Pre-Conference Workshops
Emerging Trends Roundtable - SMPS Foundation
Sarah Kinard, SMPS Foundation President
Pre-Conference Roundtable
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28 | 12:00PM - 3:00PM
Uncover What’s Next for the A/E/C Industry
- Preview Key Findings: Explore highlights from the SMPS Foundation's 2025 research report, released in August and available for members to download for free.
- Strategic Dialogue: Engage in facilitated discussions with fellow executives on how firms are adapting to trends in marketing, business development, and client relationships.
- Shape the Future: Contribute insights that may be included in the next edition of the Emerging Trends report.
- CMOs, Principals, and Marketing and BD Leaders
- Firm Executives across Marketing, BD and Operations
- CPSMs, SMPS Fellows, and Foundation Supporters
About Sarah
With over 20 years of experience leading growth strategies and new market development, Sarah Kinard is the driving force behind The Flamingo Project, a research, strategy, and growth-focused firm. She specializes in research-first growth strategies, and market positioning to help AEC firms thrive.
Sarah is known for her ability to lead vision-driven strategies to uncover new revenue opportunities and develop market-entry strategies. Her expertise spans both horizontal and vertical markets working with firms ranging the AEC gamut—from small design studios, regional construction companies, to international engineering firms. With a passion for client-focused solutions, she ensures that strategy efforts align with business goals and generate measurable impact.
Beyond Proposals: A Framework for Strategic Pursuits and Confident Conversations
Maggie Seay, CPSM, CEO & Co-Founder
Emerald Fox Marketing
Pre-Conference Session
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28 | 12:00PM - 3:00PM
Winning work in todayʼs AEC industry requires more than a strong proposal—it takes alignment, trust, and purposeful pre-positioning. This interactive 3-hour workshop is designed for business developers, marketers, and technical professionals (aka doer-sellers) who want to play a more strategic role in pursuing and winning projects.
Whether youʼre a seasoned BD pro or a reluctant seller, youʼll walk away with tools to help you build trust with clients, clarify your pursuit strategy, and collaborate more effectively as a team. Through guided exercises, real-world examples, and team-based planning tools, youʼll learn how to engage early, communicate with impact, and elevate your firmʼs presence before the RFP ever drops.
Ideal for: Business developers, marketers, project managers, principals, engineers, and architects looking to strengthen their role in client development and pursuit strategy.
Attendees will learn how to:
• Align internal teams around high-value pursuits
• Build confidence in pre-RFP conversations
• Understand client mindsets and decision drivers
• Use tools to clarify strategy, messaging, and pursuit roles
• Develop a simple, repeatable framework for proactive pursuit planning
About Maggie
Maggie Seay, CPSM, is the CEO and co-founder of Emerald Fox Marketing, a strategic consulting firm dedicated to building better brands and creating visionary strategies that help companies excel. With over 20 years of experience in the professional services industry, she combines leadership advising, business development coaching, and strategic planning to drive organizational success. Her expertise also extends to skill training and presentation coaching, empowering professionals to enhance their market presence and achieve their goals. Passionate about mentoring and guiding others, Maggie is committed to fostering growth and innovation in every organization she works with.
Less Hustle, More Flow: InDesign for Proposal Production
Audra Allen
Emerald Fox Marketing
Pre-Conference Session
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28 | 12:00PM - 4:00PM
Back by popular demand and now with even more tools, time, and takeaways! This expanded four-hour training is designed for A/E/C marketers who want to not only survive InDesign but truly master it. This course offers a deep, hands-on dive into the power of InDesign for streamlining RFQ production.
We'll cover the foundations while also tackling more advanced techniques and time-saving strategies. With step-by-step walkthroughs and real-world examples tailored to proposal work, you'll learn how to set up efficient workflows, build templates that work for you, and create consistency across even the most complex documents.
This session is ideal for beginner and intermediate users looking to sharpen their skills, reduce stress under tight deadlines, and finally get InDesign working for them.
Key takeaways:
• Design (and Save) Your Custom Workspace Streamline your workflow with a tailored setup that sticks, even after software updates.
• Heading Hierarchy That Actually Works Use scalable styles that make long documents clear, consistent, and easy to update at any stage.
• Create a Self-Formatting Resume (Yes, Really) Build a reusable, style-driven resume template that makes inserting and updating team bios a breeze.
• Set Up an Automated Table of Contents Learn how to generate a dynamic TOC that updates itself and keeps your document organized, polished, and clickable.
• Plus: Pro Tips for Proposal Templates, Version Control, and Export Settings Get strategies on how to avoid common pitfalls, simplify reviews, and ensure clean handoffs every time.
This session is designed to be interactive - if attending this workshop, please bring a laptop.
About Audra
Audra Allen is the President and co-founder of Emerald Fox Marketing, established in 2016 to serve the AEC industry through strategic, creative marketing solutions. With a background in design and professional services marketing, she combines technical expertise with innovative thinking to help firms reach their potential. An Adobe Certified Professional, she leads InDesign workshops for marketing teams and industry organizations, blending technical training with practical applications to strengthen pursuit efforts. Actively involved with the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS), Audra has served in multiple leadership roles, including President of the San Antonio chapter, and is recognized for her focus on leveraging strengths through smart planning and execution.
