Project management conferences provide opportunities to network and connect with other project managers, get hands-on training and learn from experts in the field, and let loose a little bit with your peers.
With many conferences offering both in-person and virtual attendance, there’s plenty of options for those of you looking to better your skills and knowledge this year (especially given the slate of options, speakers, and topics lined up for 2024)!
I’ll cover 11 of the top project management conferences you’ll want to make an effort to attend in 2024, and give you all the deets on places and faces (and what it might cost you).
11 Project Management Conferences Happening In 2024
Many of our favorite conferences are back for 2024—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 7, 2024
In person or virtual: In-person
Cost: €307.50 (early-bird pricing)
The Women In Project Management Summit (WIPM) has been running in Ireland since 2019. This year’s speakers include Kristina Kushner, Richa Sethi, Eileen Normoyle, and Diana Rusu, who will be covering a variety of topics, including transparent project estimation, turning project and business strategies into actions and tactics, and making sustainability a goal and practice within your project and your organization.
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.
2. Project Management Symposium
Where: College Park, Maryland, USA
When: April 18-19, 2024
In person or virtual: In-person and virtual
Cost: $525 (early bird, in-person pricing)
The Project Management Symposium began in 2014, and is offering in-person, virtual, and hybrid attendance this year.
Topics on the slate include shifting from fighting fires to being strategic as a project manager, having success without a technical background, the value of curiosity, FinOps, risk management, relationship management, and cutting edge commentary on artificial intelligence. Individual speakers include Bill Brantley, Caitlin Kenney, and Damien Peters.
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.
3. Project Summit Business Analyst World
Where: Orlando, Florida, USA
When: April 22-24, 2024
In person or virtual: In-person
Cost: $2,209 (early bird pricing)
This year’s Project Summit Business Analyst World 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 2024.
Learn about how artificial intelligence is changing the future of work, how project managers and business analysts can collaborate to close the gap between strategy and execution, the four pillars of digital transformation, or why success at work is just like frying a chicken (seriously).
This project management conference also offers workshops in everything from communication fundamentals to implementing hybrid agile on your project teams. Of note: attendees can earn PDUs and CDUs.
4. Agile & Beyond 2024
Where: Detroit, Michigan, USA
When: May 14-15, 2024
In person or virtual: In-person
Cost: $399 (early bird, group pricing)
This year’s Agile & Beyond Conference is being held in Detroit. The featured keynote addresses and full speaker lineup have 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 more agile conferences here.
5. Global Scrum Gathering 2024
Where: New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
When: May 19-22, 2024
In person or virtual: In-person and virtual
Cost: $1400 (early bird pricing)
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 New Orleans, with regional events being held throughout the year. If you can’t get to New Orleans, there might be a regional gathering near you.
This year’s speakers will include Heather McGowan, Gerald Leonard, and Dan Heath, and topics include how to balance mental health and high performance, and methodologies for rapid change. You can earn 24 SEUs toward the renewal of your Scrum Alliance certification.
6. Women Of Project Management 2024 Conference
Where: New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
When: July 2-3, 2024
In person or virtual: In-person and virtual
Cost: TBA
This is the third annual Women of Project Management Conference, which focuses on bringing women in project management, and women of color in the space specifically, together for networking, mentorship opportunities, workshops, and breakout sessions.
This year's speakers and topics have yet to be announced, but last year’s lineup was chock full, featuring Asya Watkins (the Founder & CEO of Women Of Project Management), Dr. Ayanna Abrams, Dr. Syreeta Bond, and Ordonna Sargeant.
This event also includes an evening mixer, mentorship speed dating, and an award gala.
7. Agile on the Beach
Where: Cornwall, United Kingdom
When: July 4-5, 2024
In person or virtual: In-person
Cost: £600 (early bird pricing)
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 Abeba Birhane and Janet Bumpas, and you can expect to hear about software delivery, product design, and product management.
At Agile on the Beach, you’ll have access to talks, workshops, and plenty of networking opportunities and social events, including a beach barbecue and a closing boat party. This year’s event will include the first ever Youth Edition of Agile on the Beach for students and young people.
8. Agile2024
Where: Dallas, Texas, USA
When: July 22-26, 2024
In person or virtual: In-person
Cost: $2599
Agile2024 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 go to renewing your Scrum Alliance certification.
9. PMI Global Summit 2024
Where: Los Angeles, California, USA
When: September 18-21, 2024
In person or virtual: In-person
Cost: TBA
The Project Management Institute’s flagship Global Summit is set for September in Los Angeles. 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.
10. Digital PM Summit
Where: Austin, Texas, USA
When: October 13-16, 2024
In person or virtual: In-person
Cost: $250 (deposit)
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 purposes of sharing work experiences, interests, and expertise.
Information on speakers and topics is not yet available, 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.
11. FuturePMO
Where: London, UK
When: October 3, 2024
In person or virtual: In-person
Cost: £365
FuturePMO is a one day conference in London, put on by Wellingtone. 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 Emma Shelton, Stephen Carver, Rachel Bromley, and Marcus Chapman.
Topics have yet to be confirmed, but the day will include interactive workshops and you’ll get help with your PMO-specific queries.
Previous years have featured talks from Ali McArrthur, Andrew Wall, and Andy Willis. Keep your eyes peeled for upcoming announcements.
Check out these agency owner conferences as well.
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 project management 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
What’s Next?
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