50 years of Project Management at the APM South West Conference
Following on from three successful conferences, the APM South Wales and West of England Branch held its fourth major Southwest Conference on 11 October 2022. The event coincided with the APM 50th birthday, so much was made of this milestone on the day. The event was designed by volunteers in the Branch Corporate Advisory Group (BCAG) with the added guidance and support of branch committee members. This event was hosted at the SS Great Britain in Bristol having had two previous years of virtual on-line events. The event fulfilled it’s goals, to showcase project management in the Southwest region, and bringing project professionals together to share knowledge and experience to become better-equipped to meet future challenges.
There was a great uptake from the regional community of project professionals with 86 delegates attending the event making the most of the superb line up. The event was sponsored by PA Consulting (Headline & Exhibitor), MI-GSO PCUBED (Exhibitor) and Arcadis (Drinks Reception)
The programme began with a welcome address from the SWWE BCAG chair, Julian Wotton (Arcadis) and a keynote opening address from the APM CEO Professor Adam Boddison who is keen to see more project professionals in board rooms and that we remain focused on societal benefits from projects.
We then had the privilege of hearing from Simon Parsons (Director at Hinckley Point C) sharing the legacy that this mega project will deliver to the regional and wider UK economy.
Richard Bonner (Chair of West of England LEP and Board Member of Western Gateway) then gave a flavour of the benefits of the planned growth and regeneration projects in the South West region. The key message is that we all need to play a part in driving investment into the region to share in the ultimate success.
After a quick break, the conference welcomed the current Head of profession from GCHQ whose personal perspective provided a useful reflection for us all to consider on how to grow project professionalism within an organisation. Next up from PA consulting, James Munson and Ashleigh Dueker discussed the evolution of the agile organisation. An interesting perspective stressing the importance of team make up.
We then had a good EDI discussion panel led by Kerry Davies from MI-GSO | PCUBED. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion is a hot topic which certainly generated an interesting debate on how we might best solve this ongoing challenge. It was concluded that we have a way to go but creating awareness and actively being good role models is a good start.
There was good opportunity to network over lunch and also for a very brief visit to the SS Great Britain.
First up after lunch Alex Constantinefrom MI-GSO | PCUBED – A very insightful perspective of the project manager role v AI. Humans and their emotional intelligence will forever play a leading role in our projects but we should not neglect the power of using data and all that AI has to offer. We were then able to consider re-wiring project management for the next 50 years! Karen Thompson from Southampton University got us all really thinking – what we do now really impacts our future. We need to change our thinking and constantly adapt or fail.
A joint presentation next from Kathryn Jones ChPP (Babcock) and Diane Stanley (University of Plymouth) considering New Initiatives in Project Management Education. It was inspiring to hear how organisations can work with Universities to get access to talent and have a 2 way process of learning.
To close the show, Catherine Poyner (MOD Head of Project Delivery Function) was able to capture the key take-away messages from the day and challenge everyone to think differently.
After closing comments by Julian Wotton (SWWE BCAG chair) it was on to the drinks reception where many new connections were made and lots of buzzing discussions had. The SWWE BCAG has been encouraged to continue with a 5th conference in 2023. Watch this space and please contact Peter Wakeling for your suggestions on topics that will grab your interest.
Huge thanks to the core organising team for 2023 – Peter Wakeling, Martin Gosden, Ellie Breakwell, Alice Evans, Luke Harris, David Westbury and Jessica McChattie and all other contributors.
This article appears on the APN news and blog site as "Celebrating 50 years of Project Management in the South West Conference" on January 3, 2022.
--Association for Project Management
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings
- APM's anniversary 50 Projects for a Better Future.
- APM articles.
- Client design advisor.
- Code of practice for project management.
- Code of practice for programme management.
- Commercial management.
- Commercial manager.
- Construction project manager - morning tasks.
- David Trench - A career in projects.
- Design management.
- Dynamic conditions for project success.
- Independent client advisor.
- Interview with Paloma Hermoso, Senior Project Manager CIOB MAPM, Baker Ruff Hannon.
- Interview with Stephen Trench - Project manager.
- Lead consultant.
- Lead designer.
- Project management.
- Project manager's report.
- Project sponsor.
Featured articles and news
Boiler Upgrade Scheme and certifications consultation
Summary of government consultation which closes 11 June 2025.
Deputy editor of AT, Tim Fraser, discusses the newly formed society with its current chair, Chris Halligan MCIAT.
Barratt Lo-E passivhaus standard homes planned enmasse
With an initial 728 Lo-E homes across two sites and many more planned for the future.
Government urged to uphold Warm Homes commitment
ECA and industry bodies write to Government concerning its 13.2 billion Warm Homes manifesto commitment.
Places of Worship in Britain and Ireland, 1929-1990. Book review.
The emancipation of women in art.
CIOB Construction Manager of the Year 2025
Just one of the winners at the CIOB Awards 2025.
Call for independent National Grenfell oversight mechanism
MHCLG share findings of Building Safety Inquiry in letter to Secretary of State and Minister for Building Safety.
The Architectural Technology Awards
AT Awards now open for this the sixth decade of CIAT.
50th Golden anniversary ECA Edmundson awards
Deadline for submissions Friday 30 May 2025.
The benefits of precast, off-site foundation systems
Top ten benefits of this notable innovation.
Encouraging individuals to take action saving water at home, work, and in their communities.
Takes a community to support mental health and wellbeing
The why of becoming a Mental Health Instructor explained.
Mental health awareness week 13-18 May
The theme is communities, they can provide a sense of belonging, safety, support in hard times, and a sense purpose.
Mental health support on the rise but workers still struggling
CIOB Understanding Mental Health in the Built Environment 2025 shows.
Design and construction material libraries
Material, sample, product or detail libraries a key component of any architectural design practice.
Construction Products Reform Green Paper and Consultation
Still time to respond as consultation closes on 21 May 2025.
Resilient façade systems for smog reduction in Shanghai
A technical approach using computer simulation and analysis of solar radiation, wind patterns, and ventilation.
Comments
[edit] To make a comment about this article, click 'Add a comment' above. Separate your comments from any existing comments by inserting a horizontal line.
It appears you've mentioned "50 years of Project Management at the APM South West Conference," but it's not clear what specific information or details you are seeking about this event. The Association for Project Management (APM) is a professional body for project management in the UK, and they may have hosted a conference to commemorate 50 years of project management.
If you are looking for information about this event, such as its history, purpose, notable speakers, or key takeaways, please provide more specific details or questions, and I'll be happy to provide relevant information.