You can expect fresh looks at old ideas and first looks at things you don’t know about.

Also, it’s Beethoven’s 250th anniversary, so expect some music.

EVA is probably the only event where difference is not an issue. Where which Body of Knowledge or method does not matter. Forcing choices which don’t always provide the best options.

As ever, EVA25 will be different, entertaining and informative. Dinner will be served in the beautiful, wood panelled hall by candlelight.

• A new national standard for project controls is coming, which is written by and for the profession and will be used by them. Not limited by small associations or BoKS.
• A competence framework to support it and stamp out the ‘keyboard-jockey’ and the well qualified but talentless.
• A new national standard for benefits management is coming and is urgently required. Too many consultants have spoiled the broth. The entire delivery process must be redefined to incorporate it if it is ever going to work properly. Maybe this time we’ll get it right.
• The arrival of fusion skills to support life-long learning. The biggest disruption to education in a century. The end of project management in an elitist silo. At last!
• PMOs that do more than just keep a record of the accident. They are boring. A new way of doing them is urgently required. Currently they are easy to set-up (badly) and so easy to shut down.
• The continued and unstoppable rise of data analytics and real way ahead.
• Agile…Is it time to put it back in the box?
• The Climate emergency. What are you doing about it? Smart cities. Circular economies and Sustainable practices have to be part of the everyday now!
• Getting the culture right. The biggest contributor to success is also the biggest cause for failure in any transformation if it is not done. Just ask most Government departments.
• The Peninsular war taught us a thing or two about logistics as Stephen Carver will reveal.

Attendees are from middle to very senior experience level, with interests in project management generally, project controls, earned value, wanting to learn more about wider issues of transformation, successful change and benefits-driven portfolios. These people realise that the world is changing rapidly and they have to change with it if they are to thrive and survive.

How do you identify and develop these people? This is a problem for those running projects as well as for those being asked to find and recruit. They are asking the wrong questions or don’t have the relevant assessment tools at their disposal.

They will also be very keen to keep Project Controls set onto a formal career path this year and are looking for like minds who will lobby for and champion this, as well as networking and business leads.

It remains clear to me that only the community itself can fix that. Expecting non-practitioners. Our elders and betters. Those in power to know the answers is wrong… They don’t.

Time to take control of our destinies our lives and of course our projects! We have already taken a great step forward with the creation of the Conversation Club: An informal group of seniors in the community supporting and leveraging the promotion of the profession and the creation of a real national practitioners standard.

Government, Defence, Aerospace, Construction, Utilities, Transport, Power Generation, Pharmaceutical and IT sectors are represented in the audience.

Main and Gold sponsors may erect suitable stands. Sponsors will be able to distribute brochures to all delegates. Erection of stands will be early morning on the day of the event or previous day by arrangement.

Every sponsor’s logo will appear on all marketing and event documentation produced by the organisers.

There is also the possibility of a speaking slot in the higher levels of sponsorship.