UMD Project Management Symposium Early-Bird Deadline Wednesday, April 15

COLLEGE PARK, Md., April 13, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Wednesday, April 15, is the last day to take advantage of early-bird registration rates for the Second Annual Project Management Symposium, hosted by the University of Maryland Project Management Center for Excellence this June 8-9, at the Stamp Student Union on the University of Maryland campus in College Park, Md.

In addition to nearly 60 session speakers, this year's blockbuster event will provide attendees with an inside look at how today's trends will shape the future of project management for years to come. Attendees will have a one-of-a-kind opportunity to customize their symposium experience by choosing from sessions on topics ranging from people in projects and construction, to project management methodology and public-private partnerships.

Project managers at all career levels across government, industry and academe will take away invaluable insights from this information-packed event. Topping the star-studded line-up of speakers are five highly esteemed keynotes who will share their unique perspectives of the ever-changing field of project management.

Dr. Harold Kerzner of the International Institute for Learning; Jocelyn Davis, President and CEO of Nelson Hart, Chip Hastie, Vice President of Clark Construction Group, LLC; Dr. Ed Hoffman, NASA Chief Knowledge Officer; and Karen Richey, Assistant Director for the Applied Research and Methods Team at the U.S. Government Accountability Office will serve as this year's keynote speakers, providing symposium participants with a big-picture view of the many ways project management has evolved in recent years.

Kernzer's June 8^th presentation, "Project Management 2.0: Planning for the Future of Project Management," will explore the hows and whys behind changing perceptions of the value of project managers.

Davis's presentation, "Happiness Works – Rethinking Competitive Advantage," will demonstrate why high morale is key to being sustainably competitive in all sectors. And, to help close out day one of this year's symposium, Hastie will provide a case study of the first social infrastructure project in the U.S. procured using the Performance Based Infrastructure (PBI) delivery methodology during his presentation, "Long Beach Courthouse: Influence of Performance Based Infrastructure on the Design-Build Process."

To open day two, Hoffman will present, "Creating Knowledge Services for Modern Technical Project Organizations: The REAL Knowledge Approach," during which he will demonstrate how organizations and practitioners can best leverage project knowledge and knowledge services to get things done in the modern complex project environment. Following Hoffman's presentation, Richey will provide an insider's view of the inner workings of the U.S. Government Accountability Office during her presentation, "GAO Cost Estimating, Scheduling, and Earned Value Management: Best Practices and Recent Audit Findings."

In addition to providing project managers with an unmatched learning experience, this year's symposium will offer multiple networking receptions, bringing together both area project managers and field experts from across the country and around the world.

Those interested in attending this year's symposium are strongly encouraged to register by the April 15 early-bird deadline, as this event is on track to top last year's attendance numbers.

Additionally, those attending this year's symposium can qualify to earn up to 15 professional development units (PDUs) toward maintaining a PMI credential.

For more information, or to register, visit the UMD Project Management Center for Excellence website.

This event is made possible, in part, by a media sponsorship from Project Management World Journal.

About the UMD Project Management Center for Excellence

The University of Maryland A. James Clark School of Engineering Project Management Center for Excellence's mission is to provide high quality, challenging education in project management that encompasses breadth and depth, preparing graduates to be proficient as both contributing members of project teams and excellent project managers, to maintain a strong research program recognized for excellence in project management, and to provide project management training and development service to the university, the profession, and the community at large. Our academic program was the first program in an engineering school to be accredited by the Project Management Institute's (PMI) Global Accreditation Center, and the center is also designated by PMI as a "Global Registered Educational Provider."

SOURCE University of Maryland A. James Clark School of Engineering