PMFORUM Breaking News

Preliminary speakers and topics for presentations and workshops on Day 1 of the 2008 Professional Development Summit (PDS'08) in November have been announced. The PDS'08 conference is being sponsored by the PMI Honolulu Chapter and LavaCon^®, the leading organization for technical communications professionals. The conference, which will present proven best practices in the fields of project management and technical communications, will be held at the Marriott Honolulu Waikiki hotel (pictured), in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA.

According to their latest announcement, Day One will include a keynote presentation by Andrea Ames of IBM, followed by these presentations and workshops.

Morning Presentations

• Why Less is More: The Backpacker’s Approach to Project Management, by John Kinser, Management Concepts
• What Do You Mean I Started It??? Overcoming Office Politics, by Tim Johnson, Carpe Factum
• Using the “Balanced Scorecard” Approach to Measure Project Success, by Joan Lasselle, Lasselle-Ramsay
• Migrating to DITA: Real World Successes, Failures and Lessons Learned, by Bernard Aschwanden, Publishing Smarter
• What Your Project Team Isn’t Telling You, by Tim Johnson, Carpe Factum
• Oh No, You Gave Me What I Asked For! Using Consulting Skills to Uncover Expectations, by Richard and Elizabeth Larson, Watermark Learning
• Case Study: Single-Source Publishing with MadCap Flare, by Bonni Graham, Scantron
• What’s New in DITA 1.2 , by Robert Anderson, IBM

Afternoon Hands-on Workshops

• Earned Value Management: A Hands-On Simulation, by John Kinser, Management Concepts
• Critical Judgment Workshop, by Rick Griffin, Mindavation
• Applying PMBOK Practices to Documentation Projects Workshop, Vivian Aschwanden, Platform Computing
• DITA 1.2 Workshop, by Robert Anderson, IBM
• Consultative Skills Workshop, by Richard and Elizabeth Larson, Watermark Learning
• How to Create and Deploy Effective Online Surveys Workshop, by Bonni Graham, Scantron
• Choosing a Content Management System that’s Right for You Workshop, by Bernard Aschwanden, Publishing Smarter

Day one will include exhibitor presentations over a box lunch and conclude with a traditional Hawaiian Networking Reception, featuring "Light Pupus!"

The PMI Honolulu Chapter + LavaCon Professional Development Summit 2008 is for professionals who want continuing education on how to manage projects, the latest management and communication tools and technology, and "soft skills" such as leadership, conflict management, contract and workplace negotiation skills, etc. Choose from over 40 sessions and workshops on technical communication and project management! Participants may earn up to 24 Professional Development Units (PDUs) for attending – a major event in one of the most beautiful places on Earth. For more information, visit http://www.pmi-honoluluchapter.org/PDD_PDS/2008/PDSWelcome.htm.

The Project Management Institute (PMI^®) is the world’s largest professional organization for project management professionals. Founded in 1997, the PMI^® Honolulu Chapter is a non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of project management practices and standards worldwide and the development of the project management profession. More information about the chapter can be found at http://www.pmi-honoluluchapter.org. For more information about the conference, contact the PDS'08 committee at pdshi@pmi-honoluluchapter.org

LavaCon^® is a conference for technical communication professionals—senior technical writers, documentations managers and other professionals interested in learning how to deploy and manage technical communication projects. More information about previous LavaCon conferences can be found at www.lavacon.org.