Why Attend

New! Download Customizable Conference Benefit Letters

Still deciding or need help getting approval from your supervisor? SMPS has crafted two conference benefit letters; both need to be customized by you before giving them to your supervisor. The first letter is signed by Ron Worth, SMPS CEO. The second letter is written directly from you point of view as a member. (NOTE: Areas in yellow are those that should be modified.)

Why Invest in Build Business 2010?

An investment in Build Business can make you a more effective marketer or business developer and pay off for your firm. Below are ideas to justify your conference investment to your supervisor.

• Learn first-hand what firms have done to survive the recession... and what they have planned for the rebound. Real-world panel discussions offer client insights into the marketplace; peer roundtable discussions enable attendees to share experiences, solutions, and success stories.

• Gain insider knowledge on how social media and digital marketing are affecting A/E/C marketing. An entire educational track will focus on these emerging technologies. Learn how your peers are using these media to position their firms to their advantage.

• Identify new business and partnering opportunities... And firm up those you already have. Extend your sales force by building critical relationships and contacts among attendees from the Engineering News—Record Top 500 Design Firms and Top 400 Contractors.

• Secure business intelligence. Discover what others know about upcoming projects and opportunities to win work or make new connections. Exposure at Build Business can increase your referral business. Master service to your clients. Experts agree the key to success is to stay focused on clients. Attend client panels on the future of healthcare, higher education, and public-sector markets. Use this knowledge to develop stronger client relationships within your firm.

• Differentiate your firm before someone else does. Gain cutting-edge data, best practices, benchmarks, and marketing and business development ideas—information not available anywhere else—to position your firm more solidly in the A/E/C marketplace.

• Access the latest industry research. Be the first to receive the results of seven new research studies commissioned by the SMPS Foundation.

• Below is a breakdown of the educational value of conference versus purchasing each opportunity separately.

6 educational sessions (540 minutes, equivalent to 6 Webinars at $179 each) = $1,074
2 keynote addresses (180 minutes, equivalent to 2 Webinars at $179 each) = $358
Awards Gala Dinner and Presentation = $125
2 Networking Lunches = $80
2 Networking Breakfasts = $50
4 Networking Breaks = $20
2 Networking Receptions= $100
Business Contacts Made (including 20+ hours of access to suppliers in the Networking Pavilion) = Priceless
Total Value = $1,807
Savings ($1,807 value minus $1,190 registration fee) = $617

Testimonials from Past Attendees

The fastest way to navigate through market shifts is with information and ideas to ensure firm success. Attending Build Business provides ready access to market information, marketing best practices, and the people who make it happen!

Sheryl Maibach, FSMPS
Chief Marketing Officer, Barton Malow
Southfield, MI
Recipient of the 2009 SMPS Marketing Achievement Award

Attending Build Business is one of the best investments you can make in furthering your education, networking with business leaders in the A/E/C industry, and building camaraderie and fellowship with other marketing professionals.

Mark Tawara, CPSM
Director of Marketing, Belt Collins Hawaii Ltd.
Honolulu, HI
Recipient of the 2009 SMPS Chapter President of the Year Award

SMPS has always been the most powerful network in the industry. If you want to be in the know about what is happening in the market, then you need to be a part of the networking that happens at the SMPS National Conference.
Laurin McCracken, AIA, FSMPS
Chief Marketing Officer, Jacobs Global Building NA
Fort Worth, TX

The national conference is the only place where I can increase my marketing expertise, hear nationally-recognized experts, solidify my relationships with peers, become acquainted with suppliers and vendors, and build my national network of contacts and potential mentors—all in one place. Where the local chapter provides the foundation for education and community, the national conference provides stair steps for enhanced career growth because of its focus on the world beyond.
Barbara Shuck, FSMPS, CPSM
Vice President and Marketing Director, Emc2 GROUP Architects Planners, PC
Mesa, AZ

Many of us are “lone wolves”: that singular marketing voice lost in the rush of the daily operations of design or construction firms. Build Business is my chance to reconnect and reenergize my batteries! Then, each year, I return to Nashville, armed with tools to help my firm successfully pursue and win new work ...or keep our existing clients ecstatic.
Donna J. Corlew, FSMPS, CPSM
Southwest Regional Marketing Manager, Brown and Caldwell
Nashville, TN

My primary reason for attending the conference is the networking. As a “senior” SMPS member, I love the reunion with colleagues I’ve worked with over the years. Equally, I enjoy meeting our younger members to learn innovative approaches and be inspired by their fresh perspectives.
Sally A. Handley, FSMPS
President, Sally Handley Inc.
Passaic Park, NJ

I attend the national conference every year for several reasons. The educational sessions are excellent. It’s great to catch up with old and new friends, and hear and see what other firms are doing. But the main reason I go every year is the energy and ideas I bring back to work with me.
Donna Jakubowicz, CPSM
Corporate Marketing Director, Barton Malow Company
Southfield, MI

I thrive on the opportunities the conference offers to get to know marketers from around the country in various stages of their careers...It’s often a challenge to commit time to learn and refresh when I'm constantly meeting deadlines and managing a business. Conference gives me a chance to reconnect with friends, opportunities to hear speakers from outside my normal channels, and many choices for picking up new knowledge or skills (sometimes just from conversations!). Conference tears off my blinders and reminds me that there is a bigger world out there!
Nancy J. Usrey, FSMPS, CPSM
Associate Vice President, HNTB
Plano, TX

By attending the sessions, keynotes, and networking opportunities, I have only increased my value to my firm, and believe me, they recognize this. I have also formed long-term relationships with my peers all over the country and have gained much more confidence and self-worth over the years.
Teri Rowley, CPSM
Director of Business Development, Contract Land Staff LP
Stafford, TX

I registered for the conference with the expectation of attending educational, thought-provoking, creatively stimulating, and engaging workshops. I wanted the opportunity to network with marketing professionals across the globe, not only to build relationships but to exchange ideas that would be mutually beneficial in our respective workplaces…I am happy to say all of my expectations were met.
Rhonda L. Hollowell, CPSM
Moss & Associates
Ft. Lauderdale, FL