Ten things you may not know about the APM Conference 2024

We’re less than a month away from APM’s flagship conference, this year held at the CBS Arena in Coventry on 5 and 6 June. It’s the first time APM’s held a two-day conference, and it’s jam-packed with valuable activities and content.  

With so much happening on the day, it’s easy to miss key information — so here’s a handy list of ten things you may not know about this year’s event: 

1. There’ll be a brand new interactive “Discovery Zone”

To offer even more value we’re introducing a new area full of interactive content. It’s split into two; a Networking Discovery Zone, for chatting with experts about all things project and career related, and a Discovery Theatre where you can pull up a bench, stick your silent-disco style headphones on and immerse yourself in talks on a variety of subjects.  

2. Organise a team outing! Group discounts are available  

The conference is a wonderful opportunity for team building — particularly if your colleagues work remotely. Groups of 10-19 delegates can enjoy a 10% discount and groups of 20 or more get a 15% discount. But don’t delay — these discounts are only available until 28 May.  

3. Thinking of taking the next career step? Get 121 advice on ChPP and APM membership and/or qualifications

Remember the Discovery Zone we mentioned earlier? Here’s a great example of what’s happening there. Delegates can get free, tailored advice on becoming Chartered, APM Membership and/or APM Qualifications. If it’s chartership you’re interested in, you’ll meet a real-life ChPP, who you’ll choose in advance. We’ll even tell you about the routes to charter our ChPPs took, so you can select someone who can relate to your specific situation. For APM membership and qualifications advice you’ll meet a friendly APM team member who can talk through the options relevant to you. Pre-book all 121 sessions on the APM website.  

4. APM’s Education and Research Awards will take place in person for the first time ever

Part of the virtual Festival of Education and Research since 2020, this ceremony has never taken place in person (thanks, Covid) — until now. The conference will host the awards on 5 June, and delegates need no additional ticket to attend. Here’s a bonus fact: awards finalists get to attend the conference on awards day for just £50 (a massive 90% discount!) and get a 20% discount on day two tickets and the conference dinner (more about that later).  

5. Not an APM member? Save £84 when you book your conference ticket and become an Associate member at the same time

You can become a member, attend the conference and save money — simple! If you purchase Associate Membership you will be entitled to a member conference ticket, a 30% saving from the non-member ticket. Not sure how it all adds up? Here’s the maths:  

• Associate membership £159 + member all-inclusive two-day conference pass £565 = total cost £724.
• The non-member all-inclusive two-day pass costs £808. That’s £84 more.  

6. We’re taking steps to make the conference more accessible 

We want to make sure as many people as possible, whatever their circumstances, get value from our conference, so we’ve implemented new initiatives: 

• We’re offering free or discounted tickets to those looking for work because we recognised the conference offers opportunities to network with potential employers. Applications are now closed, but those that have applied for a ticket will find out if they’ve been accepted after 8 May. 
• We understand that not everyone can attend the conference in person. If this accessibility requirement applies to you, you could still be involved from home. For more information email events@apm.org.uk. 
• There’ll be accessibility measures at the conference, too. Where possible, sessions will be live captioned, and there’ll be dedicated prayer and quiet rooms for anyone who needs them. If you’d like to discuss your accessibility requirements with us please email events@apm.org.uk.  

7. There’s a chance to get your glad rags on at our networking dinner

Given it’s a two-day conference we couldn’t resist the opportunity to host a networking event during the evening of 5 June. There’ll be a drinks reception followed by a two-course dinner and entertainment from comedian Cally Beaton, all hosted by our incoming President, Dr Yvonne Thompson CBE. The best bit is all two-day all-inclusive pass holders are invited. The clue’s in the title: the dinner’s included! 

8. You can hop on a special conference bus to get to and from your hotel 

To make life easier for delegates we’ve put on a shuttle bus service to and from certain hotels in the area at key times throughout both days… So you don’t have to worry about driving and can network on the bus! More information will be provided to all delegates in due course. 

9. If you have an all-inclusive two-day pass, you’ll be able to do it all over again when you get home

Ok, so maybe not the in-person networking or free dinner… But most conference sessions will be recorded and made available on-demand afterwards. With so much going on at once, this’ll let you catch up on missed content. The only sessions we can’t record are some of the workshops or if we don’t have speaker permission. The on-demand content is only available to all-inclusive two-day pass holders.  

10. You can learn about the valuable work of our volunteers — and how to get involved 

For the first time (another first… I’ve lost count!) we’ve invited our volunteer-led Interest Networks to present a session in our “Learn Something New” stream and host a topic table over lunch. Check out the details on the APM website.  

Don’t forget to book your ticket and start planning your day by visiting the APM website. We can’t wait to see you!  

 

You may also be interested in:

• APM Events
• Qualifications and training
• Volunteering with APM