The year is already well underway into the first quarter and if you are an IT project manager there is obviously a full tray on your desk. The projects conceptualized at the beginning of the year are taking shape and you have to contend with expected logistical issues, team differences, conflicts, budgetary constraints and so much more. With time you will start experiencing the dreaded burn out even before the initial objectives of the project have been realized.
Whether you are experiencing burn out or looking for ideas to invigorate the team it is time to start thinking about 2016 digital conferences. They are not only a good way to jumpstart your project but according to Stephen Covey, sharpening the saw is the 7th sign of highly effective people. It goes without saying that you will at one time or the other experience a creativity block which can affect the vision of your project.
At a time like this stepping away from the desk makes a lot of sense. There are many other reasons to attend a digital conference either as an individual or a team including:
- Opportunity to meet influencers and experts in the industry.
- Invaluable networking opportunities within the industry.
- Opportunity to break out of your comfort zone.
- New learning tools in a new learning environment. During the April 2016 Facebook F8 developer conference for instance the founder Mark Zuckerberg introduced plans for chatbots, live video from drones among other innovations and if you had attended such a meet you would have received ideas on how these can be used in your business.
- A chance to bond more with your team and have fun.
- Greater focus where the learned techniques are applied in your project to take it to the next level.
Simply put, a digital conference is an ideal opportunity to grow your project by leveraging new thinking. The question is which conferences do you attend this year? Of course there are so many types from affiliate marketing, digital marketing and ecommerce to social media conferences among others. So to help you here are some digital conferences to attend in 2016:
1. Velocity Conference
If you have a knack for web design, data storage and ecommerce Velocity Conferences are the place to be. You will learn more about creating efficient websites and apps, cloud storage while also interacting with industry influencers. These meets take place in Amsterdam from 7th-10th November 2016, Santa Clara from June 20th to 23rd 2016, New York from September 19th -22nd 2016.
2. Digital Summit Conference
This conference to be held in Charlotte is one of the highlights of the year because it is attended by a great number of influencers and motivational speakers. From investors such as Mark Cuban of Dallas Mavericks and IT mavericks such as Steve Wozniak co-founder of Apple you will have a wide range of ideas to filter through in the course of the summit to take place from May 4th-5th. The leading global brands from Wall Street Journal, YouTube, Google, and Porsche to Disney will also be in attendance. There will be many ideas during this conference that you can use to take your project forward.
3. Hero Conf Conversion Summit
Modern business happens online and if you want to leverage the power of internet marketing you must know what is happening in the industry. At the Hero Conf Conversion Summit to be held in Philadelphia on April 25th– 27th you will meet professional internet marketing gurus to help you learn more about conversion rate optimization (CRO). This conference is ideal for project managers whose websites are still not enjoying much traffic or sales conversions.
4. WistiaFest
If your project management business is struggling to gain traction in your niche it is time to incorporate the most effective marketing tool today; video. The WistiaFest is optimized to help marketers who want to actualize their video campaigns. It takes place in Boston from June 5-7 and you will learn where the future of video lies and the impact it will have for your business.
5. PMI Congress EMEA
This invaluable conference this year moves to Spain and specifically Barcelona. The PMI Congress EMEA has become one of the most critical meet for project managers throughout the globe and for many good reasons. It targets individuals starting off in the industry and also established professionals who want to learn new technologies in the industry in order to optimize their businesses.
6. PMI Global Congress – North America
This is another conference that is aimed at giving new insights to professionals in project management. It will be held in San Diego from September 25th -27th and will also focus on new challenges, strategies, accelerating progress and improving performance in project management using modern technology.
7. C2 Montreal
If you want to learn about making your website grow amidst stiff competition and still have fun while in a new city the C2 Montreal is a good idea. The conference takes place in Montreal from May 24th-26th. The meet is not meant only for marketers but for everyone with a business website and would like to use innovation to drive more traffic to it and improve conversion rates.
8. PubCon: Las Vegas
If you are looking for new ideas for your project management business get ready to hit Las Vegas from October 10th – 13th 2016 for the PubCon: Las Vegas. This has been described as a ‘must attend’ conference by Forbes where a medley of professionals from SEO, social media, internet marketing and digital advertising among other disciplines meet for provocative exchange of ideas. Past keynote speakers include Satya Nadella the CEO Microsoft, and Craig Newmark, CEO Craigslist among many others.
9. Search Insider Summit
If you are looking at growing your project management business it is time to start exploring the exciting world of search marketing and you can start at the Search Insider Summit to be held in Key Largo, FL from May 4th-7th 2016. You will explore technologies in search marketing, strategies and techniques to ensure your business makes a mark in its niche market.
Final Thoughts
There is no denying that new learning is an integral part of effective project management. Whether you are a project manager or you have started your own business it is important to leverage the power of interactive learning by attending conferences.
While some may seem like they are designed for marketers the bottom-line remains that you also need to market your business online and it is far cheaper to learn your way up the ladder than hiring a marketing team for your startup. A digital conference is a good way to interact with industry influencers and borrow from their expertise while also discovering new business tools. You can also motivate your team by sponsoring them for one of these conferences. Simply put digital conferences must be part of your strategic plan if you want to succeed in 2016 and beyond.
Image: TopRank Online Marketing
