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21 Jun 10th IPMA SENET Conference Successfully Held

Posted at 10:04h in News by

Project success should be measured by the satisfaction of the people working on it, rather than solely by deadlines, budgets, and deliverables. This was the central message of the 10th IPMA SENET Conference, held in Belgrade from 28 to 30 May 2026.

Under the slogan “Beyond Success: Happiness and Wellbeing in the Project Environment,” the conference brought together 268 participants from 39 countries and opened a discussion on how wellbeing in projects, organizational culture, education, and technological change are shaping the future of project management.

The conference gathered project managers, representatives of companies and institutions, researchers, consultants, and educators from Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, and the Middle East. Through 20 parallel sessions and presentations by 73 speakers, participants explored how organizations can achieve outstanding results while simultaneously creating healthy, motivating, and sustainable work environments.

“Numerous international studies, standards, and contemporary organizational practices clearly confirm that there can be no long-term success without stable and satisfied teams. If we neglect the health and psychological safety of people working on projects, no other achieved objective can be considered true success,” said Vladimir Obradović, President of IPMA Serbia.

According to him, employee wellbeing, team health, staff turnover, psychological safety, engagement, and team satisfaction should become integral components of project success measurement systems.

SENET by the Numbers

  • 268 participants
  • 39 countries
  • 73 speakers
  • 6 keynote speakers
  • 20 programme sessions
  • 5 panel discussions
  • 2 roundtable discussions
  • 2 Young Crew workshops
  • 1 IPMA Kids workshop
  • 10 IPMA side meetings

 

Through a series of panel discussions, participants examined various aspects of modern project management—from measuring happiness in project environments and the influence of media on project perception to the role of PMOs, professional development, and the education of future project leaders. 

Panel Discussions

  • Measuring Happiness in the Project Environment
  • Projects in the Spotlight: How Media Shapes What the World Sees and Believes
  • The PMO as a Powerhouse of Happiness in Project Environments
  • Happiness Under Pressure: Projects in a Changing Geopolitical and Technological Landscape
  • Public Projects & Public Happiness: Delivering Value Where It Matters Most
  • Future-Proof Your Career: Professional Development and Certification
  • Six-Seven Leadership Legacy: Shaping Happy Future with Projects
  • Project Management Education: Preparing Project Leaders for a Complex, Human-Centered Future

These discussions addressed topics including the measurement of wellbeing and happiness in project environments, the influence of media on project perception, the role of PMOs within organizations, challenges arising from geopolitical and technological changes, the importance of public projects for society, professional development and certification, leadership development, and the advancement of project management education.

Special attention was devoted to the impact of organizational culture, geopolitical developments, and technological transformation on project teams and organizations.

“Our profession does not operate in a vacuum. We must develop organizational cultures and educational systems that keep pace with global trends and geopolitical pressures in order to adequately prepare future project managers for the challenges ahead,” emphasized the President of IPMA Serbia.

One of the most notable panels focused on the role of media in shaping public perceptions of projects. Participants concluded that professional associations and media organizations can jointly contribute to more objective, responsible, and higher-quality public communication about projects with significant social and economic impact.

Key Conclusions

Conference participants agreed that project management is undergoing a significant transformation and that traditional success indicators must be complemented by measures that assess projects’ impact on people.

Among the most important conclusions were:

  • Employee and community satisfaction are becoming key indicators of project success;
  • Organizational culture plays a decisive role in successful project delivery;
  • The development of future project leaders requires modernization of educational programmes and continuous professional development;
  • Artificial intelligence and technological advancements are transforming the way project teams work, but cannot replace human-centered competencies;
  • Psychological safety and team wellbeing directly influence the long-term sustainability of project outcomes;
  • Cooperation among the professional community, institutions, and media is essential for responsible project governance and improving public perception of projects.

A special segment of the conference was dedicated to young professionals. Through workshops, discussions, and Young Crew activities, participants explored the expectations of the new generation of project managers, their values, and their relationship with contemporary work environments.

Alongside the conference, ten meetings of various IPMA boards and working groups were held, as well as an IPMA Kids workshop in a Belgrade primary school, where pupils developed planning, collaboration, and problem-solving skills through interactive activities.

The conference was supported by numerous partners and sponsors whose contributions played a significant role in its successful organization and delivery.

Conference co-organizers: International Project Management Association (IPMA), IPMA Serbia, Faculty of Project and Innovation Management “Prof. Dr. Petar Jovanović,” and the Institute for Management and Innovation.

Global sponsors: BEXEL and Van Haren Group.

Local partners: Nestlé, KPMG, MK Group, Schneider Electric, Siemens, Siemens Energy, Aparteko, Institute for Management and Innovation, Winery “100 Women,” Winery Radovanović, and Winery Tonković.

Media partner: Newsmax Balkans.

This year’s conference also held special significance for IPMA Serbia. In addition to organizing the 30th International Congress on Project Management and the 10th Jubilee IPMA SENET Conference, the Association is celebrating 40 years of promoting and developing the project management profession in Serbia, as well as 15 years of publishing the international scientific journal European Project Management Journal (EPMJ).

These anniversaries reaffirm IPMA Serbia’s long-standing contribution to the advancement of project management, education, research, and international cooperation in the field.