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Over 400 delegates gathered in Florianopolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil yesterday for the First Brazilian Project Management Conference. The event is being organized by all the PMI chapters in Brazil and brings together professionals, students, and teachers with the theme "Our Projects Are Brazilian."
PMI Santa Catarina Chapter President Jackson Rovina considers the event important because it will give the participants a chance to learn about some of the best success cases in Brazil, worldwide best practices, and trends in project management, all in a format that will allow for immediate results for companies and for the participants' careers. "The networking will also be exceptional. The presence of professionals from all of Brazil and from various industries will create a very favorable environment for sharing experiences and opportunities," says Jackson. The conference will also add value for teachers and students in the field, which has been getting more respect and attention in academic circles.
The First Brazilian Project Management Conference is being held at the Convention Center of the Federation of Industries of the State of Santa Catarina (Federação das Indústrias do Estado de Santa Catarina-- FIESC). Its objectives are to promote integration among the chapters, generate business opportunities among companies and professionals, and emphasize professionalism in the project management field. Brazil has the third largest number of PMI chapter members and PMP's outside the USA, a total of 3,505 professionals, representing 24% of the worldwide total and 70% of the Latin American membership.
"Anchor" presentations by Yamile Jackson, Amyr Klink, Paul Dinsmore, and Paulo Souza are planned, in addition to 24 track presentations and a round table with special guests. "We expect to have at least 400 participants from all over Brazil, especially the states with PMI chapters," says Márcio Schaefer, President of the Executive Council of the Santa Catarina PMI Chapter and project manager for the event.
According to Ricardo Viana Vargas, PMI Component Mentor for Latin America, one of the PMI's greatest current concerns is the refinement of understanding of the needs of different regions combined with a new model of how PMI acts. "Project management is fundamental knowledge for any and all types of business in the public or private sectors. In countries like Brazil, my vision is that techniques and models like those proposed by the PMI are the foundation of modernization and development of the country."