The body of marketing knowledge is constantly evolving and marketing, communications, and business development professionals need to constantly rethink their marketing and sales strategies. Various approaches have been used to take marketing to new frontiers. What are they and how can you adapt them to your firm? Competition is fierce and unless your hit rate is 100%, there’s always something new to learn. This is an opportunity to learn from the best. SMPS is proud to welcome seven SMPS Fellows from the Pacific Region to lead the discussion and stimulate debate on this increasingly important topic. Situated in an intimate “fireside chat” format you will be up close and personal with some of the top marketing professionals in the country for an open, candid exchange.

After the Fellows Forum, please join us for a networking event with the Fellows and other attendees.

Our panel of experts: 

• Nancy Egan, FSMPS, Principal, New Voodoo, Venice, CA
• Frank Lippert, FSMPS, CPSM, Associate, Director of Marketing, David Evans & Associates, Portland, OR
• Thomas E. Smith, Jr., AICP, FSMPS, CPSM, President, BonTerra Consulting, Los Angeles, CA 
• Bill Strong, FSMPS, Principal and Director of Marketing, Mahlum, Seattle, WA
• Marion Thatch, FSMPS, CPSM, Oakland, CA • Carla Thompson, FSMPS, Principal, Global Marketing Director, MulvannyG2 Architecture, Bellevue, WA
• Howard Wolff, FSMPS, Most Senior Person, Full-Height Advice, Honolulu, HI

Wednesday, February 15th, 1:30-4:30pm, Manchester Grand Hyatt, Randle Ballroom D

$80 for SMPS members $95 for non-members (Non-Conference attendees can register for just this event!)

Register on the PRC website at http://www.smps-prc.org/program-events/navigate-the-future/

Do you enjoy attending conferences as much as I do? Meeting new people, exposure to new ideas and idealism are all infectious. But a week after the conference is over, what really sticks with you? Is your investment of time and money worthwhile? Here are 8 Tips for marketers to get the most out of attending your next conference. 

1. Choose The Right Conference
It’s tempting to only attend conferences where your tribe gathers (fellow marketers, architects, engineers, etc.). This can be good for teaming, but also choose conferences where potential clients gather. Ask your current clients, in your targeted industry, which conferences they attend. Then consider who the speakers and attendees will be. I’ve found that regional conferences like SMPS The Wave offers more intimacy and a higher concentration of potential clients than national conferences.

2. Don’t Just Attend
A great way to build brand awareness for yourself and your firm is to be visible at a conference. The best way to do this is get on the agenda as a presenter. Start with being a panelist in a breakout, then a sole presenter. Move your way up the food chain to be a panelist or keynote speaker in a main session. Conferences typically put out a request for presenters at least 6 months prior to the event. Another great way to build visibility at a conference is to be a sponsor (but only if this allows for personal introductions to VIP organizers or attendees). Consider volunteering to help organize the conference in a way that allows you to demonstrate your talents, or develop a new skill. In short, connect yourself to the conference to benefit from the halo effect.

3. Pre-Conference Networking
Conferences always announce speakers before the event as a marketing tool. Determine which speakers you would like to meet and start following them on Twitter or subscribe to their newsletter. Help to promote their session at the conference by tweeting something like “I’m excited to learn from @lecoursdesign at the @SMPStheWave conference.” Genuine flattery will make you more memorable when you actually meet the speaker at the conference. The previous tweet also helps to promote the conference itself which might gain you an extra drink ticket from your new friend, the conference organizer. Conferences will often pre-announce attendees. This is a great opportunity to reach out to those you’d like to meet. Pre-arrange meeting for a meal, or for coffee during a break, because nobody likes being that lonely guy standing around trying to look occupied.

4. Planning, Goals, and Flexibility
Once the conference starts, it’s easy to simply follow the herd. But you need to be selfish to make sure your needs are met. Get clear on why you are attending a conference before you register. This can be your purpose. Then set some goals that will support that purpose. For example, you may want to meet 5 new client prospects, gain 3 new blog ideas, or find 2 potential teaming partners. Look through the conference agenda to make a tentative schedule for the sessions and breakouts you prefer to attend. Then be flexible enough to adapt when Seth Godin asks you to lunch because you pre-conference tweeted about his session.

5. Capture Content Digitally
I am migrating from taking handwritten notes in a notebook to using a laptop, and eventually a tablet. My handwriting can be illegible and I often use my notes as content for this blog so going digital is more efficient. By capturing your notes digitally, you eliminate the intermediary step of having to transcribe your notes. This increases the shelf life of that content. For visuals, use your smart phone or digital camera to capture key slides of a presentation. Digital video or audio capture is another great way to make sure you don’t miss a word.

6. Share What You Learned
It’s been said that you don’t really know a subject until you teach it to someone else. A great way to digest the knowledge you consumed at the conference is to share it with others. Those that weren’t able to attend the conference will appreciate this. Those that did attend will appreciate a review, and also hearing about alternate breakout sessions that they were not able to attend. One way to share is to live tweet those nuggets of wisdom your followers would appreciate. Or, share a blog post about individual sessions or highlights of the entire conference.

7. Meeting New People
A big motivation for me to attend conferences is to meet new people. But as an introvert, this can be challenging. Introducing oneself is awkward for most people. An effective icebreaker is to ask “what did you think of the previous speaker/session?” or “what’s the best thing you’ve heard at this conference?” There is no doubt that you’ll be asked “what do you do?” or “where do you work?” Have a self introduction that is intriguing enough that people will ask follow-on questions. For more info on writing a good self introduction, click here. A final tip is to eat lunch with people you don’t know. One of my best friends today is someone that I met at lunch at a conference over five years ago.

8. Absorb As Much As Possible
Conferences can be physically, mentally and emotionally tiring. Sleep on the plane or when you get home. Seize every opportunity that the conference offers to get a full return on your investment. Some of the best conversations and connections get made around the periphery of a conference. I’m still kicking myself for not joining a group going out after SMPS The Wave. I missed out on a live mermaid swimming in a giant tank. It even inspired Josh Miles to write a great post How a Mermaid Got Me Talking About a Brand.

I hope these tips are useful for you to get the most out of a conference. What have I missed? What are some strategies you use when attending a conference?

Visit LecoursDesign at http://www.lecoursdesign.com/

• One (1) FREE SMPS San Diego Luncheon registration
• One (1) FREE SMPS San Diego Webinar registration
• One (1) FREE SMPS San Diego Networking Event registration
• One (1) FREE SMPS Golf Classic Single Golfer registration *
• One (1) FREE SMPS Golf Classic Regular Hole sponsorship *

Special thanks to our speakers, Mike Woomer – San Diego State University, Brad Fenton – CSU San Marcos, and Jim Austin – Mira Costa College.

Our pre-show began with a visit from Ron Burgundy…

I would like to thank everyone who attended our December Holiday event and fundraiser at Fifty Seven Degrees.Your attendance and support is greatly appreciated.

PRC is Coming to Town

With the holiday season behind us we can now switch our focus from Starbucks eggnog lattes, white elephant gifts, and ugly Christmas sweater parties to working on our resolutions for 2012 and making this year even better than the last, both personally and professionally.

If career growth is on your list of resolutions, allow SMPS to help. This year’s Pacific Regional Conference is coming to town on February 16-17, 2012. San Diego will host the third annual 2-day conference, which is being held at the Manchester Grand Hyatt downtown. Board Member and PRC Co-chair, Carina Theissen of Brown and Caldwell, has been busy (along with committee members) planning and preparing for the conference which will be attended by more than 200 marketing and business development professionals from Chapters across the Pacific Region. This year’s conference will offer three different tracks with over a dozen program sessions. If you are looking to attend a worthwhile industry event that encompasses two days of networking, learning, and development opportunities, I encourage you to register. Please go to www.smps-prc.org for conference details, sponsorship opportunities, and registration information.

Conjunction Junction…What’s Your Function?

Hooking up members with educational, motivational, and occupational knowledge is what we are all about! SMPS has something to offer every marketing and business development professional at every level. SMPS offers programs tailored to assist marketing coordinators, managers, and directors. From our Marketing Coordinator Workshop to our Mentor Protégé Program, you will fi nd development opportunities to suit a variety of interests.

If you are more of a social butterfly, SMPS has networking groups, monthly mixers, our annual holiday celebration, and a golf tournament that is highly regarded among industry professionals. If you are not already a member, allow SMPS to be the organizational junction to your occupational function. This March, SMPS will hold a Membership Drive where new members, existing members, and companies will have an opportunity to win free registration to our monthly luncheons, webinars, networking events, or our SMPS Golf Classic. Visit our Membership page on the website for more details. Information will also be provided at our monthly luncheons and via social media in the coming weeks.

We know there are many industry organizations in which you can get involved, and appreciate the members, sponsors, and presenters who have supported the SMPS San Diego Chapter over the past several years. Without your commitment and involvement we would not exist. I can assure you that our Board of Directors is working diligently to uphold the organization’s commitment to engage, empower, and educate members of the A/E/C community, and I hope we can continue to count on your support and involvement as we kick off the New Year.

Cheers!!

Antoinette

Held at the magnificent Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego, this year’s conference will offer three dynamic tracks with over a dozen innovative program sessions. More than 200 marketers and firm principals are expected to attend for two dynamic days of networking, learning, and development opportunities.

Interested in Sponsoring? Click here for more information

For more information n the conference, click on www.smps-prc.org.

Have you noticed that several companies have recently updated their logos? Starbucks, GAP, Pepsi, and Comedy Central all come to mind. Should your firm update its logo? Here are four good reasons to freshen up.

1. Your Firm Has Come of Age
Congratulations! While many new businesses don’t last more than two years, yours is healthy, growing and moving from childhood into adolescence. In start-up mode, you probably didn’t invest the time, energy, and dollars to create a logo and brand identity system that represents the level of professionalism you now want to convey. As the saying goes, “what got you here, won’t get you there.” It’s time to shed the toddler haircut and baby clothes for a more grown-up look.

Perhaps your firm has reached a significant milestone. A fresh new logo can be a great way to symbolize this accomplishment. As Schmidt Design Group approached their 20 year anniversary, we worked with them to design a new logo and book that were unveiled at their 20th Anniversary Party.

2. Your Logo is Rotten (beyond its expiration date)
Everything has a life cycle. Businesses and logos go through distinct phases of conception, growth, maturity and decline. Like the myth of Narcissus, we can get overly attached to our own (brand) image. This can blind us into denial about the fact that our logo has gone into decline. Just as fashion and hairstyles become dated, your logo’s color, typography (font), and symbol may be communicating that your firm is past its prime. Even classics, like the Shell logo below, get a facelift every ten or so years.

3. A New Strategic Plan
A healthy firm grows and evolves to respond to new demands and opportunities in the marketplace. This could mean that your firm has added new services to your quiver. Or, you may be serving new markets. If the evolution of your firm is significant, you’ll want to shift the perception of prospective clients to catch up with the new you. A new logo can symbolize this shift. The first time we worked with Island Architects in 1999, it was to update their start-up logo into a more professional mark (reason #1 above). Then, in 2008, the firm made a strategic decision to communicate that they design modern homes in addition to their heritage of classical homes. A logo should be a beacon communicating where you are headed, not where you’ve been.

4. Merger, Acquisition or Ownership Change
A change in firm ownership can often inspire a new firm name and thus a new logo. Even if the firm name persists for continuity, new leadership may want a new visual symbol to represent their new era. When we began work with Tucker Sadler Noble Castro Architects, they had new owners, new Principals and a new office. Instead of continuing to add the names of Principals to the firm name, they shortened it to Tucker Sadler to reflect their founders, their web site address, and how they were referred to colloquially. We designed a new logo and brand identity system to propel the firm into a new chapter of their evolution.

Your logo is not your brand, but it is the most visible touchpoint of your brand. So, how do you know when it’s time to update your logo? The previous four scenarios are all good reasons. Or, consider hiring LecoursDesign to perform a Brand Audit. This wise investment will help you determine the strength of your logo and all your brand touchpoints.