It’s hard for me to believe that I launched this blog just three years ago. I came out of the gate with the goal:

 ”…to make sure it’s known that the PM role is important on your team for several reasons.”

I’m not the only person who’s writing about digital project management. In fact, there are several great minds out there who inspire me to keep going. But when I created this site, I had high hopes in building a greater community and helping to raise the profile of project management in the greater web community. 

Achievement Unlocked

Fast forward three years and I am starting to feel really good about where things are–at least from where I sit. I’ve written a few blog posts here and there, I’ve given a few talks at conferences, hosted events for a local PM group, and taught a web project workshop at The Univiersity of the Arts here in Philadelphia. Along the way I’ve met a ton of truly awesome people who agree that my goal is a valuable one–not only for other project managers, but for all web professionals. All good things.

Even having done all of that, never in my mind did I think I’d gain the support to be able to announce a conference for project managers that I’d directly be involved in curating and planning. 

A New Conference for a Growing Community

I’ve spent the last few months at work planning the very first conference devoted to our profession. This morning we announced the Digital PM Summit, a 2-day conference held on October 14-15 at WHYY here in Philadelphia. But this is more than just a conference for me–it’s the birth of a community.

Part of that “community” feel will be reflected in the format, which will be a little different. We’re going to have a set of single speakers, and then 4 hours of break-out sessions where attendees can attend smaller groups led by speakers who will present, but also moderate discussion (think of a “core conversation” at SXSW). 150 like-minded people are going to be a part of our first summit. This number feels right for our first time out. What’s nice about the size, too, is that people will be able to get to know each other a little better than they would at a larger conference. 

Up Next

So what’s my goal now? First, I want to see the web community talking about this event. Then, I want every seat filled at this conference with people who are ready to engage. I’m not just looking for project managers to attend; I want the community to connect with project managers. I want people talking about what is important: how we work with each other, and how we really make amazing digital projects. 

In the future, I want to see this digital project management community grow. I’d love to see more project managers step up and talk about their work. I’d also love to see some of the better-known conferences pick up project management as a relevant and useful topic. I’d like to see more conversations and people excited about managing projects. No more robots, sitting behind their desks.