APM North West Network Conference | The Power of Creativity in Projects

The Innside Hotel, Liverpool | 1 May 2025

The Power of Creativity in Projects

Join us for a full-day conference designed for project professionals to delve into the latest practices in fostering creative thinking and innovation within project management and the growth of the profession into new business sectors. The day will improve the understanding and importance of creative and cultural projects for society and explore human-centred design and technology projects.

The middle part of the day will include simultaneous sessions addressing different aspects of the Conference theme.

The primary goal of the conference is to promote the Project Management profession by fostering interaction among project practitioners, APM Corporate members, current project management students, academia, and all those with an interest in projects.

We aim to inspire and equip attendees with innovative strategies and creative solutions to enhance project outcomes across various business sectors. The day will also provide many opportunities to expand your professional network and learn from current practitioners across a wide range of projects. View the day's programme and speakers.

We'd like to thank our exhibitors for their support.

Tickets now SOLD OUT

Date: 1 May 2025
Time: 09:00-17:00
Venue: The Innside Hotel, Liverpool

Member: £128.00
Non-member: £190.00
Corporate Partner/Affiliate employee: £140.00
Student member: £33

All prices exclude VAT

Tickets are now SOLD OUT

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Keynote speaker

Susan Finnegan

International – City Development

Session | From Eurovision to Taylor Town

Susan is an award winning professional and key member of the team behind Liverpool’s 2008 European Capital of Culture celebrations and the Eurovision Song Contest Visitor Experience, Liverpool 2024 – the most successful ever staged. Read Susan's profile

Conference themes

The format for the day will include plenary sessions by key speakers and simultaneous presentations and workshops across three themes.

Theme 1: Creative Media and Storytelling

This theme focuses on the power of creative media and storytelling in shaping perceptions and driving change. It explores how different forms of media, including film, television, and digital content, can be used to tell compelling stories that resonate with audiences and inspire action. The sessions will cover topics such as narrative techniques, audience engagement, and the impact of storytelling on society.

Theme 2: Innovation and Infrastructure in Communities

This theme addresses the role of innovation and infrastructure in enhancing community development and well-being. It examines how innovative solutions and infrastructure projects can improve the quality of life for community members, promote sustainability, and drive economic growth. The sessions will discuss case studies, best practices, and the challenges and opportunities in implementing innovative infrastructure projects.

Theme 3: Sustainability and Social Value

This theme focuses on the importance of sustainability and creating social value in business and community projects. It explores how organisations can integrate sustainable practices into their operations and contribute to the social good. The sessions will cover topics such as environmental sustainability, corporate social responsibility, and the measurement of social impact.

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Conference programme (subject to change)

🕐 09:00-09:30 Registration and refreshments
🕐 09:30-09:40 Welcome North West Lead
🕐 09:40-10:15 APM Update Professor Adam Boddison OBE - Chief Executive Officer, APM
🕐 10:15-11:00 Opening keynote \| From Eurovision to Taylor Town Susan Finnegan - International - City Development Susan’s keynote will explore her vast experience in creative leadership having played leadership roles on transformative projects in the event industry, including Liverpool’s European Capital of Culture in 2008, the Eurovision 2023 Visitor Experience, and the innovative Taylor Town project.
🕐 11:00-11:30 Break
🕐 11:30-12:15
🕐 11:30-12:15 Theme 1: Creative Media and Storytelling Behind the Scenes with Liverpool Film Office: Managing Projects in the Film and Television Industry Zoe Rubert, Helen Morgan and Gemma Ward, Liverpool Film Office An exclusive insight into the dynamic world of film and TV production management. From coordinating the logistics of blockbuster shoots to supporting local independent filmmakers, the trio will showcase the critical project management skills that keep Liverpool at the forefront of the screen industry.
🕐 11:30-12:15 Theme 2: Innovation and Infrastructure in Communities Interface and Project Integration in the Transpennine Route Update Project Lohith Vaddi and Faisal Farooq, Transpennine Route Update Discover how interface management operates at the strategic level and supports the successful delivery of the Transpennine Route Upgrade Project (TRU).
🕐 11:30-12:15 Theme 3: Sustainability and Social Value The Power of the Badge: Improving Communities through Sport Tim Dwyer, Liverpool Football Club (LFC)/LFC Foundation How the LFC Foundation impacts deprived communities and unlocks potential by connecting with marginalised groups in a way other organizations can’t, through the power of the LFC brand.
🕐 12:20-13:00
🕐 12:20-13:00 Theme 1: Creative Media and Storytelling Eight Days a Week: Delivering Excellence in Cultural Tourism Karuna Gaur, The Beatles Story Discuss how you balance the demands of multiple simultaneous projects while keeping the guest experience at the forefront. Key Points: • Juggling short-term upgrades with long-term strategic goals. • Time management strategies for peak visitor seasons. • Continuous innovation to stay relevant in the competitive cultural tourism space.
🕐 12:20-13:00 Theme 2: Innovation and Infrastructure in Communities Collaboration to deliver infrastructure – LCR Connect and its benefits Lorna Rogers, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (LCRCA) LCR Connect is a joint venture providing a gigabit capable fibre network to deliver backhaul connectivity to businesses across the city region. To deliver the network, the partners utilised a dig once approach and are now working to leverage the completed network to drive economic growth.
🕐 12:20-13:00 Theme 3: Sustainability and Social Value Procuring social value: It’s about time Professor Jo Meehan, University of Liverpool In this talk, Professor Jo Meehan will share the latest evidence and insights from her work on social value in public procurement. Following the talk there is an opportunity for Q&A.
🕐 13:00-14:00 Lunch
🕐 14:00-14:40
🕐 14:00-14:40 Theme 1: Creative Media and Storytelling Project Management at the BBC – opportunities and challenges Sophy Jacob, Louise Blythe, Jane Porter and Moujan Piri Pirnagh, BBC Project Management at the BBC covers a multitude of areas and requires a varied skillset and approaches to deliver. In this presentation we will share just some of the projects we are working on from major sporting events and mandatory training on AI to culture change and major transformation.
🕐 14:00-14:40 Theme 2: Innovation and Infrastructure in Communities Collaborative Innovation: Biopolymers in the Circular Economy Lisa Mansell and Richard Clarke, United Utilities This presentation will effectively showcase the creativity, innovation, and collaboration driving the Biopolymers project, highlighting its potential to transform wastewater treatment and contribute to a sustainable future.
🕐 14:00-14:40 Theme 3: Sustainability and Social Value Creating a positive future – sustainability Richard Collins, CSR Accreditation We will explore anacronyms, initialisations and industry jargon to try and make sense of this rapidly evolving sustainability landscape. We can then explore the four key steps to help you build a sustainable and profitable business.
🕐 14:45-15:30
🕐 14:45-15:30 Theme 1: Creative Media and Storytelling A creativity strategy modelled from Walt Disney Tim Lyons, APM People Interest Network How creative do you need to get, in order resolve challenges effectively? This presentation will explain how Walt Disney’s ‘imagineering’ process can be used in any problem-solving scenario. It doesn’t need any specialist skills, just your team’s own intimate knowledge of the project and the Imagineering framework.
🕐 14:45-15:30 Theme 2: Innovation and Infrastructure in Communities The Forces Transition Group (FTG) – Bringing Social Value to Military Service and the User John Stephenson, Forces Transition Group The FTG is designed to bring organisations and military top talent together efficiently, without the use of stereo-typical recruitment tools.
🕐 14:45-15:30 Theme 3: Sustainability and Social Value Procuring social value: It’s about time Professor Jo Meehan, University of Liverpool In this talk, Professor Jo Meehan will share the latest evidence and insights from her work on social value in public procurement. Following the talk there is an opportunity for Q&A.
🕐 15:30-16:00 Break
🕐 16:00-16:50 MusicFutures: A Programme Driving Innovation and Growth in the Liverpool City Region Music Ecosystem Kevin McManus, Culture Liverpool, Liverpool City Council, Kirsty Connell and Dr Jennifer Davies, University of Liverpool This panel will feature key stakeholders representing MusicFutures, a programme that brings together academia, industry, local government, and the region’s extensive network of freelancers, musicians, and artists.
🕐 16:50-17:00 Closing comments North West Network Team

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Exhibitor

RLB (Rider Levett Bucknall)

RLB is an independent global construction and property consultancy providing management and advice throughout the built environment. We are committed to creating value for our clients, achieving commercial success, project and programme success and optimised assets to projects across the world.

We do this through our extensive expertise in cost management and quantity surveying, project and programme management, asset advisory and specialist consultancy. We are focused on making a positive social impact and giving back to the communities in which we live and work.

Considering strategy against evolving market requirements is key to implementing a project management approach that achieves successful outcomes. Using proven, consistent and high-quality systems and processes, we provide world-class project management solutions.

As your trusted advisor, you can rely on our integrity to receive accurate and independent advice on the optimum solutions to your challenges.

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Exhibitor

Oxford Professional Education Group

Oxford College of Management delivers outstanding training to help project managers navigate the changing world of work.

Our interactive teaching methods and world-class online learning platform ensure that you gain the necessary skills and knowledge to succeed in your career.

We provide the full suite of APM qualifications - the PFQ, the PMQ, and the PPQ – as well as different methodologies, such as PRINCE2®, AgilePM®, and Praxis™. We offer both face to face and online teaching, so whether you prefer to learn in-person or from the comfort of your own home, we’ll have a study option to suit you. With up to 18 months of material access and a proven track record of delivering exceptional results, it’s no wonder over 2,000 organisations have trusted us to train their teams. Enhance your skills and advance your career with Oxford College of Management.

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