Strategy, Insights and Innovation: Highlights from ELIA’s Focus on Project Management 2023 in Romania

By Fiama Petroselli

January 2024

Hello everyone! This is Fia 😊, reporting back from Romania, where I recently attended the Focus on PM 2023 organized by ELIA. I’m excited to share my experience with all of you.

Kicking off the conference on day one, Madalina Uceanu took the stage as the keynote speaker, delivering interesting insights on the significant impact reputation has in the role of Project Managers.

Following a coffee break, Alina Bota-Tăbușcă presented the first part of the “PM like an influencer” talk. This enlightening presentation helped us discover the superpowers PMs have, offering valuable perspectives on how we can leverage them to make a difference with our teams and clients.

Next, the attendees were split into two groups. I found myself in Group B, attending István Lengyel’s presentation: “Big, bad AI coming for us”. Here, he motivated us to reflect and share our thoughts on how artificial intelligence has really impacted both our personal and professional lives. This was a great opportunity to listen to other colleagues’ opinions on this matter that is currently the focal point of discussion in our industry. The conclusion? Embrace change—the hype is bigger than reality.

In the evening, we all gathered for a delicious dinner featuring traditional Romanian dishes and—I must admit—a very fun karaoke night!

On day two, Mariella Zeginigg and Federiza Fenzi presented “Better, faster, stronger”, providing useful strategies on how to tackle everyday challenges. The discussion also touched on the constant evolution of the PM role.

After lunch, both groups A and B came together for the last part of the “PM like an influencer” workshop, presented by Jessica Rathke and Thomas Edwards. They discussed valuable strategies such as making clients happy, building lasting relationships, and offering new services.

The conference's final presentation featured Lazlo Varga, who explored the implications of this new AI paradigm for individuals in the language industry while emphasizing the importance of maintaining a human touch.

I am beyond thrilled to have had the opportunity to attend this incredible conference that allowed me to spend two amazing days full of learning, networking and joy. I am so grateful to have met all the fantastic colleagues who made this an even more meaningful experience.