Tuesday, August 8

Wednesday, August 9

Thursday, August 10

Friday, August 11

10:00 AM – NOON | InDesign & Photoshop Pre-Conference Workshop

Join AEC marketer and Adobe Certified Instructor Julie Shaffer, CPSM, as she demonstrates ways you can use the powerful combination of InDesign and Photoshop to expedite your workflow and create persuasive visual elements and layouts for your pursuits. In this interactive, hands-on workshop, you’ll discover time-saving methods, including:

Creating project layouts with styles
Importing native Photoshop files for quick editing
Removing imperfections/objects from project photos, headshots, etc.
Cutting out a subject from the background
Experimenting with Photoshop’s robust AI-driven neural filters to enhance your photos
Using creative effects for compelling graphics
Exporting for collaboration and production

1:00 PM – 2:00 PM | Mainstage Experience: Welcome to Amplify A|E|C & Opening Keynote

2:30 PM – 3:30 PM | BREAK

2:30 PM – 3:30 PM | First Timers Experience

First time at an SMPS Annual Conference? If you answered yes, don’t miss this opportunity to network with other firs timers, gain insights on navigating Amplify A|E|C and ensure that you have what you need to get the most out of this experience for you and your firm. Come get all of your questions answered about your first experience, and meet the SMPS Society Leaders, Amplify A|E|C Conference Chairs, and SMPS staff. A surprise will be waiting.

3:30 PM – 4:30 PM | BREAKOUT | The 2-Second Rule: A 3-Step Workflow for Client Connection | Kristen Peters | Arrowstreet

In a sea of qualified firms, how do you make a client feel like your team understands them the best? How do you create connection with only five minutes of review time? What if there was a process that could strengthen your messaging and design, and make writing easier at the same time?

Kristen Peters, Marketing Manager at Arrowstreet, outlines a simple workflow to help your content stand out from the crowd. Using behavioral psychology and user experience (UX) design principles, attendees will learn a 3-step workflow:

1. Analyze—Become familiar with the client’s voice, brand, and values to create a “thesaurus” to highlight shared ground.
2. Build—Learn the pillars of persuasive writing: Issues, Features, Benefits and Proof (IFBP) to identify client-centered benefits that your firm brings.
3. Communicate—Explore the graphic design principles behind “designing for the scanning reader” to entice the reviewer to read more deeply.

Through learned techniques in client analysis, messaging strategy, and visual reinforcement, attendees will practice the presented skills in a series of fun, collaborative exercises for a mock RFP response. Who will win the factory renovation RFP for an eccentric food and beverage producer? Join us at Amplify A|E|C 2023 to find out!

3:30 PM – 4:30 PM | BREAKOUT | Rethinking Thought Leadership for Today’s Customer Journey | Ida Cheinman | Substance151, Benefit LLC

Research shows that the vast majority of decision makers within your client organizations rely on thought leadership to assess your firm’s innovative thinking, expertise in their specific issues, and the quality of your talent—long before the formal selection process begins.

And yet, your current thought leadership program is unlikely to create a sustained competitive advantage for your firm. Wait! What?!

With more and more firms publishing more and more smart, high-quality content, your prospects are overwhelmed and overeducated. What started as a top differentiator has led to a crisis of sameness among firms and a lack of confidence in making the right decision among customers.

We are at the tipping point of redefining what the next phase of thought leadership should look like, and the first to figure it out will get a competitive advantage.

The session will introduce new approaches your firm can use to help its clients navigate their complex decision-making process with tailored, highly personalized information and insight. By thinking beyond content and formats and learning how to uncover what your prospects really need and value, you will enable them to take action with confidence—and in the process, make your firm indispensable.

3:30 PM – 4:30 PM | BREAKOUT | Level Up Your Communications Strategy—Take a Holistic Approach | Ali Panditrao | Ware Malcomb

We are all pros at execution in our industry—that is a fact. We can get things done with very little information and creatively fill in the blanks. New RFP due tomorrow? On it. Social post for today’s groundbreaking? Done. Press Release? Will be ready tomorrow. Blog? The draft is in your inbox. When was the last time you stopped to look at your communications efforts holistically? If you haven’t, there’s a good chance you’re missing out on key opportunities. Join this discussion to learn how to develop impactful content, maximize the promotion of it and build relationships with key stakeholders along the way.

3:30 PM – 4:30 PM | BREAKOUT | Engaging Everyone: Creating Accessible, Powerful Social Media Content | Samantha VanSchoick | CIL

We all know a great story when we see or hear it, but do we all know how to tell a great story? Great stories are a powerful tool to capture attention and spotlight our passions, causes, and affiliations. In this workshop, attendees will learn how to harness the power of story and create accessible, robust social media content to drive their marketing and business development efforts.

This workshop is designed for those who are experienced with social media but need guidance on how to make sure their organization's social media is accessible to all people, as well as those who are looking for advice on compelling digital storytelling. The presenter will take questions throughout the session while they discuss different strategies and walk-through actual campaign examples.

Attendees will learn:

How to make your social media content accessible for people with disabilities
The elements of an effective story and how to translate that to social media
How to define, influence, and target your message, and how to measure your impact
Overview of free and low-cost digital tools you can use to help plan your campaigns

3:30 PM – 4:30 PM | BREAKOUT | Digital Lead Generation | TBD

5:00 PM – 6:00 PM | Welcome Reception

7:00 PM – 9:30 PM | 50th Celebration Dinner Gala

Thursday, August 10

6:00 AM – 6:45 AM | Sunrise Yoga

7:00 AM – 6:00 PM | Registration

7:00 AM – 8:00 AM | Morning Networking + Coffee Bar

8:15 AM – 9:30 AM | Mainstage Experience; Amplifying Leadership + Weld Coxe Recognition

9:30 AM – 10:00 AM | BREAK

10:00 AM – 11:30 AM | WORKSHOP | Practical Exercise to Apply Neuroscience and Decision-Making Research | Dena Wyatt | Marketing Evolutions, Inc

Why do people make certain decisions? More importantly, how can we influence those decisions? The “thinking brain” is one of today’s hottest areas of scientific research. With fierce competition, A/E/C firms need to know how to leverage neuroscience to effectively influence people in their decision-making. Finding effective applications has the potential to transform firms and amplify their success for years to come.

Join industry veterans, who fondly call themselves Neuronerds, as we leverage the SMPS Foundation’s neuroscience papers by JonRobert Tartaglione. This dynamic workshop builds knowledge and insights as we lead participants on a journey to explore decision-making practices.

Our team of Neuronerds will lead attendees through a thought-provoking session that puts theory into practice and amplifies the way to approach key messaging in A/E/C firms. During this workshop, attendees choose their area of focus as we will develop working solutions to real world scenarios that A/E/C firms face.

We encourage all Amplify A|E|C attendees to read the research papers that will be available in the Amplify A|E|C app prior to attending the session. Get ready to spark your thinking, open your mind to new methods, and become inspired to practice new strategies to get the decisions you want.

Thought leaders

Barbara Shuck, FSMPS, CPSM
Wally Hise, PE
Melissa Lutz, FSMPS, CPSM

10:00 AM – 11:30 AM | WORKSHOP | The New Economy: A Five-Year Trend Forecast and Market Strategy | Julie Witecki | FMI Corporation

Economic headwinds have been blowing for the last several quarters. The pandemic, inflation, and recession conditions have impacted the A/E/C industry, but the forecast is not without optimism. We will talk about sectors that will likely see challenges and those that will likely have opportunities for growth given the current economic environment. The built environment is expected to play a major role in our economy’s foundational strength over the coming years. Discover target markets, geographies, and trends for growth, and learn what moves you’ll need to take to find success.

10:00 AM – 11:30 AM | WORKSHOP | Data Nerd CMOs: Using Real-Time Opportunity Data to Drive Growth | Elizabeth Moody | Cannon

Technical professionals love data—they use it to create better designs for everything from buildings to bridges to butter processing plants. However, when it comes to business data, especially business development or proposal data, well they tend to go with their instincts or opinions. Opportunity data—including hit and capture rates, new work won, cost of winning work, and backlog—segmented by market sector or division is often lacking in the A/E/C industries. Most of the CFO’s from our firms only care about utilization, multiplier, and net serviced revenue so they have invested the time in configuring our ERP systems to report relevant opportunity data. Enter Data Nerd CMOs. To effectively drive growth in our organizations, we need to understand what opportunities are coming into the pipeline and what our opportunity forecast is for the future. This is like looking through the windshield instead of the rearview mirror for your business. With effective, real-time data, you’ll be able to influence leadership and drive growth! This session will provide a case-study from two firms that have successfully implemented this process and help you develop a process to accomplish the same.

Internal and external communications at many A/E/C firms are an underdeveloped part of the total marketing program. As a result, firms are missing valuable opportunities to convey their mission, values, and expertise to current and potential employees, clients, and partners. Communications is critical to advance the voice and visibility of a firm as well as the expertise and ideas of its people. Given the evolution of the marketplace, storytelling and social media are more influential than ever. Yet, communications is often an afterthought, rather than a priority.

What would a successful communications strategy look like for your firm? During this session, speakers will outline best practices for a robust communications program; from strategy to production, defining necessary roles and responsibilities, and providing guidance on how to clarify goals that make sense for every firm—no matter its scale, expertise, and approach. Recommendations will reflect speakers’ hands-on experience working with a wide variety of A/E/C firms, both as former employees and external consultants.

10:00 AM – 11:30 AM | WORKSHOP | Influencers and Leaders Who Mind the Gap | Shannon Brush | Hargis Engineers

The chasm between job openings and available talent in the A/E/C industries has exponentially grown since 2011. The marketing profession is not immune to this phenomenon. With 72 million baby boomers set to retire by 2030, and the smallest workforce generation, Gen X, not far behind, there is plenty of room to lead and influence. Navigating new waters, the marketing professional has an opportunity to utilize itheir internal and external vantage point to influence, educate, and move the needle for the industry as it continues to face staffing shortages. In this session, we'll look at the realities of human resources, the opportunity for marketers to support professional development, drive performance, and elevate their position as both influencers and leaders within their firms.

11:45 AM – NOON | Doors open for Daytime M Awards

NOON – 1:15 PM | Daytime M Awards Luncheon

1:15 PM – 1:30 PM | BREAK

1:30 PM – 2:30 PM | BREAKOUT| Transform Businesses Through Data-Driven Leadership | Courtney Kearney | CKearney Consulting, LLC

Data is vital to a firm’s success, but many firms do not use the data they collect to make decisions. The goal of a data-driven leader is to turn data into information, information into knowledge, knowledge into insight, and insight into competitive advantage. This presentation will teach professionals in the A/E/C industries to become strong data-driven leaders who know:

Data is an asset but only when refined
When data is understood and communicated as information, you can use it proactively
A culture of data stewardship ensures policies and standards turn into practice empowering staff to be data-driven
Every employee–yes, every single team member—has a data role and must take responsibility for the part they play in the firm's data success
Data is a lifestyle, not a diet

This is a must-attend workshop to protect the business asset of data and transform your business through data-driven leadership.

1:30 PM – 2:30 PM | BREAKOUT | Gray Matters: Embracing the Unknown to Unlock Creative Solutions | Dulani Porter | SPARK

The only constant we can rely on in this industry is change. While our past knowledge and experiences can help to inform us, this presentation focuses on the importance of challenging what we know in order to explore what we don't to find truly unique solutions to modern day marketing problems. Using examples around how language impacts our perception of the world, this short presentation provides practical takeaways for both leaders and practitioners on the value of leaning into the gray to find truly unique and creative solutions.

1:30 PM – 2:30 PM | BREAKOUT | Turning Down Work is Good Marketing | Gabe Lett | Allgeier, Martin and Associates

Why does the industry standard hit rate rarely get above 40%? How does it feel to generate proposals that lose nearly 60% of the time? As a professional services marketer, you have a leadership responsibility to spend your firm’s resources wisely. Those resources include your time and energy. Help your leaders discover how to turn down work and why it will increase your bottom line.

There are several strategies to employ to help your leaders say no to the wrong opportunities and yes to the right ones. It starts with a well-thought-out and consistent practice of a go/no-go (GNG) system. A robust GNG system will weed out the scope creepers, the bottom feeders, and the RFQ tricksters. Once your GNG system is operational, track the metrics and share with firm leadership. Demonstrate the value of the GNG system with numbers and logic that have high winners and losers predictability and how it affects the bottom line. Increase your value by moving from proposal generator to marketing leader!

As stated by Megan Miller of Deltek, “According to the 39th Annual Deltek Clarity A&E Industry Study, only 35% of firms have formal go/no go strategy for all opportunities, and 24% for strategic opportunities.

1:30 PM – 2:30 PM | BREAKOUT | 5 Steps to RAISE Your Value and Your Fees | June Jewell | AEC Business Solutions, LLC

No A&E professional wants to become a commodity—viewed the same as everyone else. When two or more firms appear to be the same, price becomes the key differentiating factor.

A&E services have become commoditized due to heavy competition, fee pressure, and self-sabotaging behaviors motivated by negative, self-limiting beliefs. Fear of losing, fear of upsetting clients, even fear of being “too expensive” are causing your firm to lose out on higher fees, change orders, and upsells.

In this presentation, June Jewell will reveal her 5-step process to help your firm break the trap of commoditization, stop competing on price and embrace your true value so you can get better clients and higher fees.

1:30 PM – 2:30 PM | BREAKOUT | Social Media Session | TBD

1:30 PM – 2:30 PM | BREAKOUT | Video Marketing Session| TBD

2:30 PM – 2:45 PM | BREAK

2:45 PM – 3:45 PM | BREAKOUT | Amplifying Your Influence: 12 Powers of a Marketing Leader | Damion Morris | PCL Construction

You're a marketer. You have a passion for brands. You understand the market. You are your firm’s linchpin for customer focus. In principle, firm leaders should respect and look to you as they make key decisions. Unfortunately, things don’t always work that way. Many marketers are great at marketing. They excel at proposals, branding, and social media. Nonetheless, many wish they had more traction inside their firms. They work hard to help their firms grow but their efforts don’t always translate into influence and stellar careers. Why? Doing and leading are two very different things. Based on the most extensive research study of its kind, with detailed data on over 8,600 marketing leaders in more than 170 countries, we’ll discuss the 12 behaviors that drive business and career success. You’ll learn how great marketing leaders build their firms, careers, and futures, and how you can do the same.

2:45 PM – 3:45 PM | BREAKOUT | Marketing Planning | TBD

2:45 PM – 3:45 PM | BREAKOUT | ESG | TBD

2:45 PM – 3:45 PM | BREAKOUT | Financials 101 | TBD

2:45 PM – 3:45 PM | BREAKOUT | People Management | TBD

2:45 PM – 3:45 PM | BREAKOUT | Neuroscience of Marketing | TBD

3:45 PM – 4:00 PM | BREAK

4:00 PM – 5:00 PM | Roundtable Discussion

5:00 PM – 7:30 PM | DINNER ON YOUR OWN

7:30 PM – 11:00 PM | Solid Gold 50th Party!

Friday, August 11

6:30 AM – 7:15 AM | Sunrise Yoga

7:30 AM – 3:00 PM | Registration / Amplify Information Desk

7:30 AM – 8:45 AM | Morning Networking + Coffee Bar

9:00 AM – 10:00 AM | Mainstage Experience | MAX Talk: Raise Your Resiliency | Jennifer Newman | Elevate Marketing Advisors

Resilience is defined as an ability successfully adapt or withstand misfortune or change. When we experience disruption, some organizations freeze and fail while others innovate, advance, and even thrive. The difference is resilience. This calls for leaders to build organizational resilience to ensure long-term viability by fostering a change-ready culture to lead through disruption.

Similarly, in life, the ability to cope with personal challenges often requires an inner strength that supports an individual’s ability to rebound and recover—also referred to as resilience. Resilient people don't dwell on misfortune, change, or failure; rather, they acknowledge the situation, learn from it, and move forward. While many of us have some level of natural resiliency, it is a skill that can be improved upon with practice. When you replace “Why is this happening to me?” with “What is this trying to teach me?,” everything shifts.

Jen Newman, FSMPS, CPSM, a 25-year A/E/C veteran will share lessons she learned in resiliency through her experience navigating the challenges of starting and growing a business during the COVID pandemic while coping with a cancer diagnosis and the aftermath of treatment two years later that anyone can apply in business or life.

10:00 AM – 10:30 AM | Networking Break

10:30 AM – 11:45 AM | WORKSHOP | AI/Data Science | TBD

10:30 AM – 11:45 AM | WORKSHOP | HR/Hiring | TBD

11:45 AM – 12:15 PM | GRAB & GO LUNCH

12:15 PM – 1:45 PM | Mainstage Experience | Closing Keynote Program

That's all folks! See you at Amplify A|E|C 2024 in Salt Lake City!