It's All About the Energy
Donna J. Corlew, FSMPS, CPSM
When approached to write an article encouraging attendance at "Build Business: Beyond Boundaries," my first reaction was, “Why wouldn’t you go?”

Even after 16 conferences, this is the one date circled on my calendar every year—something that I do not only for my firm but especially for me.

Let’s start at the beginning: the opening reception. Time to catch up with old friends, greet new faces, and get your first glance at the ever-growing exhibit hall. The hall focuses on the services and products that we, as marketers of professional services, rely on to produce our work, pursue and convince our clients, and communicate with our peers, communities, and clients. This is also your first chance to view the winning entries of the National Marketing Communications Awards and start hatching ideas for your next project back at the office!

Keynote speakers are business icons, leaders ready to share their view of the world and how those concepts relate to our A/E/C environment. Where else can you hear Tom Peters (2001 opening keynote in Orlando) and then be able to spend time talking with him in a breakout session without burning your entire annual budget? This year’s three keynote speakers will challenge and broaden your views on:

• the fundamental cultural and societal shifts that will drive future design and construction
• how design shapes the communities in which we work and live
• positioning and rebranding, even for an American icon like Harley Davidson.

Client panels address the burning issues that keep our clients awake at night, as well as some that keep us or our principals “sleepless in Seattle,” too. Sessions are 90-minute forums for exchanging ideas or discovering a new perspective for every skill level, from a new-to-the-industry marketing coordinator to a senior business developer. Our affiliation with the Professional Services Management Association allows the exploration of topics also of interest to our principals, with a decidedly marketing twist.

Breakout sessions for Build Business: Beyond Boundaries focus on six areas professional marketers address each day:

• connecting with our peers and clients
• working through those essential tasks and issues
• gaining insights into the future and the effects on our firms and industries
• inspiring our inner designer…or those designers surrounding us
• identifying and developing leadership skills
• finally, business solutions for organizing and tracking information more effectively.

Did I mention the parties? While we are serious about our work, marketers also like to have a good time! Great food, great music, and a chance to hit the dance floor are just a few of the reasons the annual social event is a highlight of each conference.

The Awards Gala, this year with a decidedly “Nawlins” flavor, is our profession’s night to shine and recognize the best and the brightest…in marketing communications, chapter leadership, and the accomplishments of those who have shaped our profession within the A/E/C industry.

So why do I attend year after year? It comes down to two things: relationships and energy. This conference, more than any other, allows me a chance to sit down with old friends and talk about what’s going on in our markets, in our firms, with our clients. Conference also is a great place to meet new people from across the country I can add to my network, whether they are a consultant or firm that we may team with on a future project, or perhaps someone who can provide some insight into a particular geographic market or potential client.

Suppose you receive an RFQ, out of the blue (yes, it does happen!) from an organization no one in your firm knows and in a city two time zones removed from your office. We’ve always touted the value of the SMPS membership as a network you can use, but it’s even easier to pick up the phone or write that e-mail when you can connect with someone you’ve actually met. When a local university sent out an RFQ for planning services for a new science building earlier this year, several national firms called to gain insights into the client, project, political climate, etc. ALL of the people who called were SMPS members I had met—and continue to see—at conferences!

But what about energy? Our conferences are a great place to reach out and talk about those issues you face daily. Many of us are lone wolves…that singular marketing voice lost in the rush of day-to-day design or construction businesses. Build Business is my chance to reconnect…to reenergize my batteries and appreciate that I am not alone! 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.

Plus: It’s New Orleans! Never mind the humidity. We Southerners are used to it, and the extra moisture helps keep wrinkles at bay! The land of jazz, moss-laden oaks, jambalaya, Mardi Gras, and pralines…all this and more await you…so, come on!

About the Author
Donna Corlew, FSMPS, CPSM, is Director of Marketing at Gould Turner Group (www.gouldturner.com) in Nashville, TN. Active nationally and locally, Donna chaired the 2004 SMPS National MCA Program and serves as a track leader for the 2005 conference. She can be reached at dcorlew@gouldturner.com. [ return to top ] [ return to top ]