September 14, 2010
Urban Vision
Are you ready for an Urban Vision? We will hear from THE local Urban Leaders across the Triangle, plus the regional leaders from Cumberland County and the Triad to reveal the growth strategies and directions for development in their areas of interest. This program will leave attendees with a clear picture of the growth and revitalization in our area – who and what is spurring growth, what has changed over the past few years, and what the local outlook is for the next 5-10 years. Panelists include:
David Diaz – Downtown Raleigh Alliance
William Kalkhof – Downtown Durham Incorporated
Dan Lynch – Greensboro Economic Development Alliance
Bo Gregory – Fayetteville-Cumberland County Chamber of Commerce Director of Economic Development
The discussion will be moderated by Jim Nichols, Business Development Leader from O’Brien Atkins. Sign up today for our first program of the 2010-2011 year, and what is sure to be an intriguing and dynamic panel discussion.
October 12, 2010
Online Marketing: From Search Optimization to Social Media
Social media isn’t a fad – it’s having a major impact on the way we do business. Are you in the know? This program by social media guru Dan London will not only take a look at the current state of online marketing, but instruct you on how to best position your business. Dan London has been involved in the online marketing industry since 2000. He has consulted companies such as Lowe’s, Black and Decker, Citi Financial, IBM, John Deere, Red Hat.
November 9, 2010
Maximizing Your Marketing Budget
Marketing Budgets: We all know we need them, some might even have them, but what do you do when the economy is in disarray and you’re supposed to make sense of them?
Join the SMPS Triangle for a closer look at the various elements of the marketing budget. Learn from the experts how firms are maximizing their budgets and working within their sometimes nonsensical expectations. We will examine photography, public relations and printed materials from a provider’s perspective – hear from them what they see firms doing with their marketing dollars, where people are cutting back, and which investments are working well.
PLUS, budget builder extraordinaire, Jennifer Barker of McKim & Creed, will address the overall marketing budget and how to manage it through any economic condition. You will come away from this program with tangible tools you can use to stretch your dollars and maximize your marketing budget.
November 16
Special Workshop: Becoming an InDesign Power User
You spoke, and we listened! You use Adobe InDesign and want to improve your skills…SMPS Triangle is bringing you THE InDesign expert, Claudia McCue of Practicalia for an exclusive 2-hour seminar.
Claudia will give us tips and tricks on how to be stronger and more efficient InDesign users and will tailor her seminar based on your questions and frustrations. If you have a laptop with InDesign and a document that just won’t behave, bring it with you for some hands-on help!
December 14, 2010
Annual Holiday Social
Celebrate the Season with your SMPS Network of Professionals! Please join us for an exciting evening of networking, door prizes, great food, and cocktails.
December 21, 2010
Members Only Christmas Bonus Program: SMPS Online Resources You Can’t Be Without
We’ve all been to the website, but are we using SMPS.org to its fullest? The website offers a ton of information that sometimes gets overlooked. Attend this MEMBERS ONLY program to learn how to make the website work for you! Judy Kienle will give us the tips and tricks to using the SMPS Marketing Resource Center. Judy, who helped update the original online resource center, will present what’s new, how it’s organized and give examples of what’s available, as well as walk you through how to use the information using a relevant case study.
Want to get a head start? Check out the following link to the SMPS Marketing Resource Center – http://mysmps.org/library.htm
January 18, 2011
Networking in the A/E/C Industry
Whether you are new to the industry, or are a proven veteran in the field, you will find value in this special SMPS and AIA joint event! We have called on some networking greats to drill down into three critical elements of effective networking: first impressions, engaging conversations with questions….and the critical follow-up. This event offers an opportunity to connect with your partners and improve your ability to network with professionals at every level. Don’t forget to BRING LOTS OF BUSINESS CARDS!
Format: There will be two breakout sessions – covering “first impressions” and “engaging with questions,” led by our industry leaders. Groups will switch topics and these main sessions with be preceded by and concluded with “short sessions” on degrees of separation…identifying and using your network…and the importance of following up.
February 8, 2011
Follow the Money
As business development and marketing professionals it is our job to find out about and track new design/construction projects before the RFPs hit the streets. For public clients, that starts with following the money – sometimes years in advance. Do you ever feel like understanding the budget process and where to find that information is a challenge?
Join us at our February program to hear from UNC School of Government’s Professor Dr. Bill Rivenbark. He will discuss the process through which funding is approved, how municipalities develop their Capital Improvement Plans (CIPs) and Annual Fiscal Plans, and finally, how you can monitor various funding sources.
Speaker Bio: Bill Rivenbark is a Professor of Public Administration and Government at UNC Chapel Hill. He joined the Institute of Government in 1999. Prior to that, he worked for the city of Greenville, South Carolina, in various management positions. His research at the School of Government primarily involves performance and financial management in local government and has appeared in Public Administration Review, Government Finance Review, Journal of Government Financial Management, Journal of Public Affairs Education, Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting & Financial Management, Popular Government, Public Administration Quarterly, Public Finance Review, Public Performance & Management Review, and State and Local Government Review. He also is coauthor of Performance Budgeting for State and Local Government (M.E. Sharpe, 2003). He helped to develop the County and Municipal Fiscal Analysis tool, a web-based dashboard designed to help North Carolina local governments analyze their fiscal condition.
March 8, 2011
Lessons from Leaders: Gathering Pearls of Wisdom
Looking into the 2011 horizon…challenges for A/E/C firms include increased competition, tighter client budgets and fewer design and construction projects. Is your firm ready? Have you built client loyalty that will outlast these pressures? Join Polly Green as she moderates this program based on the 2010 book, Getting Naked by Patrick Lencioni, “about shedding the three fears that sabotage client loyalty”. We will uncover the three fears (losing the business, being embarrassed and feeling inferior) and explore solutions to overcoming those fears. Engage in gathering precious pearls of wisdom from an A/E/C industry client and two seasoned marketers during an interactive panel discussion surrounding the “Getting Naked” model. What have they learned? What are they doing differently in 2011 and beyond? How have they shed their own fears? Does this approach build client loyalty?
Leading from the Middle
April 12, 2011
We’re all “in the middle” of our organizations: we have supervisors, leaders, peers, and support staff who all count on us. Growth, influence, and success are not handed to any of us; we must earn them. This program will outline three key areas of focus and three proven approaches that empower us to achieve these goals.
Participants will learn about the key areas of focus and discuss specific, practical approaches that will position them as leaders in their organizations and enable them to meet their professional goals.
Speaker: Deb Kennedy, Brown and Caldwell
Deb Kennedy is the Mid-Atlantic HR & Training Manager for Brown and Caldwell, and is also certified in Organization Development. She designs and delivers leadership development workshops and provides career coaching for the entire Southeast Region.
April 28, 2011
With spring fast approaching, it’s time for the SMPS Site Tour! This year, we will tour the new Raleigh Transit Operations Center.
The state-of-the art facility is also seeking LEED Platinum certification and will be the first transit project in the U.S. to do so. Some of the sustainable features of the building include geothermal wells, radiant floor heating, reflective roof membranes and light-colored concrete paving, natural light and occupancy sensors, water-saving plumbing fixtures, and rainwater collection cisterns. The facility will include an operations administration building and a bus maintenance facility. This is a can’t miss event!
May 10, 2011
Clients Talk Back
This annual event always fills up fast – you won’t want to miss it!
