On June 8, 2011, Hector Del Castillo, Director of Program Development at MEI Technologies, will be discussing the challenge of working in organizations that do not understand the difference between project management and product management. The two roles often appear to be at odds with each other. A product manager may want to add features to meet customer needs while the project manager may want to limit the scope to ensure the project is delivered on time and under budget. Hector will discuss the major differences in the two roles and how they work together within organizations to transform product innovation to profit.

And yes: there will be an Early Show! Cookie Burkhalter and Rich Weller of Pcubed will be giving a liive demonstration of the "Bells and Whistles of Microsoft Project 2010" at 5:30 pm. This, along with Hector's presentation, is an event you won't want to miss!

Cost of the event, which will be held at the Blair Mansion Inn (7711 Eastern Avenue - Silver Spring, MD 20912), is $35 (payment in advance, or $40 at the door). Sign-in and networking begin at 6:00 pm (or 5:00 pm if you're coming to the Early Show, which starts at 5:30 pm), dinner is at 7:00 pm, and Hector's presentation begins at 8:00 pm sharp. This event is worth 1.5 PDUs (or 2.5 PDUs if you come to the Early Show). For directions to the Blair Mansion Inn, click here.

Early Show (5:30 pm): Bells and Whistles of Microsoft Project 2010 (Cookie Burkhalter and Rich Weller)

Microsoft Project 2010 is being billed as the most significant release of Project in a decade. Join us for a live demonstration of Microsoft Project 2010 and learn about all the new features (the new "Ribbon" interface, moving information into Excel, syncing straight to SharePoint, and much more!). Your very own Cookie Burkhalter and Rich Weller of Pcubed will be presenting.  Both are very passionate about project management and enjoy sharing their knowledge about MS Project with others.  Rich is a Microsoft Certified (MCTS) user of MS Project. This should be an exciting event that you will not want to miss!

To view the Early Show presentation on MS Project 2010,  click here.  Note: You will need to be logged in to view the slides.

Main Presentation Overview (8:00 pm) - Innovation to Profit: Differences between Project Management and Product Management (Hector Del Castillo)  

Despite the similar names, there are big differences between product management and project management. The confusion between the two roles is common and potentially harmful to organizations who do not acknowledge the distinction. This is often the case for companies that develop web-based and technology products.

A common challenge is that the two roles often appear to be at odds with each other. A product manager may want to add a lot of features to meet customer needs, but the project manager may want to limit the scope so that the project is delivered on time and under budget. Often traditional definitions mischaracterize the project manager as singularly focused on getting the product release finished on time and under budget without any concern as to whether it meets the needs of the market or customers.

A mapping comparing the Product Management Framework and the PMBOK will be presented. We will discuss the major differences in the two roles and how they work together within companies that have organizational discipline to transform product innovation to profit.

About Hector Del Castillo

Hector Del Castillo is Director of Program Development at MEI Technologies where he is implementing a business strategy to commercialize products and services and transform them into profit. He is also Senior Product Marketing Manager for the Association of International Product Marketing and Management (AIPMM). Mr. Del Castillo is a highly accomplished, results-oriented, energetic and innovative professional with over 10 years experience managing products throughout the development life cycle and directing strategic planning. He has launched 25 high technology products and features resulting in over $25M in achieved global sales revenue. Hector was Senior Product Manager at Smith Micro Software, Cornet Technology, Nextone Communications, and Lucent Technologies, playing a key role in the successful launch of new products and product enhancements.

Mr. Del Castillo has extensive full product life cycle management and product marketing experience, with a strong understanding of how to tailor the product management process to the specific needs and organizational structure of a technology-based company.  He has expertise defining and launching products and solutions, creating product messaging and positioning, developing marketing collateral and sales tools, and performing comparative and competitive analysis based on market research. 

Hector is a Certified Product Manager (CPM) and Certified Product Marketing Manager (CPMM) who helps experienced managers understand the product management process and prepare for certification through practical training courses. He earned M.S. degrees in Electrical Engineering from the University of California at Santa Barbara and the University of Texas at El Paso and a Bachelors Degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Texas at El Paso.

About AIPMM

The Association of International Product Marketing and Management (AIPMM) is where product professionals go for answers. It is the world's largest professional organization of product managers, brand managers, product marketing managers and other individuals responsible for guiding their organizations and clients through a constantly changing business landscape. It is the only organization that represents and provides certification for professionals who manage the entire product life-cycle throughout any industry. For more information, visit www.aipmm.com.