This year marks the return of many long-standing project management conferences that went dark with the onset of COVID-19 in early 2020. There’s a reason for excitement—once again there are opportunities to network and connect with other project managers, get hands-on training and learn from experts in the field, and let lose a little bit with your peers.
Even amidst the optimism, data suggests that overall attendance has only returned to about 65% of what it was pre-pandemic. As we gear up for the project management conferences listed below, I’d expect those numbers to surpass last year’s (especially given the slate of options, speakers, and topics lined up for 2023)!
I’ll cover 12 of the top project management conferences you’ll want to make an effort to attend in 2023, and give you all the deets on places and faces (and what it might cost you).
I’ll cover:
12 Project Management Conferences Happening In 2023
Many of our favorite conferences are back for 2023—I’m especially excited for PMI’s Global Summit, the Global Scrum Gathering, and the Women In Project Management Summit. For each conference, you’ll find info on the where, when, and relative cost (don’t forget to factor in travel costs!).
1. Women In Project Management Summit
Where: Dublin, Ireland
When: March 9, 2023
In-person or virtual: In-person
Cost: $
The Women In Project Management Summit (WIPM) has been running in Ireland since 2019.
This year’s speakers include Niamh O’Neill, Karen Hope, Naghmeh Nassiri, and Carole Osterweil, who will be covering a variety of topics, including emotional intelligence, product-centric approaches to project management, and gender equality and diversity in industries ranging from construction and infrastructure to smart city design to the energy sector.
While not strictly a digital project management conference, the WIPM Summit will provide insights valuable to project managers (of all genders) in a variety of fields. Find out more here.
2. AIPM 2023 National Summit
Where: Sydney, Australia
When: March 24, 2023
In-person or virtual: In-person
Cost: $$
This year’s National Summit, put on by the Australian Institute of Project Management (AIPM) is being held in Sydney. As usual, it’s followed by the National Project Management Achievement Awards Dinner, which recognizes and rewards work in program and project leadership in 12 categories.
2023’s featured speakers include Alisa Camplin-Warner, Cherie Gray, Chris Deeble, Elena Zagorenko, and Jarrod Ball. Topics are focused around mobility and engagement in project management careers, cybersecurity, resilience in the face of supply chain disruptions, and how the context of projects is changing in today’s world.
Find out more here.
3. Project Summit Business Analyst World
Where: Orlando, Florida, USA
When: April 3-5, 2023
In-person or virtual: In-person
Cost: $$$$
The theme of this year’s Project Summit Business Analyst World is Future Forward, and features a variety of speakers, workshops, and keynotes that cover a wide range of topics relevant to project managers (and business analysts) in the year 2023.
Learn about what managing remote workers means in changing work environments, what makes a PM consultancy successful, or why Vanilla Ice would make a perfect agile coach (seriously).
This project management conference also offers workshops in everything from agile fundamentals to creating a custom digital assistant for yourself. Of note: attendees can earn up to 18 PDUs and CDUs. Find out more here.
4. Project Management Symposium
Where: College Park, Maryland, USA
When: April 20-21, 2023
In-person or virtual: In-person and virtual
Cost: $
The Project Management Symposium began in 2014, and is offering in-person, virtual, and hybrid attendance this year.
Topics on the slate include DevOps, change management at the organizational level, hybrid project management, and cutting-edge commentary on Industry 4.0/5.0 and the Internet of Things. Individual speakers include Laura Barnard, John Deatrick, and Crystal J. Richards.
The Project Management Symposium offers papers and recordings from previous events on their website, which provides a pretty good preview of what you can expect. PDUs are also on offer for attendees, which can go towards the renewal of your PMP certification. Find out more here.
5. Business Agility Conference 2023
Where: New York, New York, USA
When: April 26-27, 2023
In-person or virtual: In-person and virtual
Cost: $$$
Held in the heart of Midtown Manhattan, 2023’s Business Agility Conference features TED-style talks, panels, interviews, and more deep-dive conversations. Speakers have yet to be announced, but attendees can expect discussions of topics in the IT and software space, banking and finance sectors, and manufacturing and automotive fields.
This year’s conference will welcome both in-person and online project professionals, and total numbers are expected to exceed 1,000. Find out more here.
6. Global Scrum Gathering 2023
Where: Portland, Oregon, USA
When: May 7-10, 2023
In-person or virtual: In-person and virtual
Cost: $$$
The Scrum Alliance has been putting on Global Scrum Gatherings for almost 20 years, and they have long been must-attend events. This year’s event will include virtual attendees, and the in-person global event will be held in Portland, with regional events being held throughout the year. If you can’t get to Portland, there might be a regional gathering near you.
Information on speakers has not yet been released, but rest assured that you can earn 24 SEUs toward the renewal of your Scrum Alliance certification. Find out more here.
7. Agile & Beyond 2023
Where: Detroit, Michigan, USA
When: June 13-14, 2023
In-person or virtual: In-person
Cost: $
This year’s Agile & Beyond Conference is being held in Detroit and will feature keynote addresses from Kelsey Hightower and Archana Joshi. The full lineup of speakers has not yet been announced, but if this year’s docket is anything like last year’s, attendees can expect to hear expertise from agile coaches, director-level product people, and senior consultants.
This grass-roots project management conference is one of the heavy hitters in terms of innovation and knowledge sharing. Find out more here.
8. Agile on the Beach
Where: Cornwall, United Kingdom
When: July 6-7, 2023
In-person or virtual: In-person
Cost: $$
The philosophy behind Agile on the Beach is simple—their allegiance is to the methodology (whatever that means to you) rather than specific technologies being used to carry out your chosen agile methodology.
This year’s keynote speakers include Ceri Newton-Sargunar, Lisa Crispin, Janet Gregory, and Jeff Gothelf. Topics you can expect to hear covered include software delivery, product design, and product management.
At Agile on the Beach, you’ll have access to talks, workshops, and plenty of networking and social events, including a beach barbecue and a closing boat party. Find out more here.
9. Agile2023
Where: Orlando, Florida, USA
When: July 24-28, 2023
In-person or virtual: In-person
Cost: $$$$
Agile2023 is one of the biggest annual conferences in North America, and it’s put on by Agile Alliance. In the spirit of building up intrigue and hype, keynote speakers have not been announced yet.
This project management conference includes access to talks and educational sessions, and you’ll network with other attendees, many of whom are software developers, QA analysts and testers, UX designers, data scientists, and other professions with a vested interest in agile.
Bonus: attendees are eligible to earn SEUs for attending the conference, which goes to renewing your Scrum Alliance certification. Find out more here.
10. Digital PM Summit
Where: Orlando, Florida, USA
When: October 23-24, 2023
In-person or virtual: In-person
Cost: $$
Each year, the Bureau of Digital puts on the Digital PM Summit, which is meant for—you guessed it—project managers in the digital space. This conference promises to connect digital project managers for the purpose of sharing work experiences, interests, and expertise.
Information on speakers and topics is not yet available (and the date itself is still tentative), but attendees can expect to gain a sense of community and companionship with their peers, no matter your specific industry or what types of projects you work on and oversee.
Find out more here.
11. PMI Global Summit 2023
Where: Atlanta, Georgia, USA
When: October 25-28, 2023
In-person or virtual: In-person
Cost: $$$
The Project Management Institute’s flagship Global Summit is set for the end of October in Atlanta. It’s aimed at project management professionals looking to learn and improve their skills, leaders in the space who want to share their insights and success stories, and anyone in the project management field that wants to forge a sense of community with their peers.
Another big draw of the PMI Global Summit is the exhibition hall, featuring the latest and greatest in innovation in the project management space. Stay tuned to their website for updates on speakers and topics. Find out more here.
12. FuturePMO
Where: London, UK
When: October 26, 2023
In-person or virtual: In-person
Cost: $$
FuturePMO is a one-day conference in London, put on by Wellington. Unlike the other conferences on this list, this PMO conference is entirely focused on the state of the PMO. The conference is set to feature speakers from Microsoft, Durham University, PMI, and more.
Specific keynotes and individuals have yet to be confirmed, but the day will include interactive workshops and you’ll get help with your specific PMO queries.
Previous years have featured talks from Ali McArthur, Andrew Wall, and Andy Willis. Keep your eyes peeled for upcoming speakers announcements. Find out more here.
FAQs About Project Management Conferences
Here are the answers to some commonly asked questions about project management conferences.
What Is A Project Management Conference?
Project management conferences are formal gatherings for people working in the project space. They usually include a set program that can include keynote addresses, workshops, panels, Q&A sessions, and networking events.
Conferences are in-person for the most part, but since the pandemic, there have been more virtual project management events popping up.
What Are The Advantages Of Attending A Project Management Conference?
If you can spare a few bucks (or more than a few, in some cases), you’ll get several benefits when you attend a conference:
- Opportunities to network (and make friends) with peers
- Access to exclusive talks and workshops
- Learn new and innovative information and skills that you can apply in your daily work life immediately
- A sense of camaraderie and community with other people in your profession
- Demos of newly released project management software or other relevant products from exhibitors
- Opportunities to visit fun cities you might not have been to before, like Boston, Denver, San Diego, Washington DC, Dubai, Las Vegas, Tokyo, Toronto, or Vancouver
- Earn PDUs, CDUs, or SEUs (in some cases)
Common Topics At Project Management Conferences
Some conferences will focus on a specific theme and organize the program and the topics around that theme, while others will aim to cover the whole breadth of project management. Either way, you’ll be getting leading-edge ideas and innovation from the experts in a variety of topics:
- Agile, Scrum, and other methodologies
- Project portfolio management, the project management office (PMO), and program management
- Change management
- Resource management and resource planning
- Risk management
- Professional development and career-oriented topics
- Managing teams and stakeholders
- Project comms
- Connections between project management, software development, and software engineering
- The future state of project management
Where Are You Headed This Year?
Which conferences will you attend this year? There’s lots to choose from, depending on whether you want an in-person or a virtual conference experience and what kinds of topics you’re interested in learning about.
Conferences are a great way to improve your skills, and they can help set you on a new career path or further your progress on your existing career path.
For more information on how to learn more about project management or what your career might look like, subscribe to The Digital Project Manager’s newsletter.
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