PMFORUM Breaking News

Reported by Miles Shepherd from the UK

The 2007 APM national conference - The Business of Projects – will be held at The Brewery Conference Centre in London during 30-31 October 2007. The first such event for the association in its long history, the 2007 conference will focus on project management “issues of national importance” in the UK. The two day conference is being formatted to include a plenary session to begin the conference, three main tracks of presentations and discussions each day, and a closing plenary.

The Brewery provides a unique and historic venue in the City for the APM’s first ever national conference. The Brewery's unique style was created by some of the greatest engineers and designers of the time. By the late 1700's The Brewery was the largest of its kind in England, and its fame was such that King George and Queen Charlotte visited in 1787.

In 1976 brewing ceased at Chiswell Street, and the rich character, Georgian architecture and structural design of the original buildings were restored to create The Brewery Conference and Event venue. Situated in the heart of the City, the Brewery marries stunning Grade II architecture with state of the art production facilities. The eight event spaces exude understated elegance and the commanding courtyard offers one of London’s largest outdoor spaces.

The Brewery is an historic, elegant and thoroughly modern conference facility, where some of the world’s most important events have been held in recent years. Individual facilities include the Porter Tun, the King and Queen Vault, the James Watt Room, the Director’s Dining Room, and the Upper and Lower Sugar Rooms.

Built in 1782 and famous for its magnificent King Post timber roof, with a clear span of 60 feet above a floor area of 778 square metres, The Porter Tun (pictured) is one of the largest unobstructed rooms in London and a perfect room for plenary sessions.

Two superb self-contained and interconnecting rooms are known as the King and Queen Vault. The King George III room is a versatile space with exposed brickwork, barrel vaulted ceiling, and 18th Century lanterns. The Queen Charlotte room, adjoining the King George III and with similar Georgian features, is a charming setting for luncheons, dinners and presentations.

Situated on the lower ground floor, the James Watt room, with its fascinating collection of menus from the 1920's and 1930's adorning the walls, proves an equally entertaining venue for presentations and networking session. The former Director's Dining Rooms are comprised of three unique rooms with a bar reception area and a theatre style presentation room. The classic pillars and paneling create a prestigious and intimate atmosphere for meetings and presentations. Overlooking the historic cobbled courtyard, the Upper and Lower Sugar Rooms offer style and diversity for the event.

According to apm Head of Marketing Scott Walkinshaw, “The Brewery was chosen due to its history, convenient location and unique character. It should provide the perfect setting for two days of serious discussions and debate on some of the most important issues facing the project management profession in the UK today.”

During the October conference, the following important project management topics of national interest in the UK will be discussed:

• The Business of Projects


• Governance of Projects and Project Management


• The Project Management Skills Gap


• Learning from Mega Projects


• Project Management in a Sustainable Society

For more information and for an opportunity to take part in developing the project management agenda in the UK, visit www.apm.org.uk/conference.asp.

The Association for Project Management (APM) is the national body for professional project management in the United Kingdom (UK). With over 15,000 individual and 390 corporate members, apm is one of the largest organizations of its kind in Europe. The organization develops and promotes project management across all sectors of industry and beyond. apm 's mission is: "To develop and promote the professional disciplines of project and programme management for the public benefit." At the heart of the association is the APM Body of Knowledgee; containing fifty-two knowledge areas required to manage any successful project. APM promotes the use of the APM Body of Knowledge through qualifications, accredited training, research, publications and events. APM is the UK member of the International Project Management Association (IPMA). With headquarters in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, apm has twelve regional branches throughout the UK and one in Hong Kong. Additional information can be found at www.apm.org.uk.

Miles Shepherd International Correspondent UK based in London Mr. Miles Shepherd is an International Correspondent for www.pmforum.org in London, UK. . Miles has over 30 years experience on a variety of projects in UK, Eastern Europe and Russia. His PM experience includes defence, major IT projects, decommissioning of nuclear reactors, rail and business projects for the EU. Past Chairman of the Association for Project Management (APM), Miles is also past president and chair of the International Project Management Association (IPMA). Additional information about Mr. Shepherd can be found at www.pmforum.org/pm forum team/. Miles can be contacted at miles.shepherd@msp-ltd.co.uka