24 January 2019
By Mary Bermingham
mary@TheCork.ie
The Ireland Chapter of Project Management Institute’s 2019 annual national conference, themed From Idea to Reality, will take place in Cork for the first time on 28 February, at Fota Island Resort. With headline sponsors EY and Microsoft, early bird tickets for Ireland’s largest annual conference for project managers are available at projectireland.ie

Pictured (l-r) overlooking Cork city at One Albert Quay for the launch of the conference are Laura Clancy, Program Manager from Apple, Clodagh Geary, Conference Manager, Norma Lynch, Ireland Chapter of PMI committee member, Louise McFadden, Director of Administration of the Ireland Chapter of PMI, Pat Lucey,
President of the Ireland Chapter of PMI and Keara Geary, Director of EY
Pic: Darragh Kane
Early bird tickets for the conference, to be attended by some of the country’s eminent project leaders, are priced at €145 (Ireland Chapter PMI members) and €195 (non-members) at projectireland.ie.
Speaking on the launch of the conference, President of the Ireland Chapter of PMI, Pat Lucey said: “The 2019 conference, themed From Idea to Reality, will provide a unique opportunity to explore how project management is utilised to deliver projects from conception to completion.”

Pictured (l-r) overlooking Cork city at One Albert Quay for the launch of the conference are Laura Clancy, Program Manager Apple, Norma Lynch, Committee Member Ireland Chapter of PMI, Clodagh Geary, Conference Manager, Pat Lucey, President of the Ireland Chapter of PMI, Keara Geary, Director at EY and Louise McFadden, Director of Administration of the Ireland Chapter of PMI.
Pic: Darragh Kane
Keynote speaker Dermot Bannon will discuss how to successfully communicate disruptive ideas to project stakeholders. Further guest speakers include co-founder of FoodCloud, Aoibheann O’Brien, who set up the Dublin-based social enterprise, connecting food businesses with surplus food to nearby charities through technology.
Yvonne O’Byrne, Ireland international hockey star, will speak on securing a World Cup silver medal, and Danny Curran, director of growth at Aid:Tech, will discuss how the Dublin-headquartered start-up developed blockchain technology for the distribution of international aid in refugee camps.

Pictured (l-r) overlooking Cork city at One Albert Quay for the launch of the conference are Clodagh Geary, Conference Manager, Laura Clancy, Program Manager from Apple, Keara Geary, Director EY and Pat Lucey, President of the Ireland Chapter of PMI
Pic: Darragh Kane
Managing Director of Dale Carnegie Ireland, Walter Bradley, will give a workshop on ‘How to Agreeably Disagree’. There will also be a talk and Q&A with Jim Snyder, who in 1969 was one of the original five founders of the global PMI. Further speakers will be announced in the coming weeks.
Mr Lucey added: “The Ireland Chapter of PMI is the largest professional organisation for project managers in Ireland with over 1,400 members. We strive to provide access to valuable knowledge, networks and resources that will be integral to project success.
“The national conference is an opportunity for project management professionals across IT, public sector, construction, pharmaceuticals and manufacturing to gain insight from leading experts in the industry along with well-known Irish and international figures who are making waves in their respective fields. All our speakers have used key project management skills to deliver their ideas into reality, whether it is designing state-of-the-art homes, winning a World Cup medal or utilising disruptive technologies to achieve results.”

Pictured (l-r) at the launch of the conference are Keara Geary, Director at EY, Pat Lucey, President of the Ireland Chapter of PMI and Laura Clancy, Program Manager at Apple
Pic: Darragh Kane
Headline sponsors for the Ireland Chapter of PMI’s national conference are EY and Microsoft, with current sponsors Grant Thornton, Cora Systems, Aspira, Cork Institute of Technology, and Alpha Wealth.
There are currently over 50,000 employed in project management across Ireland, in sectors such as IT, public sector, construction, pharmaceuticals, professional services, financial services and manufacturing.