If you’re interested in the technology side of BPM, there’s an upcoming event you won’t want to miss.  It’s called bpmNEXT, and it runs from March 25-27 at the Asilomar Conference Center in Pacific Grove, a stone’s throw from Pebble Beach on the Monterey Peninsula.  I’m hosting it together with Nathaniel Palmer of BPM.com.   This is the second annual bpmNEXT.  Last year’s event got rave reviews, both for the quality of the presentations and the social interaction.  This year’s promises to be even better, with more time planned for social interaction and to enjoy the spectacular surroundings.

This is not a typical BPM “how to” conference aimed at newcomers.  It’s aimed at experienced users and creators of BPM technology who want a sneak peek at the next generation of software, to touch it, see it, and influence it.

bpmNEXT_ThumbThe keynote this year is Jim Sinur’s intriguingly titled, “My Process is Smarter than Me.”  From there, the program is a cross between TED and an investor pitch event: one track, twenty-five 20-minute demos of the next big thing, each followed by 10 minutes of Q&A, with numerous breaks for one-on-one deep dives. The demos span the full gamut of process technology, from mobile apps to agent technology to operational intelligence, advanced work management, and case/BPM unification.  Slideware is minimal; bpmNEXT is focused on working demos you can see, presented by the people that built the software.

The atmosphere is peer-to-peer.  You have the chance to interact with the movers and shakers of process technology, not just through the Q&A but at meals, receptions, and breaks.  Asilomar’s rustic environment lets you take a break from the daily office grind – not to mention the winter weather – and enjoy a great social gathering, encouraged by good food and wine, that will inspire your own efforts in 2014.  You might think of it as the Bohemian Grove of BPM!

bpmNEXT runs from the afternoon of March 25 to the afternoon of March 27, followed by an optional wine tour and dinner in nearby Carmel Valley.  For details, go to www.bpmnext.com/bpmNEXT2014.pdf.  To register, go to www.bpmnext.com/event-registration/?ee=2.  You won’t want to miss this.