I am the IUPUI student awarded the SMPS Scholarship from the Kelley School of Business in Indianapolis.  For my marketing strategy class, the class project involves organizing and coordinating the 2011 Homeward Bound Walk to End Homelessness.  The walk will raise funds for local non-profits that provide affordable housing, shelter, and supportive services to help temporarily displaced families and individuals get back on their feet. 

One small commitment of starting your own corporate team can result in big returns for everyone, including

·         Increased enthusiasm and unity in your company culture

·         Employees who are more responsive, aware, and willing to be socially responsible

·         Positive recognition for practicing good business

·         Help and hope for our community and neighbors in need

Join us for a one mile walk through Downtown Indianapolis on December 19^{th s} starting at 5:30pm.  Participation is free, however a $20 donation earns you a short sleeve t-shirt, and $25 earns you a long-sleeved t-shirt!  Your participation on this cold night is enough to provide hope for those less fortunate. 

We invite you to do something special with your employees and community to benefit others this Holiday.  For more information or to Register your Team visit our website at http://homewardboundindiana.org/central!

Please join our team and the community in supporting this worthy cause!

Thank you,

Daniela Klaz

The article below, written by SMPS Indiana member Holly Bolton, CPSM , was featured in SMPS Dallas' newsletter. You can check out the full newsletter here:  http://smpsdallas.posterous.com/the-new-smps-dallas-newsletter-is-out

Are you ready to take the next step in your career?

Are you a highly capable individual, but still seeking the appropriate recognition for your skill set?

Then, the CPSM Study Group is for YOU!

Click here for additional details regarding the CPSM Certification Process.  The CPSM Study Group is another excellent benefit of being an SMPS member and one that you will not want to miss.  Come to the CPSM Study Group Kick-off Meeting on April 15! 

Sign-up today by contacting Cindy Culbertson, CPSM at cculbertson@bsalifestructures.com or 317.819.2272!

Written by: Lauren Kriner, Miles Design

Does your firm understand the benefits of using an architectural photographer to market first-class designs and projects? Susan Fleck, of Fleck Photography, provided the March Marketing FUNdamentals audience (hosted by Mike Worley at Eastern Engineering in Fishers) with some very helpful insights into architectural photography. 

Hiring an architectural photographer like Susan offers many benefits. As an expert in architectural photography, she knows how to best light a project, shoot the best angles, and determine whether or not to include people in the photo. Susan is also a big proponent of nighttime photography, if the project and shoot schedule allow for it.

Having a budget for architectural photography can be a concern for many design professionals. Susan suggests talking with your project partners to determine if it makes sense to partner on the photography costs as well. She likened taking amateur photos of a great design project, to hiring someone who is good at drawing to do the job of an architect to design a structure.

Estimates from Fleck Photography are broken down into a creative and production fee, fixed costs, and licensing fees.  Because you need to purchase the usage rights for any professional photos, Susan recommended negotiating unlimited usage of a photo for an unlimited amount of time, regardless of photographer choice.

Are you wondering what time of year is the best for capturing inspiring photos?  Susan suggests shooting between the end of April through June, or from the end of August through October. That makes sense, as the Midwest is looking its best during those months!

Lastly, the most impactful part of Susan's presentation to me were her "before and after" photos, where she compared the clients' snapshots to her finished photography. The difference in lighting and presentation was truly amazing. It's incredible what a professional photographer like Susan can do for your design portfolio. And as humble as Susan always is, she mentioned there are several good photographers who will shoot your work in this market, and they all share work and leads with one another. 

before

after

Susan also graciously provided a list of best practices when photographing your next project. (Click here to download Susan's checklist.) If your project budget allows and you are not already having your projects shot professionally, consider calling Susan Fleck to bring even more inspiration to marketing your next project! 

Part 3 of a 3-part series by Holly Bolton, CPSM

Beyond the Tweet

Besides tweeting interesting and informative information, sharing what you're up to, and retweeting and mentioning people you're following, what else can you use Twitter for?

• Leverage PR and branding efforts. Did you hire a new person? Did you author an article? Was your company mentioned in a magazine? Do you have a new web site? Did you recently update your web site with new project photos? Tweet about it. In addition, follow editors that would be interested in news about your firm and projects. In some cases, tweeting editors results in a faster response than calling them.

• Research. Use a hashtag (#) prior to keywords to search for tweets using it, or simply search for it using the Twitter function. Learn more about trends and initiatives your firm is working on. See what people are saying about your firm and markets. See what your clients and competition are talking about.

• Capture conference content. At Build Business 2010, we used #smps2010 when tweeting points from presentations. People who were not at the conference could still get salient points from keynotes and sessions and feel part of the conference. In addition, we had a record of the tweets by going to "What the Hashtag," http://wthashtag.com, a web site where you can merge out a report of all the tweets that used the hashtag.

• Conduct and participate in TweetChats. Much like a chat room, this is a way to discuss a certain topic at a set date and time, using a predetermined hashtag. To see only the TweetChat content, go to http://tweetchat.com/, which will put you in the hashtag's "room" and add the hastag to your tweets automatically. Or, you can use the TweetDeck application for the chat by creating a column that shows tweets using that hashtag (just remember to include the hashtag with your tweets). Keep in mind that your TweetChat tweets will be visible by all of your Twitter followers, not just the ones participating in the chat. We had a TweetChat after SMPS national that allowed people to share what they learned. Afterwards, we could get a transcript at "What the Hashtag" and save the content in a PDF to refer to in the future.

Miscellaneous Twitter Tips

• Think before you tweet! Read through the tweet for errors. When someone posts a link to an article that sounds good, verify the link works and that the article is actually good before you retweet it.

• Don't drink and tweet. (If you think you have a brilliant idea for a tweet while imbibing, write it down and post it the next day if it's still worthy).

• News organizations are monitoring social media networks and reporting on tweets about hot topics. Ask yourself, would you be OK with your tweet being on CNN?

• Be brief with your tweets. Make them 120 characters or less, so people can retweet them without having to edit them down and do work. Make life easier for your followers.

• Beware. There are weird people out there. Use common sense. You might not want to tweet when you're on vacation or home alone. You might not want to follow someone back if all they have is a questionable avatar and a link that says, "Wanna see my pics?"

• Have a social media strategy for your firm, and have a social media policy, regardless of whether your firm is using social media. Your employees are already using it. You need guidelines of what employees are allowed to tweet about the company. Look through the transcript of our recent SMPS TweetChat on social media plans and policies to see what we discussed relative to this topic: http://twitdoc.com/1NB. Also, stay tuned to SMPS Marketer and news from the SMPS National Technology committee on social media policy content.

Prior to the "All A-Twitter" presentation, I asked my Twitter followers for their top tips. Here are a few:

• From @reillybri: Use lists and keep them updated. Focus on "hot list" of 20 or so tweets to avoid Twitter noise; others when you have time.
• From @ValConyngham: Listen and engage. Participate in relevant TweetChats to build momentum.
• From @kristinworley05: Keep it conversational and maximize use - market research, network, web SEO, industry info sharing, PR, etc.
• From @BrandConstruct: Read over tweets before hitting send for typos and bad autocorrects. Set times to tweet to ensure you're dedicated and engaged, but not too much time. Twitter can be addicting.

If you want some basics on Twitter as well as how to plan and implement a TweetChat, check out this article I co-wrote with some fellow Heartland Region SMPS members, Adam Kilbourne and Dana Galvin. (Scroll down to the fourth article): http://sfmp.informz.net/sfmp/archives/archive_946016.html

I'd love to know what you thought of this series and what ideas or questions you might have. Connect with me on Twitter @hollybolton or email me.

Part 2 of a 3-part series by Holly Bolton, CPSM

What to Tweet

Once you have your Twitter account set up, the real fun begins: tweeting!

So vain

When you think about what you're going to tweet, be intelligent. It seems like people tend to be more candid online, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. But keep in mind that posting comments online is different than talking-it's traceable and permanent.

Think before you tweet, and ask yourself, "would I say it to my followers' face?" In addition, consider how much you tweet about yourself versus others, and how many of your tweets are self-promoting versus providing helpful information.

For example, say you meet me at a networking event, and the conversation goes like this:

"Hi I'm Holly Bolton. I work at CE Solutions. We do structural engineering, and we do it really well. And I'm pretty good at what I do too, I admit it. I've got about 10 years of experience in marketing. I just presented at an SMPS event, and everyone LOVED it. I'm going to write a blog about it. I think I'm a pretty good writer. I like to write. Hey, tell your friends about me! Later!"

I love Happy Bunny merchandise. A cute little bunny who says some pretty shocking things. One of the Happy Bunny illustrations has the caption, "It's all about me. Deal with it."

Don't be Happy Bunny with your social networking.

In the saying, "treat people how you'd like to be treated," you can easily change "treat" to "tweet" to create an effective mantra for your actions online (but beware that it also sounds a bit like Tweety Bird). Better yet, "tweet people how they'd like to be tweeted."

I define "networking" as building and fostering relationships by using your strengths and connections to help others reach their goals. Social networking, through social media, is a way to do that online. 

Chris Brogan (@chrisbrogan) was keynote speaker at the 2010 Build Business (the national SMPS conference). In the book Trust Agents, written by Chris and Julien Smith, they say, "Work hard at promoting others 12 times as much as you promote yourself." This is a great rule of thumb. I highly recommend reading this book to help you with the web and social networking. It's not a technical book, but more about how to become a trusted, credible source online. 

Answering, "What's Happening?"

It's important to tweet often. It keeps you top of mind and helps you build and foster relationships. The Twitter feed is constantly updating, so your tweets have the potential of being buried, depending how often your followers check their feeds and how many individuals they are following.

Being online and not participating in the conversation is like going to a networking event and standing against the wall, nursing your drink. But how do you decide what to say? In addition to original snippets of brilliance, here are a few ideas:

•  Set up Google alerts on a topic of interest. Say you want to brand your firm in a certain market, such as the design of cancer centers. Set up a Google alert for oncology, and when you get some new articles about latest trends in cancer treatments, tweet out a link.
•  Sign up for StumbleUpon (stumbleupon.com). You pick topics and hit the "Stumble" button and it randomly picks web sites from the internet that you might like. (For example, some of my topics include architecture, civil engineer, construction and writing). If you stumble upon a site you think your followers might find interesting or helpful, tweet the link.
•  Retweet tweets of value from others-especially your clients, prospects and others you want to build relationships with. If you're retweeting a link, however, be sure that you click on it to make sure it works and contains quality content. Use hashtags to find relevant content around a topic (#architecture or #LEED, for example) that you can retweet. Create lists to sort your followers so you can quickly find tweets from those users who are good sources of retweets.
•  Behold the power of the "Share" button on the good blogs and newsletters you read. In a couple of clicks you can tweet a link out to your followers.

Speedy Tweeting

How do you become more efficient at Twitter? Here are a few tips and ideas.

•  Type and text faster. I'm serious.
• Maximize downtime. When you're waiting for an appointment or have some downtime, send a tweet from your phone! NOTE: This does not mean while you are driving or while you are supposed to be having a face-to-face conversation with someone!
• I like to build up reserves of tweets, so that when I have Tweeter's block, I can open up my pantry of thoughts and post one.
• Use applications like HootSuite and TweetDeck. Each have their own strengths, but here are some highlights:
  • You can update several social networks and Twitter accounts at the same time.
  • You can create search columns to quickly find
  • You can schedule tweets through HootSuite.
  • They have built-in URL shorteners, saving you characters when you post a link.
  • Tweetdeck has spellcheck!

There are more applications out there and a lot of resources and articles online to help you decide what applications are right for you.

Up next time: Beyond the Tweet and Miscellaneous Twitter Tips

Part 1 of a 3-part series by Holly Bolton, CPSM

The tagline for SMPS Indiana's Marketing FUNdaMENTALS program is, "marketing is FUN to THINK about!" Guess what else is fun? Twitter. But that's not the only reason to participate. 

Jim Walton (@BrandCoachJim on Twitter) of Brand Acceleration gave a great Marketing FUNdaMENTALS presentation in August of 2010 about the overall topic of social media. Building on that momentum, Susan Guindon of krM Architecture+ and education chair of SMPS Indiana, recently asked me to do a presentation focusing on Twitter. Because we covered so much, I'm breaking the presentation content down into three parts. 

(If you are new to Twitter, I recommend checking out the Twitter glossary, found here http://t.co/ztXjOWH so that some of my terminology makes sense. In addition, check out this SMPS Connections article by Adam Kilbourne (@a_kilbourne) that gives some Twitter basics: http://sfmp.informz.net/admin31/content/template.asp?sid=10319&ptid=236&brandid=4092&uid=0&mi=946016)

Getting Started

In our business, we often win projects because of relationships. People choose to do business with people and companies that they like, know and trust. When based on the goals and strategies of your firm, social media and social networking can be powerful components in the marketing and branding mix.

With this in mind, tweet with purpose. Consider your overall goal to being on Twitter and let that drive a majority of the decisions that you make. Key in that is deciding your Twitter identity.

Tweeting as yourself and tweeting on behalf of your company

Scroll through a Twitter feed of updates and you'll find a combination of people tweeting as themselves and people tweeting on behalf of an organization or business. As marketers, many of us may be involved in creating and maintaining a company Twitter account. During the presentation, we talked a bit about the differences in creating a Twitter identity of a person (@hollybolton, for example) versus a company. Many individuals do both. Your approach is really dependent on what is right for you and your company, but here are some considerations.

Person considerations

• Tweeting as a person lends itself to users integrating some personality into their updates.
• When people have their own Twitter account, the account (and followers) can go with them when they change jobs.
• Tweeting as a person gives followers a human face and a point person; their followers know who is behind the tweets.
• When tweeting as a person, keep in mind that it's not as obvious at first glance to determine the company being represented, unless it's incorporated into the username. Some people even use their titles as their usernames, so tweets are still coming from a person but clearly communicating their company. For example, Ruth Brajevich, @WareMalcombCMO.

Company considerations

• A company "voice" needs to be established that is consistent with the brand of the firm. Be aware of opinions expressed through the company's Twitter account.
• A plan needs to be put in place to determine what to do when the person updating the company's Twitter account leaves.
• A company Twitter account might lend itself to tweeting solely about the company and its news; beware of it coming across too "salesy" and remember to interact with your followers.

I'm referring to using Twitter for marketing and branding, but you may want to have a separate account for other niche interests and initiatives. For example, if you've got a side gig as a rock star (although I could argue that ALL marketer s are rock stars) and you want to build up a fan base related to that, I suggest having a separate account all about your rock 'n roll career goings-on and customizing your content and tweets to that audience.

Choosing a username

Something to keep in mind-throughout all of your Twitter actions-is to help your followers. This starts with choosing your username (also known as a Twitter handle, which shows up when you tweet, and is used to identify you on Twitter for replies and mentions).

• Make it short so it's less characters. When people retweet or mention you, the shorter the tweet is, the less likely they have to cut you off or edit the tweet to make it fit in 140 characters.
• Make it memorable so people don't have to look it up. For example, Dana Galvin's username, @galvinium, is unique, I can pronounce it, and I remember it.
• Consider simply using your name. It helps spread awareness of your personal brand. For example, people might see you at a networking event and recognize both your face and your name.
• Consider using your username as a branding or awareness building opportunity. For example, Tom Smith, former national SMPS president, uses @tsmithbonterra; this incorporates both his name and his company name (Bonterra Consulting).

Your photo and bio

These are both must-haves! If you don't have a photo or bio, people question the credibility of your Twitter account.

Your photo: If you have decided to go the company route, a logo might be the more appropriate choice. However, if not, make sure your photo is up-to-date, indicative of your personal brand (demonstrating creativity through an interesting crop or background, for example, but still professional), and zoomed in enough to see your face. People make judgments based on photos. Show your photo to someone you trust to be honest to make sure you don't look pretentious or creepy.

Your bio: Make it friendly, interesting and indicative of who you are and what you'll be tweeting about. Find that same friend you showed your picture to and make sure your drafted bio has the appropriate tone. Include links to other web sites that offer more info about you, like your LinkedIn profile, company web site, blog, etc. You should write your bio to answer the question, "Why should I follow you?" What's in it for potential followers?

Unprotected tweets

Like the bio, your Twitter feed helps people decide if they want to follow you...or if they don't. If I receive an email that someone is following me on Twitter, I'll check out their feed to see what they're saying. If the tweets are blocked and they don't have a bio explaining who they are, I won't follow them back.

In addition, Peter Shankman (@petershankman) makes some great points in his blog about this topic.

http://shankman.com/why-you-need-to-unprotect-your-tweets/

Up next time: What to Tweet and Speedy Tweeting

2011 SMPS Sponsorship Opportunities and Benefits

SMPS Indiana has several exciting sponsorship opportunities available for our 2011 programs.  Sponsorship is one of the best ways to gain exposure to our SMPS Indiana membership (approximately 120 members) and to their employers.

The Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) is a community of marketing and business development professionals working to secure profitable business relationships for their A/E/C companies. Through networking, business intelligence, and research, SMPS members gain a competitive advantage in positioning their firms successfully in the marketplace.

SMPS' mission is to advocate for, educate, and connect leaders in the building industry.  SMPS' vision is for premier professional service firms to recognize SMPS as their most trusted resource for building business and achieving success.

The detailed benefits of SMPS Sponsorship are OUTLINED HERE, however a few highlights are as follows:  

• Gold or Silver Sponsorship - This in an annual sponsorship and includes exposure for your organization at every SMPS event throughout the year and on all SMPS event marketing materials. There will be at least 10 SMPS events in 2011.
• Program Sponsorships - Does the topic for one of the 2011 Programs "go hand in hand" with your company's expertise and/or mission? If so, sponsoring that event will give you the opportunity to formally address the event attendees. SMSP events have an average attendance of approximately 50 local A/E/C industry professionals. Exciting SMPS program topics for 2011 include:
  
  • Integrated Project Delivery
  • Healthcare Panel Discussion
  • Economic Development / Redevelopment
  • "Getting Beyond the Shortlist"
  • Indiana Convention Center Preview  

We hope that your company will strongly consider a SMPS sponsorship for 2011.  Please feel free to contact Scott Schroeder at 317.607.8682 or sschroeder@tcco.com to discuss the benefits of any of these exciting opportunities or to stake claim to the sponsorship of your choice.   

By Holly Bolton, CPSM

With the holiday open houses, parties and celebrations that abound in the month of December, special event planning was a timely topic for our Marketing FUNdaMENTALS meeting Dec. 1. Susan Guindon of krM Architecture+ hosted and facilitated a lively discussion including:

• brainstorming ideas for events attendees were currently planning or initiatives they wanted to market at their firms through special events.
• sharing lessons learned from previous events for both best practices and things to watch out for
• discussing overall thoughts on special event planning.

Here are some random tidbits we discussed, along with some additional thoughts on special events.

Have a theme. A creative theme provides the basis for more creativity and is a takeoff for ideas you can integrate throughout the event. One example Mike Worley (past SMPS Indiana president) brought up was an SMPS Indiana program held at the NCAA Hall of Champions during March Madness. "Domain Download Drills" was a fast-paced program with short presentations and rotating roundtable discussions. Attendees received a ticket to attend the Hall of Champions prior to the program. The basketball theme extended throughout the event, from giveaways on the tables to the moderator's role (playing ref and blowing a whistle when it was time to rotate).

A special event is another opportunity for you to communicate your firm's brand. Keep in mind that brand is articulated in many ways, including your people, what they say about the firm and your projects, and how your office looks. Make sure your staff are educated and prepared prior to a client open house, that confidential drawings are taken off the walls, workspaces are cleaned up, etc. The little details make a big difference.

Hone your special event planning skills. Being involved on an SMPS Indiana committee can help you gain experience planning special events in a supportive, volunteer environment before doing it for your actual paying job. With each event you plan, you learn helpful lessons for the next one. Document any lessons learned and integrate preventative measures into a checklist to refer to in the future. (The SMPS Indiana programs or the golf outing committee or helping with Keep Indianapolis Beautiful's Monumental Affair awards program and ceremony are some ways you can get involved planning events).

Open your doors. When you invite friends into your home for a dinner party, they get to know you better because they see where and how you live. Similarly, when you host clients at your office, they see where and how you work. It makes an impression and can help further the relationship. If an open house is too lofty of a goal, see how you can capture the benefits of an open house on a smaller scale. For example, invite clients to your office for a tasty catered lunch, tour and brainstorming session or interactive presentation. Whether it's an open house or bringing clients to your office for a couple of hours, the key is to make it memorable and something that benefits them.

Learn from others. Before you start planning, see what's available online to help you brainstorm and avoid headaches. The web features a plethora of articles to help you prepare, plan and get ideas. Here's an example Susan shared with the group: http://factoidz.com/tips-on-planning-and-organizing-a-corporate-event/

Beware of too much holiday cheer. We all know the stories. Here's another good overview Susan found online that outlines some things to watch out for at holiday parties: (http://eventplanning.about.com/od/eventplanningbasics/tp/holiday_party_etiquette.htm

For more information on special event planning, download notes taken at the meeting.

Marketing FUNdaMENTALS is a free benefit for members of SMPS Indiana. Like the tagline says, "THINKING about marketing is FUN." The events provide a fun, relaxed and interactive environment. I'm really excited about doing about on Twitter next month...stay tuned for that!

By Holly Bolton, CPSM

SMPS Indiana raced into a new term on Aug. 18 at the annual meeting at Fastimes Indoor Karting.

The annual meeting included the approval of the following 2010-2011 slate of chapter leaders.

President: Brent Crum, CPSM, Director of Business Development for MSKTD & Associates

Years as an SMPS member: 15
Years in the industry: 20
Something people might not know: On December 31, 1988, I was traveling and at a location where the New Year never "turned over" to Midnight! So, I never experienced a new year's celebration for 1989! It was kind of like my own, personal quantum leap.
What are you looking forward to most about the coming year? Working with our board so that SMPS Indiana maximizes the benefits to all members!

President-Elect: Lynn Busby, CPSM, Business Development Professional, EMH&T

Years as an SMPS member: 7
Years in the industry: Too many to count!
Something people might not know: I was a 5^th grade spelling bee champion
What are you looking forward to most about the coming year? Lots of fun with all of our SMPSers.

Treasurer: Susan Fleck, President/Owner, Susan Fleck Photography, LLC

Years as an SMPS member: Since 2005
Years in the industry: Photographer since age 10 when I commandeered my mom's camera. Left a perfectly good position as a photo professor in 2005 to do architectural photography full-time. And I love it! I love working with marketing and BD professionals!
Something people might not know: I grew up on a farm and used to show livestock at the 4-H fair. Oh and I can ride a horse and rope. Really! My folks used to own a guest ranch out in S. Dakota where I honed my skills.
What are you looking forward to most about the coming year? Continuing to help the chapter transition to Quickbooks accounting system. And people paying their invoices. Actually, folks in the chapter are terrific about paying.

Communications Chair: Megan Scott, CPSM, Director of Marketing at Williams Creek Consulting, Inc.

Years as an SMPS member: 4
Years in the industry: 4.5
Something people might not know: I recently started taking tap and contemporary dance classes!
What are you looking forward to most about the coming year? I am looking forward to getting to know the new board members and take on the challenging role of communications chair. Join my committee!!

Education Chair: Susan Guindon, Marketing & Business Development Director, krM Architecture+

Years in SMPS: 11
Years in the AEC Industry: 16 years with krM Architecture+. Before that I worked as an Interior Designer for 10 years.
Something people might not know: I continue to work with residential clients as an Interior Design Consultant. Also, I have always considered the New Year in September. I probably should have been a teacher! So I make my New Year's resolutions this time of year.
What are you looking forward to most about the coming year? I am expecting a great year with lots of exciting changes that will improve my personal and professional life.

Membership Chair: Ben Bain, CPSM, Business Development/Associate, Schmidt Associates

Years as an SMPS member: 13
Years in the industry: 13
Something people might not know: I have a degree in Russian Studies and spent a summer in college studying in Leningrad.
What are you looking forward to most about the coming year? Helping our membership grow out of the recession

Sponsorship Chair: Scott Schroeder, Business Development, Turner Construction Company of Indiana, LLC

Years as an SMPS member: 3
Years in the industry: 13
Something people might not know: I am an expert Go-Kart driver and spend most of my weekends at Fastimes and other world-class Go-Kart facilities...OK, not really.
What are you looking forward to most about the coming year? Looking forward to helping our SMPS chapter build upon past success and create new successes.

Immediate Past President: Mike Worley, Vice President of Sales/Marketing Eastern Engineering

Years as an SMPS member: 6
Years in the industry: 13
Something people might not know: I have never been to the Masters Tournament in Augusta, Georgia, but if someone gets me tickets, I will drive!
What are you looking forward to most about the coming year? Encouraging and developing our future chapter leaders. Serving under a great leader in Brent Crum for 2011!

MySMPS.org Moderator/Secretary to the Board: Rachel Wesseling, Business Development & Marketing, Repro Graphix

Years as an SMPS member: 4
Years in the industry: 4
Something people might not know: I won a dance contest on the Regis & Kelly show.
What are you looking forward to most about the coming year? I'm looking forward to working with a fun group of people this year! I'm also excited about helping the chapter use mysmps.org and other social media to increase connection, involvement and recruitment in our chapter.

After the business meeting, SMPS members enjoyed networking and go-kart racing for the remainder of the afternoon. Here are some thoughts from some of the drivers that participated in the go-kart racing.

"I was pleased to see such a great group of people elected to the 2010-2011 SMPS Indiana Board! The meeting was a great wrap up to another successful year, including the well-attended SMPS Heartland Regional Conference. The go-kart race was the icing on the cake. Tell Josh Williford I will be sending him my bill for damages resulting from our go-kart collision...just kidding!" - Kelly Cady, Design Collaborative

"Next year I suggest we try something a little less physical, how about just running a marathon?" - Michael S. Meddock, PE, Soil and Materials Engineers

"The SMPS Annual Meeting followed by go cart racing was a great time, a learning experience and in many ways similar to doing business development. The winner is not always the fastest, smartest or most experienced. It takes team work, an open mind, hard work and the willingness to ask others for advice." - Drew Morgan, Applied Engineering

"The annual meeting was a great venue (imagine that coming from me) and networking event that brought a lot value to everyone that attended." - Steve Strubbe, LIGHT|source