Schedule of Events

Registration

Hot breakfast

Kickoff  |  Welcome

Keynote

Scott Lesnick |  FUNdamental Project Leadership

In a world where change is constant and pressure is intense, project professionals across Wisconsin are being asked to do more than deliver scope, schedule, and budget. They’re being asked to steward people. From AI adoption and shifting stakeholder expectations to hybrid teams, burnout, and “do more with less” mandates, today’s landscape demands project leaders who can support productivity and people—inside and out.

In this high-energy, interactive keynote, I’ll share real-world strategies to help you lead through uncertainty, boost collaboration, and champion well-being without sacrificing results. You’ll explore how to give people a meaningful voice in their work, clarify responsibilities while allowing autonomy, and connect your projects to what matters most to your teams. You’ll also learn how project management can be a powerful strategic partner to HR, finance, and leadership and in doing so, strengthening culture, drive engagement, and improve business outcomes.

Blending compelling stories, data from my five-year workplace survey, and practical leadership tools, this keynote will help you build a more resilient, inclusive, and agile project environment. You’ll leave with immediately usable ideas to reduce stress, elevate communication, and level up your impact as a project leader.

Executive Panel: Incorporating AI into Project Management toolsets

Connie Holmes: The Art of Masterful Communication: Learn techniques to communicate with confidence, impact, and influence

Project managers are often expected to lead teams, navigate competing priorities, and influence outcomes. In this engaging and practical session, Speak Like a Leader, participants will learn how to communicate with confidence, clarity, and influence in high-stakes conversations. Through the lens of emotional intelligence and essential communication non-negotiables, this talk equips project managers with the tools to elevate their presence, build trust, and lead effectively. Attendees will walk away with actionable strategies to strengthen their voice, manage difficult dynamics, and communicate in a way that inspires alignment and results.

Lunch & Networking Time

Breakouts

Rick Czaplewski |  Winning Outcomes! Negotiation Skills for Project Managers

Project managers constantly manage conflict – we control scope creep, handle difficult customers, fight for resources … the list goes on-and-on. So, let’s negotiate!

This engaging session provides techniques to establish a strong negotiation framework and navigate complex discussions. Learn how to manage scope creep, prepare, and use effective bargaining tactics. Walk away with practical strategies to get better outcomes, build stronger relationships, and keep projects on track. 

Breakouts

Tyler Norman |  Radical Adaptability as Your Secret Weapon to Thrive Through Disruption

In a world where complexity and the pace of change continues to explode, agility and adaptability are no longer "nice to have" but are a minimum requirement for survival. In this session you'll learn the specific challenges this theme presents to individuals, teams, and organizations, as well as strategies for each to thrive through this era of constant disruption.

Heather DeSiena |  Ask The Question: Unlocking Stakeholder Needs

The answers you get are only as good as the questions you ask. In this session, Heather teaches project managers how to uncover what stakeholders really think, need, and value beyond what they say out loud. Through proven questioning techniques, you’ll discover how to read between the lines, earn trust faster, and guide conversations that take your projects from transactional to transformational.

Endnote

Cesar Cervantes |  Humor that Works

The current way of working isn’t actually working. 83% of Americans are stressed out at work and 55% are unsatisfied with their jobs. The impact? Close to a trillion dollars in lost productivity and increased costs. Add in the stress and uncertainty of these unprecedented times, and people are stressed out, disengaged, and more zombie-like than ever.

Which means effective Project Management is more critical now than ever before. But PM is sometimes given a bad rap, seen as a boring oversight role that is always “checking in” to make sure projects “finish.” But it doesn’t have to be that way.

There’s one skill that can not only help you deliver projects on time, in scope, and within budget, but also help you have fun doing it: humor. When people are laughing, they’re learning, and when you can infuse best business practices with smart levity and fun – team members are more productive, less stressed, and work doesn’t feel like so much work. Backed by research, case studies, and real-world examples, you’ll see that what gets fun, gets done.

Wrap-Up and Door Prizes