Recently, the Cleary Zimmermann Engineers marketing team had the privilege of attending the Society for Marketing Professional Services’ (SMPS) Southern Regional Conference (SRC) at the downtown InterContinental San Antonio Riverwalk. The event featured a variety of insightful educational sessions, workshops, and encouraging keynote presentations.
Speakers shared valuable perspectives on topics ranging from strategic AI applications to enhance website rankings to intentional approaches to career growth. In an ever-changing landscape, our team is committed to staying at the forefront of industry trends and best practices to be leaders in AEC marketing. Below, our team shares their key takeaways from the sessions they attended at this year’s conference.
Grow or Go: Intentional Career Building for AEC Marketers
Presented by Joyce Watson, CPSM and Audra Allen
Joyce Watson, CPSM (Principal | Marketing) shared these actionable tips:
- Self‑awareness is the foundation of career growth – Know your strengths, what you enjoy, and where you want to go. Intentionally identify talents, develop strengths, and choose a direction.
- Have strategic conversations with leadership – Come curious, speak the firm’s language, ask for opportunities, and treat unclear feedback as useful data.
- Lead from any seat by solving problems – You don’t need a title to lead. Act on feedback, collaborate across teams, and take initiative that adds value.
- Experiment to build optionality (before you need it) – Say yes to stretch roles, explore adjacent skills, develop transferable capabilities like facilitation, strategy literacy, and time‑scoping.
- Choose your path intentionally—grow or go – Align your motivations with your firm’s culture, evaluate structural opportunities, and remember the goal is momentum, whether inside your current firm or beyond.
Data Backed AEC SEO & AI Strategies
Presented by Perryn Olson
Angela Navarro (Marketing Manager) gathered these key takeaways:
- Long tail keywords convert 2.5x better (Ex: Woodlands Healthcare Construction vs Woodlands MOB)
- Strongest signals are safety, awards and recognition, and press mentions
- Adding an FAQs section to your website can boost SEO
The Leadership Magnet: Command, Connect and Electrify Your Presence
Presented by Dean Hyers
Bella Aguilar (Marketing Coordinator) shared these takeaways:
- Balance command (strength and confidence) with warmth (appreciation and connection) to create magnetism rather than pressure and disconnection.
- Use direct eye contact, a calm presence, and appreciation to help others feel comfortable and engaged.
- Use joy as an activator to shift fear into excitement and expand your presence under pressure.
- Approach high‑stake “performance moments” with expansion instead of contraction to maintain a magnetic leadership presence.
Unify Your Workflow: Smarter Marketing Through Process Mapping
Presented by Courtney Kearney
Elizabeth Powers (Proposal Coordinator) recommends these practical AEC marketing tips:
- A process you can’t see is a process you can’t fix; make sure that all workflow processes are on paper and use clear language.
- Data ownership is critical to your firm’s overall data hygiene. Making stewardship of data a part of each role avoids confusion and creates efficiency.
- The main goal of a data-driven leader is to turn data into insight, and insight into competitive advantage.
- Celebrate the process milestones! If your team implements a new workflow process, celebrating milestones can encourage your team to maintain momentum.
Getting Beyond “This Sucks”: Critical Advice about Criticism and Advice
Presented by Erica Brooks
Meagan Mendoza (Social and Digital Media Coordinator) shared these insights:
- There are efficient techniques for requesting, delivering, and receiving feedback that help align your team.
- When requesting feedback, present your work in a way that guides reviewers towards helpful feedback. Ask specific questions about what they love, what they would change, or keep the same.
- When giving feedback, be intentional and clear. Ask questions that prompt strategic thought.
- When receiving feedback, listen with curiosity, pause before responding, and search for the issue beneath the feedback by asking clarifying questions.
- Build a mindset to prepare for feedback and employ tactics to improve the feedback process.
This year’s Southern Regional Conference offered not only professional development but also an opportunity to engage with the dynamic AEC marketing community and reflect on how we can enhance our team’s current processes and strategies. Exchanging innovative ideas amongst peers highlighted the importance of collaboration in our fast-paced industry.
The sessions we attended provided insights that will shape our marketing strategies moving forward. Whether you’re refining data management processes or defining yourself as a leader, we hope these takeaways inspire your growth as much as they have inspired us. Reflecting on the 2026 conference, we’re eager to implement what we’ve learned and continue our journey of improvement. We can’t wait to see how our efforts evolve this year and are excited for the inspiration that awaits us at the 2027 SMPS Southern Regional Conference!
