This weekend I made arrangements to attend the PMI Global Congress in Denver, Colorado. I will be there from October 19th from October 22nd. This is the first time that I am paying for my attendance out of my own pocket and was a bit "shocked" about the cost. The final cost for my attendance will be above $2,000. Here are my reasons for going:

• Networking. This is definitely my primary reason. I meet a great number of people "online" thanks to The PM Podcast and The PM PrepCast. Attending is a great way of getting to know them personally.
• Business Contacts: Now that I am self employed I am always on the lookout for the next business opportunity. And this congregation of other business women and men in the field is a great opportunity to start discussions.
• Podcast Interview: I will definitely have my recording equipment with me and will be doing interviews with PMs on the sidelines.
• Contacting Speakers:  I have a new product up my sleeve... Project Management Lectures. An official announcement will be released in about 6-8 weeks. Attending the PMI Congress will give me the opportunity to look for Lecturers who might be interested in working with me on this project.
• Education: There are a number of great speakers lined up. And while I will be attending their seminars to "scope them out" in regards to working together with them (see previous bullet), I am just as much looking forward to learning from them. And there are always too many topics to choose from.
• PDUs: You can never have too many.

So you might ask "Are these 6 opportunities worth the cost?". I think so. I have attended a number of PMI Congresses in the past and I have always found that the networking opportunities are absolutely fabulous. I have met people from around the (PMI) world. Some I have been able to help out, some have been able to help me out. Now that I have my own business it is even more important that I stay connected to my peers and close to "the pulse" of what's going on.

Finally... if you are planning to attend the Congress as well, then I would love to meet you or even do a quick podcast interview. Please drop me a line at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and we'll set it up.