Digital PM Summit Asheville
Monday, October 19 - Tuesday, October 20, 2026
The Venue • 21 North Market Street • Asheville, NC 28801
Overview | Agenda | Speakers | Venue | What’s Included | Event Shirts
DIGITAL PM SUMMIT AGENDA
Monday, October 19 : Day 1
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Continental Breakfast
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Welcome & Opening Remarks
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Most of us did not become Project Managers because we wanted to spend our days working on status reports, scheduling meetings, and being “held accountable” for things we can’t control. We signed up for this wanting to be part of a team that was building something that mattered — but somewhere between all the Gantt Charts and the hour long “standups,” that got lost. “Finding the Spark” makes the case that the gig was never about control or being a minion, or being a human shock absorber. This profession is all creativity and spark. It’s jazz improvisation. It’s what Miles Davis called “social music.” It’s jamming with others and being of service to those around us, creating and holding spaces where they can wail and so can we.
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Every project manager eventually encounters them: the client who questions everything, the stakeholder who never responds, the teammate who seems impossible to work with, or the person whose behavior turns every interaction into a challenge.
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Digital transformation sounds great in theory. In reality, it often means navigating resistance, disconnected systems, messy data, unclear ownership, and teams trying to keep day-to-day operations moving while everything changes around them.
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Most project delivery systems are designed for control - timelines, tasks, and outputs. But that’s not how clients and teams actually experience the work. They experience projects as clarity or confusion, momentum or friction, trust or uncertainty.
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To be announced - speaker info coming soon!
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Self Moderated Discussion
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As project managers, we know the most important part of any project is the people. Yet in the rush of deadlines, deliverables, and decisions, we often forget to intentionally design the one experience that drives everything else — the experience of our team.
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Immediately following the last session, we’ll stay at The Venue for drinks, light snacks, and more conversation!
Tuesday, October 20 : Day 2
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Continental Breakfast
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As DPMs, we've always been the ones absorbing change — new tools, new processes, new responsibilities that somehow land on our plates without ever leaving them. But AI is different. It's not just another tool to learn; it's quietly rewriting what our teams expect us to do. Suddenly we're prototyping, prompting, and shipping alongside the people we used to coordinate. So what does it mean to lead when the role itself is shifting under your feet?
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Early in his career, a blunt question from a VP taught Chase Williams something that changed how he saw his job. "Why don't you speak up?" He had a perspective the team needed, but he was too buried in status reports, risk logs, and meeting notes to use it. For years, the busywork won.
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To be announced - speaker info coming soon!
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While project management is often associated with rigid timelines, Gantt charts, and strict methodologies, the reality of executing a project is rarely predictable. This speech explores how the foundational rules of improvisational theater offer a powerful, unexpected toolkit for project managers to navigate change, foster team collaboration, and drive successful outcomes.
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Three options for self-moderated discussions
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Most PM training prepares you to deliver projects. Nobody really prepares you to also be the relationship; but on long web projects, that's exactly what happens. Over 6+ months, the PM becomes the face of the agency, the keeper of context, and often the deciding factor in whether a client stays or comes back.
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Most project managers learn early that their value lives in availability, which means staying reachable and responsive even when the work and their own judgment are telling them to stop. What looks like dedication from the outside often produces worse decisions, weaker creative thinking, and the kind of low-grade exhaustion that becomes someone's whole personality before they notice it happened.
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Wednesday, October 21 : DPM/Ops Dynamic Duo Workshop
Note: An additional ticket is required to attend the workshop.
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Continental Breakfast
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Register Now for the DPM Summit!
Member Price : $1,150
Nonmember Price : $1,650
Teams of 4 or more receive a
$200 discount per ticket!
OR
Make it a full week of learning, connection, and inspiration.
The Digital PM Summit is just the beginning. There are two can’t-miss opportunities to go deeper, sharpen your skills, and connect with fellow leaders:
DPM/Ops Dynamic Duo Workshop — Wednesday, October 21
Operations Camp — Thursday, October 22 & Friday, October 23
Want the full experience? Bundle all three events and save 15%. Join us for a full week of learning, connection, and practical insights—and make the most of your time in Asheville.
One week. Three experiences. 15% savings.
Member Price : $2,970
Nonmember Price : $4,075
Thank You to Our Wonderful Partners
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