Chapter Leader News
October 2023
This newsletter is updated monthly to inform chapter volunteers of Society happenings and relevant information for chapter management.
Chapter leader spotlight
Bridget Kraus, CPSM
Vice President of Marketing
Walbec Group
SMPS Wisconsin
Member Since: 2015
You recently served as a subject matter expert for a certification project for the Society. What motivates you to volunteer your valuable time to SMPS?
Volunteering for SMPS on various levels has allowed me to build a solid professional network locally and nationwide with peers and industry leaders. While my initial reason for volunteering was to expand my professional network and enhance my leadership skills, I continue to stay involved to share my expertise, stay updated on industry trends, and enhance my skills through collaboration on projects or initiatives relevant to A/E/C marketing and business development.
As a past chapter president of SMPS Wisconsin, which HQ resource did you leverage most and how did that benefit your chapter?
Our board relied on many on the HQ team for guidance on things that weren’t our strengths. Most of my time as president was during the pandemic, so it was helpful to have guidance from the HQ team on pivoting our chapter events to virtual and how to continue to provide valuable resources for our members. Our board still leans on HQ for programming ideas, policy guidelines, and financial management.
October featured articles
SMPS HQ welcomes Kai Wright as SMPS associate director, volunteer relations. Kai will serve as primary HQ liaison to all of our incredible chapter and regional conference volunteers. Kai is coming to SMPS from the American Physical Society as their diversity program manager. Reach out with a welcome to Kai at kai@smps.org.
What a year it has been celebrating the Society’s 50th anniversary! Let’s keep the celebrations going throughout this fall. If your chapter hasn’t already, grab some banners to post on social media and/or put on your chapter’s site. Additionally, here’s the SMPS 50th anniversary history video for review and use.
For more than 20 years, SMPS HQ has hosted an annual symposium for incoming chapter presidents. CLS 2024 will be held April 17-19, 2024, in Washington, D.C. More details coming soon.
Chapter membership directors and committee members, let’s continue to build, keep, and strengthen your membership base! Join SMPS HQ for virtual meetup on October 17, 3-4 p.m. ET to review member recruitment and retention resources. Chapter leaders recently honored for outstanding performance in membership will share their smart practices and how they effectively and efficiently leveraged HQ resources. You’ll leave the meetup better informed with actionable items to plug into your chapter’s short and long-term strategies.
The CPSM designation was developed by SMPS to elevate professional standards, enhance individual performance, and identify those who demonstrate knowledge that’s essential to the practice of professional services marketing.
What’s a great go-to information resource for the CPSM exam? The Certified Professional Services Marketer (CPSM) Handbook! The publication was updated in September so make sure your chapter site links to the HQ certification webpage to ensure all resources are current.
View list of all CPSMs here.
Did you know that SMPS members can attend complimentary learning labs offered through SMPS HQ? Our next one takes place on October 24. Spread the word through your chapter and join us for Leveraging Your Experience and Relationships To Win More Work. Registration is required for this SMPS member benefit.
ICYMI
SAVE THESE DATES!
DEI + A/E/C Townhall: Embracing Neurodiversity in the Workplace
October 10, 2023
Chapter Leader Meetup | Membership
October 17, 2023
October Complimentary Learning Lab
October 24, 2023
AEC.AI
October 25-26, 2023
The Pinnacle Experience
November 7-9, 2023
CPSM Exam Application Deadline
February 1, 2024
SMPS Regional Conferences
Chapter Leadership Symposium
April 17-19, 2024
CPSM Exam Application Deadline
August 1, 2024
Chapter Demographics as of 9/29/2023
These stats can be helpful for planning your programming, cultivating sponsor relationships, and engaging in member recruitment and retention.
Questions regarding chapter membership data? Please reach out to SMPS HQ Manager, Member Engagement, Matthew McFadden, at matthew@smps.org.
