shape the future. This conference will take place in Prague.
Check out the highlights from last year’s conference in Dublin.
IRNOP 2020: Uppsala, Sweden, 14-17 June 2020
The International Research Network on Organizing by Projects (IRNOP) will be hosted by Uppsala University this year and take place in Uppsala, Sweden. The theme is “Temporary projects in transitional times: Moving beyond dichotomous views on projects” and it is the 15th event in the series.
The official language of the conference is English. The temperatures in Uppsala in June can vary between 10 and 25 degrees Celsius, so pack accordingly.
Project Management in Practice: Boston, Massachusetts, USA, 25-26 June 2020
Visit Boston University for the Fourteenth Annual Project Management in Practice Conference for project management newcomers as well as certified practitioners. The theme is “All about 2020 Balance” and it is focusing on a more holistic, thoughtful, more connected, long-term view of projects and their outcomes.
The 2 day event sold out in 2019, so make sure you register early. They only invite 110 participants.
July to September 2020
Agile 2020: Orlando, Florida, USA, 20-24 July 2020
This year’s event is being held at the Hilton Orlando. The
The conference is very close to Walt Disney World, making this a perfect conference to combine with a vacation.
PMI Singapore Chapter Symposium: Singapore, 27-28 August 2020
The theme this year is Adaptive Mindset Leadership: Bringing PM Into a New Decade. The Symposium will highlight strategic project management for better business results, economy outlook and industry performance, and ensuring career growth in challenging environments.
It will be held at the Marina Bay Sands — Sands Expo and Conference Center in the heart of Singapore.
PMI Africa Conference: Lagos, Nigeria, 6-8 September 2020
This year’s conference will bring together hundreds of project, program, and portfolio managers from around Africa and the world. The theme is Africa in the Age of the Project Economy. It will feature opportunities to network and learn.
Agile and Beyond: Detroit, Michigan, USA, 8-10 September 2020
The Agile and Beyond conference is completely volunteer-driven and devoted to
The schedule is not out yet for this year, but you can look at previous year’s schedules to get an idea of what will be presented. They host over 100 sessions in a two day period. This conference always sells out.
eVa25: London, UK, 16-17 September 2020
The theme for this year’s conference is Looking Back and Looking Forward. This year marks its 25th year (what a milestone!). It’s one of the longest running conferences that I know of. They always offer a wide variety of talks — it isn’t just about earned value.
It always has a unique feel to it and the team make it very entertaining. There is even a candlelit dinner. It takes place at the beautiful Armourers’ Hall near Moorgate station.
PMI NZ & PMI Australia Project Management Conference 2020: Christchurch, New Zealand, 20-22 September 2020
Hosted by the PMI New Zealand Chapter the 2020 event will be at the newly refurbished Christchurch Town Hall (post 2011 earthquakes). This is going to a joint conference with the PMI Australia Chapter, so it is sure to be extra special. The theme is still TBA, but will update as more details come in.
APM Women in Project Management Conference 2020: London, England, 24 September 2020
This year’s conference will host over 600 project professionals to talk about personal development, relevant and applicable skills that you can use in your projects, and a diversity summit.
It will be held online.
October to December 2020
The Future PMO: London, UK, 1 October 2020
The Future PMO is a day devoted to PMO professionals. This is a fun and unique conference that brings together experts across many industries to learn from each other. Network and meet with your peers, attend the keynote and morning sessions, and in the afternoon attend workshop sessions.
It is being held at the Novotel London West which is just a 3-minute walk from the Hammersmith Underground Station.
Digital PM Summit, Orlando, Florida, USA, 18-20 October 2020
The Digital PM Summit is one of the best organised and most welcoming events I have ever attended. They made being a speaker and delegate so easy, and the atmosphere was very friendly. This is a good event to go to if you haven’t been to many conferences and are a bit nervous about the networking part of the larger events. This year it is taking place close to Mickey.
I spoke at the DPM Summit in San Antonio in 2016 and you can watch my video diaries from Day 1 and Day 2.
Global Scrum Gathering: Lisbon, Portugal, 19-21 October 2020
The Lisbon version of this event is to be held at the Congress Center Lisboa (see above in May for the New York event). This is an all levels conference. #SGLIS20 is three full days of keynotes and break out sessions to learn best practices and creative applications of
PMO Symposium: Orlando, Florida, USA, 8-11 November 2020
The theme for this one is not out yet, but will update as it becomes available. This four day conference will bring together PMO leaders for advanced workshops and networking. You will learn how to set up a resilient PMO. It is set to be held at the Omni Orlando at ChampionsGate.
2020 AIPM National Conference: Melbourne, Australia, 22-24 November 2020
The Australian Institute of Project Management has their annual conference at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Center. Now in its 42nd year, it is a platform for project leaders to gain knowledge and share experiences on topics that are driving the leadership of projects today and in the future.
Smartsheet ENGAGE!: Online 1 October 2020
This Smartsheet customer conference brings together thousands of people for speaker sessions, hands-on learning, and networking opportunities. Definitely take a look at their project management sessions.
Here is last year’s opening keynote session:
Dubai International Project Management Forum: Dubai, UAE TBA December 2020
It is largest project management event in the region and will be entering its seventh year. There are not dates for this conference yet, but will update as they become available. Previous year’s conference were held in December, so I expect this year’s will as well.
It has over 2,000 attendees with speakers from over 50 countries, making this a global event.
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Elizabeth Harrin is a Fellow of the Association for Project Management in the UK and the award-winning blogger behind