I want to address this significant association event for several reasons. First, this annual event brings the best-of-the-best together in marketing and business development for the A/E/C industry for the sole purpose of learning the most current processes and trends affecting our industry. Second, this event is a wonderful opportunity to share, network, and mentor with so many professionals in our industry, all in one location. I have never left this event without a new lead, a new friend, and the chance to take a new marketer under my “wing” for mentoring. And third, this is a fabulous occasion to celebrate and recognize the individuals and companies who continue to lead the way with innovative projects, performances, and ideas. The Awards Gala grows in value to the industry and to SMPS by making the rest of the world aware of the exceptional work we all do, day in and day out.
The theme of Build Business: Beyond Boundaries has challenged us to find leading practitioners in the design and building industry who have taken unconventional approaches to growing their businesses and succeeded. You’ll want to learn from their stories and be inspired to do the same. With The Flight of the Creative Class author Richard Florida as our keynote, you will hear how the work that we do can strengthen the economic health of our communities by providing amenities, facilities, and an environment attractive to the creative class. There are sessions on such practical matters as building a sustainable public relations program, as well as some unusual ones such as the art and science of face reading by taught by a lawyer who consults on jury selections and advises prominent companies how to “read” their customers. Add to this a good dose of leadership development programs and a workshop on “inventivity” to help gear up your creative juices, and I believe there will be something for everyone at this year’s conference.
To put this event together, I have had the pleasure of working with several individuals who have made this conference a priority in their busy lives this year. Conference Chair Dana Birkes, of The Flintco Companies, has given much of her time, energy, and resources to ensure this will be the finest conference in our history. Since we do not have an SMPS Chapter in New Orleans, Dana engaged the Oklahoma Chapter to help with the many host activities that make this a successful event.
We have had many education track leaders who have searched high and low to find the best professional speakers within the marketplace. Special thanks to Carolyn Ferguson, The Lentz Group; Dana Duran, Flintco; Donna Corlew, Gould Turner Group; Scott Braley, Braley Consulting and Training; Lee Slade, Walter P. Moore; Tom Smith, Bonterra Consulting; Karen Roch, Karlsberger; Scott Milder, SHW Group, Inc.; Mitch Levitt, Karlsberger; and Marcie Lohr, Abacus Engineered Systems, Inc. Sharyn Yorio, Sustainable Marketing, Inc., has again done a superb job of securing conference sponsorships for this year, and Mike Reilly, Reilly Communications, and Rolf Fuessler, Fuessler Group, Inc., are co-chairing the public relations for this powerful event.
For those of you still wavering on whether or not to come to New Orleans in August, I want to share with you some of the many things to do in the city, in addition to the conference. New Orleans is world renowned for food and fun. If you have not sampled the local cuisine, you are in for a treat. Native favorites include beignets, chicory coffee, pralines, jambalaya, seafood of every kind, muffulettas, Pat O’Brien’s hurricanes, and the local beers of Dixie and Abita.
The architecture is unique to this area with the French Quarter ironwork, the beautiful Garden District of fine century-old homes, the “shotgun” double houses found throughout the city, and of course, just outside of town, the old plantation homes.
My father is a native of the city, so I spent many holidays in New Orleans, and I love walking through the famous cemeteries (all placed above ground because of the high-water table), the river boat trips, the museums (the newest is the Cocktail Museum, located in the French Quarter), and the antiques stores of Magazine Street. The street cars that run right outside our conference hotel make it easy to get around and can take you to the Audubon Park and its famous Zoo, Tulane University, and the Garden District. New Orleans was just named the top city in the United States for a family vacation by an online poll by Yahoo!Travel and National Geographic Traveler.
This year’s conference is sure to provide you with many learning opportunities, great networking, and as is the custom in New Orleans, a little “lagniappe”—cajun for that unexpected extra! So, “laissez les bons temps roulez” or “let the good times roll” and I look forward to seeing you in New Orleans!
