2025 Fall PDD - Unite to Elevate: Building Community For Greater Outcomes 

PMI Austin 2025 Fall Professional Development Day (PDD) 

24 October 2025 • Location: Archer Hotel (Austin, Texas) 

Make time to grow your skills, expand your network, and earn PDUs—right here with Austin’s community of Project Professionals. Four speakers. Fresh ideas. Real-world takeaways you can use on Monday. (Registration is open for both PMI Austin members and non-members.) 

Register today  

In-person: https://pmiaustin.org/calendar-of-events?eventId=447 

Virtual: https://pmiaustin.org/calendar-of-events?eventId=448  

What to expect 

• Four speaker sessions aligned to today’s most in-demand skills 

• Practical strategies you can bring back to your teams 

• Time to connect with peers and leaders across industries 

• PDUs to maintain your PMI® certifications 

SPEAKERS:  

Morning Keynote Speaker  

Max Ekesi ~ Delivering Customer Value with Business Agility  

Learning Objectives

• Raise the visibility to Customer Value importance  

• Measure Customer/End User value delivered  

• Create a mindset of agility and continuous improvements    

Key Takeaways

• Identifying and measuring customer value delivery  

• Agility and Continuous improvement mindset  

• Call to Action  

Morning Breakout Speaker

Kevin Darbelnet ~ Enterprise Agility ≠ Agile Delivery: It’s a Portfolio Management Problem  

Learning Objectives

• Differentiate between delivery-level agility and portfolio-level agility  

• Apply portfolio management principles to improve strategy execution and innovation agility

Key Takeaways 

• Attendees will leave with a clear understanding of how to drive enterprise agility by applying portfolio management principles that extend their impact beyond individual projects—enabling more adaptive, aligned, and strategically relevant execution across their organization.    

Afternoon Breakout Speaker  

Jason Andrews ~ You + Copilot: The New Power Duo in Project Leadership  

Learning Objectives

• Identify 3ways Microsoft Copilot can enhance decision-making, reduce friction, and increase team clarity in project workflows.  

• Evaluate how EQ-driven leadership complements AI support to manage multi-cultural, multi-generational teams more effectively.   

• Apply 2–3 actionable techniques to balance AI-driven efficiency with human-centered communication and inclusion.  

  Key Takeaways  

• The future of project leadership = AI + EQ + YOU · Copilot is your strategic ally—not a threat—when used intentionally  

•  Emotional intelligence is the anchor in an AI-assisted world  

•  Blending human-centered leadership with AI tools creates inclusive, resilient teams that deliver more value, faster  

Afternoon Keynote Speaker 

Mei Lin ~ Do More with Less: How AI Agents Are Redefining Innovation, Speed, and Impact  

Learning Objectives 

•  Identify the strengths and ideal use cases for Notebook LLM, ChatGPT, Copilot Studio, and Open Web UI.  

•  Demonstrate how to use AI tools to automate a real-world task  

•  Apply AI tool to improve speed, accuracy, or reduce repetitive work.  

  Key Takeaways

• A clear understanding of which AI tool to use — and when.  

• Live demos show how to build and connect your own AI agents — fast.  

• Practical ideas you can test tomorrow to boost productivity without coding  

Registration & Pricing 

Registration now open. Lock in early for the best rate! 

• Early (August – 22 September) 
  US$235 members • US$270 non-members 
• Regular (23 September – 17 October) 
  US$260 members • US$310 non-members 
• Last chance (18–24 October) 
  US$295 members • US$345 non-members 

Expected Agenda 

7:30am-8:30am	Registration/Networking/Breakfast  (Online Registration opens at 8am)
8:30am-8:45am	Welcome/Announcements
8:45am-10:15am	AM Keynote Speaker - Max Ekesi
10:15am-10:30am	Break
10:30am-11:30am	AM Breakout Speaker - Kevin Darbelnet
11:30am-12:30pm	Lunch
12:30pm-1:30pm	PM Breakout Speaker - Jason Andrews
1:30pm-1:45pm	Product Demo
1:45pm-2:00 pm	Break
2:00 pm - 2:30 pm	Networking/ Group Activity
2:30pm-3:30pm	PM Keynote Speaker - Mei Lin
3:30pm - 4:30pm	Closing & Networking Session

Location 

Archer Hotel Austin 

(located in the Domain) 

3121 Palm Way 

Austin, TX, 78758 

 

Why attend? 

• Accelerate your impact. Learn from practitioners who deliver measurable results. 

• Build community. Meet Project Managers and leaders driving change across Austin. 

• Advance your career. Earn PDUs toward your certification(s) and keep your skills current.  

What attendees said about Spring PDD 

“I was impressed by the level of organization, friendliness and professionalism of PMI board as usual. It was fun!” 

“The event was well organized, the venue was wonderful, made new PM friends increasing my network.” 

“Great job, great topics, I look forward to the fall session!” 

 

Key details at a glance 

• Date: 24 October 2025 

• Time: Full day 

• Location: Archer Hotel, Austin TX 

• PDUs: 8.5 - In Person, 8 - Virtual 

• Audience: Project Professionals at all career stages 

 

Accessibility & inclusion 

We’re committed to hosting an inclusive event. Tell us how we can support your participation when you sign up. 

 

FAQs (preview) 

How many PDUs are offered? In-Person: 8.5, Virtual: 8. 
Can non-members attend? Absolutely. Austin Chapter Members receive discounted pricing.