Past Events

Wednesday, June 30, 2010
SMPS St. Louis Annual Chapter Breakfast

Join us for SMPS St. Louis’ annual meeting to enjoy a complimentary breakfast with your fellow members. You’ll have the opportunity to hear about what we’ve accomplished this year, learn about the progress and goals of the Chapter, and take the opportunity to provide input for the upcoming year. We invite you to be an active member and join us before our brief summer hiatus. Door prizes will be given out.

Wednesday, June 16, 2010
SMPS St. Louis Past Leaders' Mixer

Calling all former St. Louis Chapter Board members! Join us Wednesday, June 16 for a happy hour to celebrate YOU! Enjoy beverages and light hors d’ouvres as you reconnect with your chapter and share ideas.

Tuesday, June 8, 2010
SMPS St. Louis Archie Awards Ceremony

The St. Louis Archie Awards recognize excellence in marketing communications by professional services firms in the design and building industry. Occurring once every two years, this is your opportunity to tell your story and be recognized by your peers, clients and employees. The competition provides an unparalleled opportunity for professional services firms to showcase their best marketing practices.

On Tuesday, May 18, the SMPS STL Archie Awards Ceremony will be held at the Kemper Art Museum at Washington University.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Eight-on-Eight: Lunch With a Potential Client

Here is your chance to network and have lunch with the bi-state region’s key decision-makers from some of the most dynamic organizations! No formal speaker program will be presented.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010
WIN MORE WORK: How to Improve Your Effectiveness at Building Business

Join us on Wednesday morning, April 21st for "Win More Work: How to Improve your Effectiveness at Building Business," an educational workshop with Jean Leathers, Professional Affiliate AIA, CPSM.

This interactive program is designed to lead participants through a series of exercises that will help to clarify thinking and strategy for revenue generation. We'll look at client development and how to cultivate relationships that lead to work, and identify client-driven marketing tactics that can be used to establish expertise.

Participants receive a workbook and during this 3-hour workshop will:

- Develop the first draft of a Position Statement for their firms.
- Identify areas of specialization that differentiate their firm from others.
- Understand the Sales to Marketing Continuum.
- Learn an approach to cultivating relationships that lead to work.
- Learn the key information needed to qualify a client.
- Identify marketing tactics to establish expertise.

Jean Leathers is president of Practice Clarity, LLC, a firm that advises on building business from new and existing clients. Practice Clarity helps A/E/C firms to clarify purpose, establish position and cultivate relationships. Jean has over 20 years of experience in the A/E/C industry.

This program is eligible for up to 3 SMPS CEU credits, 3 AIA CES credits, or 3 general Professional Development Hours.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Differentiate or Diminish: Practical Value Added Strategies in the Challenging Economy

On Wednesday, March 10th Fred Firestone, founder and principal of the Ethical Selling Institute, will join us to focus on differentiating your firm's offerings. He will stress how to retain existing clients and develop new clients through the EthicalFactor (trust, credibility and partnership).  Also learn key strategies to generate more "face to face" opportunities, maximize the value of networking events and secure effective testimonials. Fred's clients include Anheuser-Busch, DuPont, Hewlett Packard, SBC, AT&T, the US Postal Service and Laclede Gas.

This program is eligible for 1 SMPS CEU credit, 1 AIA CES credit, or 1 general Professional Development Hour. 

Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Social Media Workshop (2-hour educational program)

Join us on Wednesday, February 10th for hands on training in social media. This two hour training session will walk through the technical requirements needed to effectively navigate social media sites and address how you can use social media in your business.

Mark Patterson, Chief Information Officer at S.M. Wilson & Co., will address the technical requirements that need to be put in place by your IT department before embarking in the realm of social media. Learn what IT professionals main concerns are about social media sites and how you can overcome them.  Mike Plotnick, Media Relations Manager at HOK, and Jeannette Thompson, Communications Specialist at HOK, will then teach how social media has grown and impacted the AEC industry. Learn why your firm should Tweet and blog. Then get the tips and tools needed to implement social media tactics at your firm.

Mark Patterson is the Chief Information Officer at S. M. Wilson & Co. Mark is responsible for aligning the computer resources with the needs of a growing General Contracting/Construction Management Company. His past experience includes work as a computer systems and technical support manager in a variety of industries.

Mike Plotnick is Media Relations Manager at HOK. In this role, he directs internal and external communications strategies to position the firm's people, projects and expertise worldwide. A LEED Accredited Professional, he is actively engaged in the firm's emerging social media strategies and outreach. Prior to joining HOK in 2001, Mike held communications positions at StreamSearch.com, Kupper Parker Communications and Fleishman-Hillard.

His projects have been honored with Gold, Silver and Bronze Quill Awards from the International Association of Business Communicators, and also have earned recognition from the Public Relations Society of America, Society for Marketing Professional Services and Women in Communications. He earned a bachelor's degree in journalism from Bowling Green State University in Ohio.

Jeannette Thompson is a Communications Specialist in HOK’s Planning Group.  She supports marketing and design teams with writing, editing and multi-media expertise. As a LEED Accredited Professional with a background in Urban Planning, Community Development and Community Relations, she is able to provide technical knowledge to assignments including brochures, e-mail newsletters, websites, company blogs and events.

Prior to joining HOK, Jeannette was a Senior Associate at Fleishman-Hillard and a Planner at ECG, an environmental engineering firm in Washington D.C. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Community Development and Spanish and has completed graduate coursework in Urban Planning and Real Estate Development.

Click here for a PDF of Mark Patterson's presentation (828 KB)

Click here for a PDF of Mike Plotnick and Jeannette Thompson's presentation (2.3 MB)

Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Marketing More...For Less: Best Practices From Around the Country

Join us on Wednesday, January 27th to hear national SMPS CEO Ron Worth, CAE, FSMPS, CPSM discuss best practices for marketing more with less. The program will provide a brief overview of a systematic approach to help lead your company through this economic storm. Then learn how other companies are using guerrilla marketing tactics to increase their marketing in an environment where money is tight. Innovative techniques are providing new ways for companies to differentiate themselves to keep existing clients satisfied while bringing in new clients to maintain continuity of workflow, utilizing ideas and methodology that is foreign to most practitioners.

Ron has been involved with construction and design for more than 25 years. He has conducted over 300 seminars and training classes; written numerous articles for professional trade groups and nonprofit associations; and actively participated on many industry committees, forums, and symposiums for the advancement of the building community. He has managed the Professional Services Management Association along with SMPS for nine years and previously served as vice president of marketing for CECO Corporation.

Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Medical Roundtable

Kelly Riggs, Founder and President of Vmax Performance Group, a business performance improvement company located in Broken Arrow, OK, will be our special guest for this principal-level and above breakfast. Widely recognized as a powerful speaker and dynamic trainer in the fields of leadership, sales development, and strategic planning, Kelly is a also a Registered Corporate Coach (RCC) with the World Association of Business Coaches. He has spent the last twelve years teaching and training organizational leaders in sales and executive management, and his passion is developing people-focused managers and high-performance salespeople. Kelly’s first book, entitled
1-on-1 Management™: What Every Great Manager Knows That You Don't, was released in Spring 2008, and he is currently working on his second book, 1-on-1 Selling™: How to Win More Sales, Defend Your Margins, and Build Your Brand, schedule to publish in 2010.
 
Since forming Vmax, Kelly has provided leadership training for the University of Oklahoma JCPenney Leadership Center; been selected as the leadership trainer for the Oklahoma Associated General Contractors and Constructor's Leadership Council; become a founding member of the recently formed Broken Arrow Business Institute; and, appeared before a subcommittee of the Oklahoma State House of Representatives to address "Factors That Impact Employee Engagement and Performance."

Program Summary: Developing talent is a vital component of creating a high-performance company. Unfortunately, most managers are so focused on their technical responsibilities that they fail to develop employee potential. Worse, managers rarely receive the training that would provide the skills necessary to effectively coach employees. In this session, you will learn why managers must make talent development a priority and discover some of the skills that great managers use to develop high-performance teams.

Thursday, November 12, 2009
Medical Roundtable

Join SMPS for a roundtable discussion about firm selection, funding issues and future projects at our local medical facilities. Industry veteran Ken Cates, Principal of Northstar Management Company, will lead the discussion with panelists:

• Steve Cockerham, Vice President of BJC Planning, Design & Construction
• Don Wojtkowski, Network Director of SSM Health Care Design & Construction

Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Media Panel

Join SMPS and our panel of experts to learn what it takes to get the attention of local media covering the A/E/C industry. Denise Bentele, APR, President & CEO of Common Ground Public Relations will lead a discussion with panelists on how to pitch stories to the media and how to make your content newsworthy.

Panelists include:
• Phil Sutin, Urban Planning and Development Reporter at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch 
• Peter Downs, Editor of Construction News and Real Estate
• Ron Ameln, President of Small Business Monthly
• Mike Fitzgerald, Reporter at the Belleville News-Democrat

Wednesday, September 9, 2009
St. Louis County: Projects & Opportunities

Join us on September 9th at SqWires as SMPS St. Louis welcomes Garry Earls, PE, Chief Operating Officer of St. Louis County. Learn tips on how to position your firm to do business with the County and hear details about current and upcoming projects.

Click here for a PDF of Garry Earls's presentation (1MB)

Wednesday, June 10
Annual Chapter Meeting (Members Only)

Participate in SMPS St. Louis' year-in-review annual meeting. Enjoy a complimentary breakfast with your fellow members, learn about the progress and goals of the Chapter and take the opportunity to provide input for the upcoming year. We invite you to be an active member and join us before our brief summer hiatus.

Wednesday, May 13
Eight-on-Eight: Lunch With a Prospective Client

Client attendees included:
Art Ackerman, Assistant Vice Chancellor - Facilities Planning & Management, Washington University; Steve Cockerham, Vice President Design & Construction, BJC HealthCare; Garry Earls, Chief Operating Officer, St. Louis County Economic Council; Larry Eisenberg, University Architect, University of Missouri System; Michael Feldmann, Assistant Chief of the Engineering & Construction Division, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Louis Division; Brian Hoelscher, Director of Engineering, Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (MSD); Mary Lamie, Deputy Director, Region 5 Engineer, Illinois Department of Transportation, Districts 8 & 9; Cornell Mays, Deputy Director of Planning & Development, Lambert-St. Louis International Airport; Les Sterman, Executive Director, East-West Gateway; Richard Walker, Assistant Vice Chancellor, Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville

Event Sponsor:

Wednesday, April 15
CPSM Lunch

Thursday & Friday, April 2 & 3, 2009
2009 SMPS Missouri Valley Regional Conference

Thursday, March 12
Diversity Workshop: AEC Marketing for Small Business

A half day workshop that explores aspects of marketing small or new firms.

Presented by:
Chris Enriquez, Diversity Manager, Alberici Constructors, Inc.
Vicki LaRose, PE, President, Civil Design, Inc., a certified WBE firm
Stacy Robben, CPSM, LEED AP, Marketing Manager, HOK

Click here to download a PDF handout (6MB)

Event Sponsor:

Wednesday, February 11
Sustainability Panel

Event sponsor:

Thursday, January 15*
Media Panel: The Changing Media Landscape & How it Affects Your Business

Moderated by Steve Houston, APR - Casey Communications

Join SMPS and our panel of experts on Thursday, January 15 to learn about the latest changes in the media. The changing economic scene has impacted the media’s approach to business, and this is your opportunity to learn how these changes will impact St. Louis businesses in 2009. Discussion will include the trends for 2009 in print and broadcasting, as well as economic development and real estate updates from St. Louis area news professionals.

Wednesday, December 3
Principal-Level Breakfast
Effective Business Development Strategies: How to Get a Larger Share in a Shrinking Market

Presented by Judy Nitsch, PE, LEED AP, FSMPS - President, Nitsch Engineering, Inc. - Boston, MA

This breakfast is for firm principals and decision-makers to network and learn. Judy Nitsch will talk about how she grew her firm 300% two years in a row and then strategically changed the firm's workload mix. Judy is a civil engineer turned business developer who managed her first engineering office branch at the age of 25 and began her own firm in 1989. She'll also share how to make your firm's business development efforts a team effort that is structured, productive, and fruitful.

Tuesday, December 2
SMPS 35th Anniversary Cocktail Reception

SMPS was founded right here in St. Louis! Join us to celebrate the 35th anniversary of SMPS and honor some of our founding members! Enjoy the holiday season with colleagues while brushing up on your networking skills with a brief, interactive presentation by Judy Nitsch, PE, LEED AP, FSMPS.

Wednesday, November 5
Post-Election Happy Hour with SMPS, PRSA, and CSPRC

The St. Louis chapters of Society for Marketing Professional Services, Public Relations Society of America and Community Service Public Relations Council invite you to a social happy hour on November 5th, following this year’s Presidential election.

There is no political agenda to this post election happy hour...just a chance to network with fellow communicators across the St. Louis area after you cast your vote!

Wednesday, October 8
Best Practices Roundtable

Whether you're new to A/E/C industry, or a seasoned professional, you’ll learn new ideas from industry professionals in their respective fields. You'll take away valuable tips for streamlining your production workflow, creating efficiency, and building client relationships.

Don't miss this opportunity to interact with top professionals and share ideas with other marketers from a wide range of disciplines.This lunch session will consist of six mini-sessions (lasting 10-15 minutes) on the topics listed below. This will give you the opportunity to ask questions, discuss ideas and learn best practices from other industry professionals to take with you and apply in your career.

Session topics include:
- Public Relations
- Proposals
- Interviews & Debriefs
- Building Client Relationships
- Organization
- Business Etiquette