Wednesday, August 17, 2011

SERC: Call for Presentations!


The SMPS Southeast Regional Conference (SERC) Programs Committee invites you to submit a proposal for a breakout session for Get Down In Crown Town, the 2012 SMPS Southeast Regional Conference, March 28-30, 2012, in Charlotte, NC. Please download the Call for Presentations in MS Word format (at the conference website: www.smps-seregconf.org), complete, and email to Michele Lewis (mlewis@rjagroup.com) before 5 PM EST on September 15, 2011.

Proposal Deadline: September 15, 2011, 5 PM EST

The Call for Presentations will be also be posted on SMPS National’s website: www.smps.org.

Monday, August 1, 2011

10 Reasons Why You Should Join SMPS

SMPS can help you, as a member, build your business and advance your career. SMPS membership gives you access to:

1. Networking Opportunities
Make local, regional, and national A/E/C business contacts through SMPS to build your business. Networking suggestions: Attend chapter meetings and programs or participate in Build Business or a national workshop. Volunteer for a chapter or national committee. Learn more about your fellow members in People on MySMPS. Participate in online forum discussions, where you can ask your peers for advice and recommendations and share your own experience and knowledge. Locate potential partners and suppliers in the A/E/C Buyer's Guide.

2. Publications
Read up on trends, best practices, and relevant issues impacting professional services marketing and business development. SMPS membership includes subscriptions to the award-winning journal Marketer and toConnections, our e-newsletter; access to research and white papers funded by the SMPS Foundation; and discounts on industry publications from the SMPS Bookstore.

3. Marketing Resource Center
Take networking to another level with MySMPS, the award-winning online community designed exclusively for SMPS members. The mission of MySMPS is simple: To connect you online 24/7/365 with people, information, and opportunities to make building business easier.

4. Certified Professional Services Marketer Program
Earn professional credentials via the Certified Professional Services Marketer Program. In an industry that values certification, the CPSM program can help you build your personal brand as an expert in marketing and business development, increasing your credibility with employers, coworkers, and peers.

5. Programs and Conferences
Attend national and regional conferences and programs to explore how other professional services firms are tackling the business challenges you and your colleagues face every day. You will return to the office with innovative solutions and fresh ideas your company can put to work immediately.

6. Leadership Opportunities
Develop and practice your leadership skills by getting involved in SMPS: Volunteer to serve on chapter committees, your chapter's board of directors, regional conference planning committees, and national task forces and committees.

7. Career and Recruitment Resources
Plan your career, gain access to advancement tools, and search for job opportunities through the SMPS Career Center. If your firm is seeking candidates to fill an open position, you can post that position in the Career Center and review the resume bank to identify marketers and business developers with experience in the A/E/C industry.
 (SMPS members and their firms enjoy a discount on employment ads posted in the Career Center.)

SMPS also supports the growth of A/E/C companies by providing members with:

8. National and Regional Contacts
Contacts made through the powerful SMPS network to facilitate teaming opportunities, business referrals, and knowledge of A/E/C business practices, trends, and successes.

9. Professional Development Opportunities
Opportunities to present programs, write articles and white papers, and conduct funded research are available at the local, regional, and national levels of SMPS. Through involvement in SMPS, your employees can demonstrate the thought leadership and expertise your firm has to offer clients and teaming partners.

10. A Community for Emerging Leaders
SMPS offers the emerging leaders in your organization access to the greater A/E/C community, introducing them to community leaders, exposing them to big-picture perspectives, and fueling their passion for the industry and their professions—all elements in retaining the brightest and best talent for your company. The connections made in SMPS lead directly to business opportunities with clients and teaming partners.

Heard enough? Join SMPS today!

This article was republished from the SMPS National website www.smps.org