Business Development Roundtable | Client Experience
June 05, 2026
8:00 AM - 9:30 AM
FGM Architects
3711 South Mopac Expressway, Building Two, Suite 150
Austin, TX 78746
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Business Development Roundtable | Client Experience
The Business Development Roundtable on client experience will bring together industry professionals to exchange insights, challenges, and proven approaches to strengthening client relationships across the AEC industry. The discussion will center on how firms can intentionally deliver a consistent, high-quality client experience at every stage of the lifecycle—from initial pursuit and onboarding through project execution and long-term partnership. Participants will explore how aligning business development, marketing, and project teams can create a seamless experience that not only meets expectations but differentiates their firm in a competitive market. Through open dialogue and shared experiences, attendees will gain practical perspectives on building trust, enhancing communication, and turning satisfied clients into repeat partners and advocates.
Key Takeaways:
- Client Experience as a Differentiator: Understanding how a well-defined and consistently delivered client experience can set firms apart beyond technical expertise and price.
- Alignment Across Teams: The importance of integrating business development, marketing, and project delivery teams to ensure a cohesive and unified client journey.
- Voice of the Client: Methods for capturing, interpreting, and applying client feedback to improve processes and strengthen relationships.
- Proactive Communication: Strategies to maintain transparency, manage expectations, and build trust throughout the project lifecycle.
- Consistency at Every Touchpoint: Identifying key moments that matter most to clients and ensuring a high standard of service across each interaction.
- Turning Experience into Growth: Leveraging positive client experiences to drive repeat business, referrals, and long-term partnerships.
- Practical Implementation: Real-world examples and peer-shared tactics that can be adapted and applied within attendees’ own organizations.
Speaker
Tahnee Sauer | Tahnee Rose Design
Tahnee Sauer is multipassionate freelance graphic designer and real estate professional with a background in marketing and the built environment. With a decade of experience supporting architecture, engineering, and construction teams, she developed a strong foundation in visual communication, strategic storytelling, and client-centered problem solving.
Moderator
Janki DePalma | W.E.O'Neil
Janki DePalma is the Director of Business Development at W.E.O'Neil Construction, with over 15 years of experience in the architecture, engineering and construction industry. She’s a connector at heart who believes there always is room to widen the circle and give people a sense of belonging. Her work focuses on helping the smart, hardworking people at her firm connect with others in the industry.
She is a proud graduate from the University of California, Davis with a dual degree in Comparative Literature and Japanese, though her love of reading began early in the stacks of her hometown public library. Janki is a frequent speaker and writer on topics such as networking, business development and emotional intelligence.
She is the past-president of the Austin chapter of SMPS, was awarded Chapter President of the Year in 2023 and inducted into the 2024 class of Fellows. She has been a board member for AIA Austin for the last 5 years, has chaired WIA’s Call to Action college outreach for the last 4 years, and is the immediate past-chair for the AIA Leadership Collective.
A San Francisco native, Janki cheers for the Warriors, 49ers and now the Purdue Boilermakers. In her spare time, she loves relaxing with her family and dreams of writing a novel one day. She also loves talking about all things 90s, especially Seinfeld and Veronica Mars.
Tickets
$20.00 SMPS Austin Member
$20.00 SMPS Member (Outside of Austin Chapter)
$25.00 Non-Member
