Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS)

Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2023, the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) is the premiere organization dedicated to the advancement of marketing and business development (BD) professionals and practices within the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industries. Members have access to 7,000-plus AEC practitioners across North America — more than 400 in Florida alone — that can provide business connections, technical knowledge, client insights and more.

Through professional programs and continuing education specific to AEC disciplines and market sectors, SMPS members learn directly from leaders in the industry about the latest technology and market trends, ever expanding their capabilities and expertise to grow their firm’s brands and win work.

How does SMPS benefit your firm?

SMALL FIRM

With limited, if any, dedicated marketing staff, it’s crucial to leverage the resources available to small firms through SMPS. Engineers and project managers can enroll in SMPS training to develop effective seller-doer skills. If you have a marketing team of one, SMPS provides a network of experience to tap into, opportunities for mentorship, and confidence that they are not alone in their day-to-day experience. Ready to grow your marketing team? SMPS chapters invite firms to post related job openings that are only accessible to a qualified and targeted talent pool, including student members.

MID-SIZE FIRM

Your firm has grown to maybe 50 or 75 employees. You have a few marketing staff (if you don’t by now, start hiring!), but they’ve never developed a formal marketing plan before. Need to understand the process, see examples and get actionable guidance about how to execute an effective plan? SMPS is the best resource to support your firm’s efforts to deliver a document that is going to support your long-term growth goals. Unsure about which marketing and BD roles to focus on filling as you continue to grow your business? SMPS can help with that, too, with research and literature that lays out which positions to fill and when.

BIG FIRM

With staff in multiple locations, volunteering with their local chapters, opportunities abound to interact with clients and teaming partners at SMPS events. Become an annual sponsor of your local chapter and/or sponsor individual programs, and your firm’s brand saturation can expand even further. Ensure that your staff are always up to date on the latest technology and tools to optimize your firm’s marketing and BD approach, that they have the resources to continue growing professionally, and that your leadership understands the value of having a marketing professional at the table when making critical business decisions.

SMPS FOUNDATION

Standing out from the competition is hard, and savvy professionals are always on the hunt for industry information that builds their competitive advantage. SMPS operates an independent, not-for-profit foundation focused on in-depth market and scientific research to uncover industry trends, psychological tendencies, as well as long-term forecasting to guide AEC firms in the pursuits to win work and build client relationships. Recent publications include Theory into Practice: The Neuropsychology of Influence and Decision-Making and Measuring for Success: A Look at Hit Rates & Other KPIs in the A/E/C Industries. For many publications, members have free access, while non-members can purchase for a fee.

Firms and their staff have access to five SMPS chapters across Florida. Each chapter operates both independently and as an extension of the larger organization.

Smps In Florida

SMPS EMERALD COAST

SMPS NORTH FLORIDA

SMPS CENTRAL FLORIDA

SMPS TAMPA BAY

SMPS SOUTH FLORIDA

Members have access to dozens of local and national events and webinars year-round. Just this year, Florida SMPS chapters are facilitating a variety of programs that provide professional development opportunities, as well as direct industry insights delivered by clients serving as speakers and panelists:

Reading Beyond the Selection Criteria: A sales and marketing method to help your firm stand out

Innovation in Healthcare and How it Will Impact the Built Environment

Leveraging LinkedIn for Business Development, Branding, and Building Relationships

Transportation Through a Safe Systems Lens

Managing Conferences (Pre/During/Post)

Market Research with the Jacksonville Business Journal

What Every Leader Should Know to Catalyze Higher Team Performance: Cutting through the complexity to make the basics of teaming practical and accessible

How does SMPS benefit the AEC Industry at-large?

A marketer’s job is to capture and share stories about how AEC projects, consultants, and clients elevate the communities in which we live. Building for future generations, Marketing and BD are a critical piece of the puzzle for firms’ effective business operations. SMPS gives these professionals the tools, resources and connections they need to succeed and, in turn, help firms and the industry at-large succeed tomorrow and well into the future.