Emerging Trends Workshop

SMPS Foundation

The SMPS Foundation, a 501(c)(3), is dedicated to equipping professionals and leaders with the intelligence and insights needed to navigate the evolving landscape of trends, change, and business evolution in the competitive architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry. Our vision is clear: to catalyze AEC business growth through actionable insights that not only inform but inspire.

2027 Emerging Trends Workshop

The AEC industry is changing faster than most firms can absorb. Are you the person helping your firm stay ahead of it, or the one catching up?

You already know the pressures are real: AI is reshaping the work, clients expect more, and firm leadership is asking marketing and BD to prove its value in ways it never had to before. This pre-conference roundtable gives you three focused hours to get ahead of those conversations instead of reacting to them.

Grounded in the 2027 Emerging Trends in A/E/C Marketing & Business Development research, developed with research partner Stambaugh Ness, this is a working session built for the people who shape where their firms go next. You will not sit through a lecture. You will pressure-test the findings against your own firm, trade strategies with peers facing the same challenges, and leave with a candid read on where your organization is ready and where the cost of doing nothing is quietly adding up.

The two hours are organized around the report's three core trends, each with a facilitated readiness exercise and peer exchange:

• The Changing Talent Stack: Why the industry sees strategic thinking, communication, and AI fluency as critical to the future, even as most firms admit they are not yet ready to build those skills, and what that means for how you hire, develop, and keep your team.
• The Future Lies with Current Clients: How firms are moving from repeat work to intentional account growth, and how to close the gap between "invited back" and "fully leveraged."
• A Technology-First Mindset: What data readiness, AI-enabled workflows, and the shift from SEO to GEO mean as buyers increasingly research and shortlist through AI.

What you'll walk away with

• A working command of the 2027 research, including the readiness gaps, risks, and metrics that matter for a firm your size in your market.
• A firm-level readiness read you can take straight into your next leadership or strategic planning conversation.
• Peer-tested strategies from executives who are solving the same problems you are.
• A seat in shaping the future, with insights that may inform the next edition of the Emerging Trends research.

Who should attend

• CMOs, Principals, and Marketing and BD Leaders
• Firm executives across Marketing, BD, and Operations
• Growth-team leaders, CX leaders, and seller-doer champions
• CPSMs, SMPS Fellows, and Foundation supporters

What you'll be able to do afterward

1. Analyze how the three emerging trends are reshaping client expectations, pursuit strategy, talent development, team structure, and technology adoption.
2. Benchmark your own firm's readiness against industry findings, and identify the highest-leverage priorities for investment.
3. Apply peer-tested strategies and research-driven insight to strengthen your marketing and BD programs, align your growth functions, and build lasting competitive advantage.

Our Speakers:

Sarah Kinard is a nationally recognized strategist, speaker, and the Head Bird of The Flamingo Project, a consultancy known for helping AEC firms grow with clarity and confidence. With over 20 years of experience, Sarah brings a research-first mindset and a refreshing approach to market research, business planning, and strategic growth.

She is especially known for her ability to simplify the complex, turning big ideas into clear plans with a little humor and a lot of heart. Whether she is speaking to executives or to emerging leaders, Sarah's sessions run high on energy and practical insight.

Sarah has served SMPS at both the chapter and the national level. She served as President of SMPS Dallas (Now North Texas), was inducted into the SMPS North Texas Hall of Fame, joined the SMPS Foundation as a Trustee, and now serves as President of the SMPS Foundation. She is a proud graduate of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program, Dallas Chapter.