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Learning Labs

BOOST YOUR SKILLSET

SMPS members: Join us for our complimentary virtual Master More Learning Labs.

This educational series features timely topics presented by industry practitioners that can help you build skills to work smarter, advance your career, and build your firm’s business. This series is for SMPS members only.

Offered several times a year and 1 CEU, each program runs 60 minutes to fit into your busy schedule. As part of your SMPS membership, take advantage of this complimentary series to boost your skillset.
 

Labs are recorded and available on-demand in the Learning Labs folder in the Marketing Resource Center on MySMPS, our members-only online community.

Upcoming Learning Labs

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Read the entire SMPS Registration and Cancellation Policy.

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Are you a CPSM? When you participate in a lab, or access on-demand, you will earn 1 CEU toward recertification for SMPS’s Certified Professional Services Marketer program.

It’s simple to participate:
1) Choose any lab—or choose all of them.
2) Pre-register.
3) Look for an email with the access code for the program.
4) Join us on the program date.

Reminder: Labs are recorded and available on-demand in the Learning Labs folder in the Marketing Resource Center on MySMPS, our members-only online community.

JOIN SMPS TODAY.

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April 15, 2025 | Flip the Script: Using Modern Marketing Principles to Win the Talent War

Ida Cheinman
Principa/Creative Director
Substance151
The challenge: Great resignation. Quiet quitting. Disengagement at work. The war on talent. The statistics are staggering and not in the employers’ favor. What’s an A/E/C firm to do? 
 
The solution: You can keep doing what everyone else is doing, or you can get creative and approach employee marketing the same way you approach client marketing. 
 
  1. Developing a strong, relevant brand and consistently investing in building greater brand visibility of your firm as THE place to work.
  2. Engaging candidates and employees with the right message and content at every step in their decision-making process.
  3. Creating an unmatched employee experience for all stages in the employee lifecycle.
The result: A full pipeline of better-qualified “ideal” candidates, a seamless hiring and onboarding experience, and much higher rates of employee engagement, satisfaction and advocacy.
 
Talent acquisition and retention will continue to top corporate agendas for years to come, and employee marketing is essential in helping firms win a battle for talent. 
 
The session is designed to show how applying modern marketing principles to every step in the employee journey – from a candidate to a new hire to a brand ambassador – will drive positive results and create a competitive advantage for your firm. 
 
Learning Outcomes
  • Attendees will learn how to think about hiring the same way they think about marketing and business development and how to apply marketing/BD principles and proven strategies, practices and tactics to attract “ideal” employees to their firms.
  • Attendees will understand the fundamentals of creating an exceptional candidate and employee experience using persona-based journey mapping for different candidate and employee types.
  • Attendees will learn what modern marketing tactics, channels, communications and formats work best for reaching and engaging candidates and employees of all career levels. 
Register now

April 15, 2025 | Flip the Script: Using Modern Marketing Principles to Win the Talent War

Nick Koudas headshot
Nick Koudas, PhD
Worrkorb AI
Co-Founder & CFO

Leading consulting engineering firms are leveraging AI to gain a competitive edge. Join SMPS and Strategic Partner Workorb AI for an engaging session on AI’s potential for AEC firms.

This session will explore how AI can transform firm performance through knowledge preservation, proposal automation, and compliance reviews. We’ll demonstrate how AI not only helps firms compete more effectively and mitigate risks but also builds long-term value to support growth and succession planning. We will dive into the strategic side of AI adoption, examining the importance of embedding AI into marketing processes, from RFP qualification (go / no go) to proposal responses, with considerations for data protection, change management, and sustainable business growth.

While a firm’s data—representing its expertise and competitive advantage—is one of its most valuable assets, it’s often siloed across sectors, geographies, systems, and people. This fragmentation limits visibility, increases risk, and leaves critical insights untapped. This session will also showcase how AI can break down these silos, streamline operations, and drive profitability, specifically for the AEC sector.

Join us for an educational, engaging discussion on how AI can unlock your firm’s full potential.

Learning Outcomes:

  1. Preserve institutional knowledge by breaking down data silos with AI.
  2. Enhance proposal efficiency through AI-driven automation.
  3. Embed AI strategically with a focus on data protection and growth.
  4. Mitigate risks and drive value with AI for sustainable business growth.

About Nick Koudas, PhD

Nick Koudas is the co-founder and CEO of Workorb AI, a company dedicated to empowering AEC firms to drive measurable ROI through the power of AI. A seasoned entrepreneur and technologist, Nick is also a Professor of Computer Science at the University of Toronto, where his research in data analytics and machine learning has earned him international recognition.

Register now

March 18, 2025 | Unveiling the Future of AEC Business Development: Insights from the AEC.BD Report

Scott Butcher, FSMPS, CPSM
Managing Director, Strategic Growth Advisory
Stambaugh Ness

The way A/E/C firms approach business development is evolving rapidly—shaped by technological advancements, shifting client expectations, and a changing workforce. In this webinar, Scott Butcher, FSMPS, CPSM, will unveil key findings from the SMPS Foundation research AEC.BD: Building Business Development Success in a Post-Pandemic World report. Through updated research and industry benchmarking, we’ll explore the continued rise of seller-doers, the role of dedicated business developers, and the most effective BD models shaping the future of A/E/C firms. Whether you’re a marketing professional, business developer, or firm leader, this session will provide critical insights into how your firm can stay ahead in an increasingly competitive landscape. This complimentary learning lab is exclusive to SMPS members.

Key Takeaways:

  • Learn how firms are balancing the roles of business developers and seller-doers, and why the seller-doer model continues to gain traction
  • Discover the key responsibilities, skillsets, and time commitments that define high-performing BD professionals in today’s firms
  • Gain a deeper understanding of how your firm stacks up against industry trends and what strategic steps you can take to strengthen your BD efforts
Register now

Unlocking Your Business Development Strategy

Megan Miller, CPSM
Director of Product Marketing
Deltek
Join us as we dive into the key metrics shaping how architecture and engineering (A&E) firms go after and win business, and the opportunities your firm can take advantage of today. This session is designed specifically for A&E firms looking to leverage industry insights to drive growth and stay ahead in a competitive market.
 
In this informative session, Megan Miller, Director of Product Marketing at Deltek, will:
  • Highlight critical business development metrics from the latest Clarity A&E Industry Study.
  • Provide a detailed analysis of industry trends and how they impact your firm’s growth strategy.
  • Share practical steps and best practices to turn data-driven insights into actionable plans.
  • Offer expert advice on how to prioritize BD efforts and measure success effectively.
Key Takeaways:
  • Understand the most impactful BD metrics for A&E firms.
  • Learn how to interpret and act on data from the latest Clarity A&E Industry Study.
  • Discover strategies for optimizing your BD efforts.
  • Gain insights into the latest industry trends and how they affect your firm.
Watch the recording

Winning The Project Interview

In the highly competitive AEC industry, a successful project interview can make the difference between winning and losing a contract. This learning lab is designed to equip you with the strategies and insights needed to stand out and build trust with your clients from the very beginning.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

This webinar will dive into how to execute when called upon for a project interview, emphasizing the importance of planning and building trust from the beginning. Our expert panel will cover the following:

  • What a proactive and winning culture looks like
  • Top tips on preparing for the interview
  • How to execute the interview by focusing on trust-building, assembling the right team, focusing on the right things, and communicating your value precisely.
  • De-briefing and why it’s critical to your future success.

We’ll conclude with an interactive Q&A session, giving the audience a chance to engage directly with our experts and explore how they can apply these strategies in their own firms. This is an opportunity to ask specific questions and gain practical advice on mastering the interview process to secure more projects.

This session aims to inspire professionals to embrace these interview techniques as strategic tools so that they can really contribute to the success of the win. By moving from preparation to execution, attendees can significantly enhance their impact, driving both personal and organizational success.

About Tom Deane

Tom has extensive experience in the construction sector, particularly in Cost & Risk Management. He has been involved in project wins over $5 billion, ranging from schools, multifamily developments, state-of-the-art museums, and hospitals, to high-rise projects. During his pursuit of various construction projects, Tom discovered a passion for business development. Intrigued by the strategic challenges of securing contracts, he co-founded Project Mark, a smart CRM platform designed specifically for the construction industry. He currently leads the company as CEO.

About Kelly DeWees

Kelly relocated to San Francisco in 2013 to lead the construction of 181 Fremont for Jay Paul Company. As the Project Executive, Kelly oversaw the day-to-day efforts of the contractor and consultants with a sharp focus on the luxury residential design, build out, and sales. The iconic landmark high rise opened in 2018 with a full commercial lease and luxury condominiums selling at the highest square foot prices in The Bay Area. Kelly is currently working on revitalizing downtown San Jose with a focus on Jay Paul’s commercial buildings and restaurant additions.

Starting her career in Las Vegas as a project engineer for general contractor Perini Building Company, Kelly found her passion in high-end hospitality while working on The Ritz Carlton at Lake Las Vegas. For the next decade she contributed to some of Las Vegas’s most well know restaurants, spas, night clubs, and casinos. Kelly was the Senior Project Manager for Steve Wynn at Wynn Design and Development. After successfully managing the opening of Encore Tower in 2008, she directed the Design-Build Cap Ex Team at Wynn and Encore. She later helped transition the construction management department to a general contractor as the QE on the Nevada Contractors License, B Unlimited.

Kelly has spent over 25 years dedicated to extraordinary projects while collaborating with top professionals in the industry.

About Troy Parkinson

Troy Parkinson is a speaker and facilitator,. in his 20 years in the film industry, he has produced television series for Discovery Health and the History Channel and also served as Director of Production for the Minnesota Film Commission, promoting Minnesota cities and venues to companies like Disney, HBO, and Netflix. During his tenure with SagePresence, Troy has coached and trained companies to over $4 Billion in project wins, helping individuals and teams increase their confidence and networking skills for both live and virtual sales presentations.

About Matt Verdermo

Matt Verderamo is a Sr. Consultant with Well Built and former VP of Preconstruction and Sales with a trade contractor in Baltimore. He is also the Creator and Author of the Building Balance, a free newsletter dedicated to helping construction professionals build balanced lives, careers, and businesses. Subscribe here and follow him on LinkedIn here.

Beyond Beginners: Sharpen Your InDesign Skills

Take your InDesign skills to the next level and craft winning proposals with confidence. Join InDesign expert, Julie Shaffer, FSMPS, CPSM, as she delves beyond basic functionalities, focusing on intermediate techniques that streamline your workflow and elevate your document’s impact.

Learn how to:

  • Master Styles for consistent formatting and effortless editing
  • Leverage GREP (regular expressions) for powerful text manipulation
  • Create and utilize custom InDesign templates to guarantee brand consistency and faster turnaround
  • Build impactful visuals with basic image editing tools and explore advanced asset management options
  • Collaborate efficiently with Libraries and discover how a centralized assetlibrary (such as OpenAsset) can further enhance your workflow
  • And more!

This webinar is ideal for:

  • InDesign users with basic knowledge seeking to elevate their skills
  • AEC marketers and proposal writers looking to create impactful and professional documents

Don’t miss it! Sign up now.

Sponsored by: 

Moving from Firefighting to Strategizing: How Knowledge Management Can Transform AEC Marketing

In the fast-paced world of Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC), marketing professionals often find themselves in a constant state of firefighting—dealing with pressing issues and urgent deadlines. But what if there was a way to shift from this reactive mode to a more strategic, impactful approach? This SMPS Learning Lab will explore how Knowledge Management can be the key to transforming AEC marketing, offering benefits that extend from personal career growth to enhanced team effectiveness and firm-wide performance.

Knowledge Management is not just a technical or operational function—it has profound implications for marketing. By effectively managing knowledge, AEC marketing teams can move from simply responding to urgent demands to strategically planning and executing campaigns that align with long-term business goals.

Katie Robinson experienced this constant state of firefighting 20 years ago when she joined LS3P as a marketing coordinator. In her words, “I didn’t want to live like this anymore.” She was wasting too much time searching for assets, project information, and resumes to put together competitive proposals. So she took responsibility for Knowledge Management and the rest is history! Today she is a Principal and the Chief Marketing Officer at LS3P.

This SMPS Learning Lab will dive into the real-world application of Knowledge Management at LS3P. Katie will share lessons learned from:

  • Building and leading the Knowledge Management program at LS3P
  • Establishing LS3P’s Data Managers program
  • Launching F.R.A.N.K., LS3Ps new Synthesis intranet
  • Overcoming organizational barriers to change

We’ll conclude with an interactive Q&A session, giving the audience a chance to engage directly with Katie and explore how they can apply these lessons in their own firms. This is an opportunity to ask specific questions and gain practical advice on starting or enhancing Knowledge Management initiatives.

This session aims to inspire AEC marketers to embrace Knowledge Management as a strategic tool that can elevate their roles within their firms. By moving from firefighting to strategizing, marketers can significantly enhance their impact, driving both personal and organizational success.

We hope you can join us!

Learning Objectives

  • Best practices for building and leading a Knowledge Management program
  • Best practices for establishing a Data Managers program
  • Best practices for launching a knowledge rich intranet
  • Best practices for identifying and overcoming organizational barriers to change

About Katie Robinson
Chief Marketing Officer, Principal, LS3P
katierobinson@ls3p.com

Katie Robinson joined LS3P in 2004 and serves as Principal and Chief Marketing Officer. With a keen focus on supporting the firm’s vision, Katie works closely with the Executive Committee to ensure comprehensive support across marketing, knowledge management, and strategy.

Katie spearheaded a transformative journey at LS3P, turning the marketing department into a dynamic creative agency. Under her guidance, the team has excelled in managing both internal and external communications, while offering responsive and proactive marketing and creative services. Katie’s strategic leadership has been instrumental in the successful creation and implementation of innovative marketing collateral and brand management strategies, with a specific focus on fostering brand trust.

About Susan Strom
Chief Client Officer, Knowledge Architecture
sstrom@knowledge-architecture.com

As Knowledge Architecture’s Chief Client Officer, Susan ensures clients have the resources they need to be successful. Those resources include best practices, training, documentation, and a team of Knowledge Architecture experts who guide our clients every step of the way.

During her time at Knowledge Architecture, Susan has led over 130 AEC intranet implementations, produced dozens of intranet case studies, and been instrumental in building our client community and client success program. Her previous roles in human resources, construction management, and engineering systems at Mazzetti and Gilbane Building Company allow her to draw upon a broad range of industry experiences to help our clients succeed.

About Christopher Parsons
Founder and CEO, Knowledge Architecture
cparsons@knowledge-architecture.com

As Founder and CEO of Knowledge Architecture, Christopher is responsible for product development, marketing, and organizational health. He has been a technology leader in the AEC industry since 2002, including serving as the Chief Information Officer for Steinberg Architects and the Information Technology Director for SMWM (now Perkins+Will).

Christopher has long been an advocate for the benefits of Knowledge Management for AEC firms. In 2010, he launched KA Connect, the AEC industry’s premier Knowledge Management conference. He has spoken and written frequently on this subject and is the the creator of Knowledge Architecture’s Periodic Table of KM Elements in AEC Firms framework.

Crafting Effective Win Probability Assessments for AEC Projects

Join our webinar to learn how to accurately create win probability values when assessing AEC project opportunities. We’ll explore collaborative strategies between marketers, technical experts, and decision-makers, and discuss practical approaches for assigning win and project probability values. Discover how to also incorporate project likelihood and funding probability into your assessments, ensuring informed decision-making for maximizing success in AEC projects.

Learning Objectives:

  1. Collaborative Strategies: Learn how to foster collaboration between marketers, technical experts, and decision-makers to accurately assess project opportunities.
  2. Practical Approaches: Discover actionable methods for assigning win probability values and incorporating project likelihood and funding probability into your assessments.
  3. Create More Accurate Revenue and Resource Projections: Understand how more accurate win probability assessments can help forecast revenue and allocate resources more effectively.

About Christine Leahy, CPSM
Christina Leahy, CPSM is a Senior Sales Enablement Engineer at Unanet CRM (formerly Cosential). She has decades of experience as an A/E/C marketer and database and organizational consultant. A recent CPSM, she has a keen interest in how Unanet CRM can leverage new technologies to improve marketing and business development for A/E/C firms.

About Dianna Lovelace
Dianna Lovelace is Director, Product Management with Unanet CRM (formerly Cosential). She has worked for more than 15 years to bring Marketing and Business Development solutions to AEC firms. In addition to her depth of experience creating a wide array of solutions for a diversity of firm types and sizes she has expertise as an AEC professional services marketer. She is passionate about continuously improving Unanet CRM for Marketers and Business Developers, including her team’s current development effort to re-design our product’s Forms feature (Go No/Go and more!).

How Technology Increases Marketing and Business Development Efficiencies to Maximize Marketing ROI

Discover how technology can transform your marketing and business development processes and significantly increase your MROI. Learn about automating proposal processes, streamlining BD workflows, and using Microsoft Artificial Intelligence in the context of the AEC industry. Through specific ROI examples, (and a downloadable template to customize to your firm’s needs!) this session will demonstrate how this emerging technology can save your staff time and your firm money. Whether you’re aiming to streamline processes to save time or secure more new projects, this session is packed with actionable insights for better marketing ROI (MROI).

About Cole McIsaac
Cole McIsaac is a business development professional with over 10 years of experience in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry. Throughout his career, Cole has demonstrated a remarkable ability to identify and address the unique challenges faced by AEC firms. He is apt at identifying market trends and emerging technologies, enabling him to offer tailored solutions that drive growth and innovation. As a result, Cole continuously provides insights and guidance to clients, helping them navigate the ever-evolving landscape of technology in the industry.

About Neil Holmes
Neil Holmes is the AEC Market Lead for aec360 by HSO, a trusted authority in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry technology. With over 30 years of experience, Neil has dedicated his career to assisting AEC firms worldwide in evaluating and selecting ERP software solutions. His experience, personalized approach, and dedication to client success allow Neil to make a significant impact on optimizing operations and driving growth for AEC firms worldwide. His industry knowledge and strategic guidance make him an invaluable asset for organizations seeking to achieve their full potential in today’s competitive market.

Cole McIsaac, Director of Business Development at aec360 by HSO

Cole McIsaac is a business development professional with over 10 years of experience in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry. Throughout his career, Cole has demonstrated a remarkable ability to identify and address the unique challenges faced by AEC firms. He is apt at identifying market trends and emerging technologies, enabling him to offer tailored solutions that drive growth and innovation. As a result, Cole continuously provides insights and guidance to clients, helping them navigate the ever-evolving landscape of technology in the industry.

Cole’s role as a business development resource has allowed him to cultivate strong long-term partnerships with clients and industry stakeholders. His experience in the AEC industry, combined with his software expertise and business development acumen, make him an invaluable resource for organizations seeking to leverage technology for success. His commitment to excellence, client-centric approach, and passion for innovation continue to make a significant impact on the industry as a whole.

*Both bios have been drafted by an AI writing assistant and further edited and enhanced by the marketing team, dramatically reducing the overall time spent.

Neil Holmes, AEC Market Lead at aec360 by HSO

Neil Holmes is the AEC Market Lead for aec360 by HSO, a trusted authority in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry technology. With over 30 years of experience, Neil has dedicated his career to assisting AEC firms worldwide in evaluating and selecting ERP software solutions. His experience, personalized approach, and dedication to client success allow Neil to make a significant impact on optimizing operations and driving growth for AEC firms worldwide. His industry knowledge and strategic guidance make him an invaluable asset for organizations seeking to achieve their full potential in today’s competitive market.

*Both bios have been drafted by an AI writing assistant and further edited and enhanced by the marketing team, dramatically reducing the overall time spent.