PRESS RELEASE - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PSMJ Resources Inc. Announces 2010 Circle of Excellence
Newton, MA—May 25, 2010—PSMJ Resources, Inc., the premier management consulting firm for the A/E/C (architecture/engineering/construction) industries, today published the 2010 PSMJ Circle of Excellence.
The 2010 PSMJ Circle of Excellence is determined by weighting each firm’s ranking in the overall 2010 PSMJ A/E Financial Performance Benchmark Report with respect to 13 individual benchmarks. These benchmarks are indicative of performance in the various aspects of business operations, including cash flow, overhead control, business development, project performance, staff utilization, and overall profitability.
“The PSMJ Circle of Excellence is not determined by firm revenue, profitability, or sheer size – nor is it determined by any subjective criteria. The 13 benchmarks that determine the PSMJ Circle of Excellence were chosen to reflect that the firms are well-managed, have a strong client base, and are led in a responsible and sustainable manner. PSMJ believes that clients prefer to work with well-run firms because they are more likely to provide superior service and value,” explains H.E. “Dan” Daniels, PSMJ’s survey editor.
The 2010 PSMJ Circle of Excellence reflects the performance of 41 participating design firms, 36 of which have agreed thus far to have their names published.
They are as follows:
A/R/C Associates, Inc.
Atlantic Coast Consulting, Inc
Barker Rinker Seacat Architecture
Bernardin Lochmueller & Associates Inc
Brown Engineers LLC
CP&Y Inc
Cooper Zietz Consulting Engineers, Inc.
Donan Engineering Co., Inc.
Environmental Standards
Eskew+Dumez+Ripple
Fentress Architects
Freese & Nichols Inc
Great West Engineering
H&A Architects & Engineers
Heneghan and Associates PC
HMB Professional Engineers Inc
King & King Architects LLP
Klohn Crippen Berger Ltd
Klotz Associates Inc
Larson Design Group (LDG)
LPA Inc
Luckett & Farley Architects & Engineers
Orchard Hiltz & McCliment Inc - OHM
P2S Engineering Inc
Pfluger Associates Architects
Ready Engineering Corporation
Rogers Lovelock & Fritz Inc (RLF)
Shannon & Wilson Inc
SHP Leading Design
SPEC Services Inc
Stanley Consultants Inc
The Walter Fedy Partnership
Thomas Miller & Partners, LLC
Wiley/Wilson
Williams Blackstock Architects
Wright-Pierce Engineers
In addition to publishing the PSMJ Circle of Excellence, PSMJ Resources Inc. will hold its fourth conference highlighting the business practices of these outstanding firms in September 2010 in San Diego, California, and will feature as speakers the leaders in PSMJ Circle of Excellence firms.
CONTACT:
Ed Hannan
Vice President, Publishing
PSMJ Resources, Inc.
10 Midland Ave.
Newton, MA 02458 USA
Email: ehannan@psmj.com
Phone: 617-965-0055, x 159
Now in its 30th edition, the 2010 PSMJ A/E Financial Performance Benchmark Report includes data from 203 A/E firms in the United States and Canada. The Benchmark Report provides detailed data and analysis on operating profits, overhead rates, utilization, financial ratios, marketing costs and much more.
About PSMJ Resources, Inc.
For more than 35 years, PSMJ Resources, Inc. has offered publications, educational programs, in-house training and management consulting services to A/E/C professionals worldwide. PSMJ Resources conducts more than 200 educational seminars and conferences annually, supported by major professional societies, including AIA and ACEC. Headquartered in Newton, MA, PSMJ Resources provides more than 150 titles in book and audio, and publishes three newsletters about A/E/C firm management. PSMJ Resources also produces the industry’s preeminent annual surveys on management salaries, financial performance, fees and pricing, and benchmarks for the design firm CEO. On the web: http://www.psmj.com/
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
ABI Trending Upward, Remains Negative
The American Institute of Architects' Architecture Billings Index ticked upward for the second consecutive month, posting its highest number since August 2008.
Its March rating of 46.1 rose from 44.8 the previous month and 42.1 in January. Though the number represents a continued decline in demand for design services (any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings), the March 2010 number is the highest score since August 2008.
"This is certainly an encouraging sign that we could be moving closer to a recovery phase, even though we continue to hear about mixed conditions across the country," said AIA Chief Economist Kermit Baker. "Firms are still reporting an unusual amount of variation in the level of demand for design services, from improving to poor to virtually non-existent. This increasing volatility is often a sign that overall business conditions may begin to change in the coming months."
The new projects inquiry index was 58.5, although that is a somewhat flawed statistic since it can be attributed to more firms pursuing the same projects as opposed to there actually being more projects available.
Regionally, the March ABI breaks down as follows: Midwest (50.5), Northeast (47.0), West (46.0), and South (44.4). By market sector, it breaks down thusly: multi-family residential (47.3), institutional (46.8), mixed practice (45.0), and commercial/industrial (44.7).
As a leading indicator of construction activity, the ABI reflects the approximate 9- to 12-month lag time between architecture billings and construction spending.
So the news is good, but it's too soon to say that the recession is over.
Ed
Its March rating of 46.1 rose from 44.8 the previous month and 42.1 in January. Though the number represents a continued decline in demand for design services (any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings), the March 2010 number is the highest score since August 2008.
"This is certainly an encouraging sign that we could be moving closer to a recovery phase, even though we continue to hear about mixed conditions across the country," said AIA Chief Economist Kermit Baker. "Firms are still reporting an unusual amount of variation in the level of demand for design services, from improving to poor to virtually non-existent. This increasing volatility is often a sign that overall business conditions may begin to change in the coming months."
The new projects inquiry index was 58.5, although that is a somewhat flawed statistic since it can be attributed to more firms pursuing the same projects as opposed to there actually being more projects available.
Regionally, the March ABI breaks down as follows: Midwest (50.5), Northeast (47.0), West (46.0), and South (44.4). By market sector, it breaks down thusly: multi-family residential (47.3), institutional (46.8), mixed practice (45.0), and commercial/industrial (44.7).
As a leading indicator of construction activity, the ABI reflects the approximate 9- to 12-month lag time between architecture billings and construction spending.
So the news is good, but it's too soon to say that the recession is over.
Ed
Friday, April 16, 2010
RIP, Building Design and Construction
Sad news to report this afternoon as Reed Elsevier announced today that it is closing the magazines it has not been able to sell or does not intend to keep, including Building Design + Construction. In total, Reed Elsevier will close 23 magazines.
The affected titles include many that cover the AEC space: Building Design+Construction, Chain Leader, Construction Bulletin, Construction Equipment, Consulting-Specifying Engineer, Control Engineering, Converting, Foodservice Equipment & Supplies, Graphic Arts Blue Book, Graphic Arts Monthly, HOTELS, Logistics Management, Material Handling Product News, Modern Materials Handling, Plant Engineering, Professional Builder, Professional Remodeler, Purchasing, Restaurant & Institutions, Semiconductor International, Spec Check, Supply Chain Management Review and Tradeshow Week.
The announcement comes about nine months after putting the brands published under the U.S. arm of Reed Business Information on the block again. The news was announced internally at RBI by a memo from RBI Global CEO Keith Jones.
In the memo, he wrote that RBI had successfully sold 21 magazines, representing about two-thirds of the revenues of the portfolio to be divested. But none of them were really in the AEC space (unless you count Interior Design).
In talking about the publications that will be shuttered, he wrote, "These publications have had very experienced, professional and committed teams running them in the most difficult of circumstances. However, their trading performances have been under pressure for some time and the impact of the recession and media migration in the markets for these titles is such that we cannot see our way back to profitable growth. This is very sad for all of us in the RBI community and I wish colleagues at these titles the very best for the future and thank them for their services to readers, advertisers and the company."
The news brings to a close the long saga of Reed Business Information's attempt to find a buyer for the magazines it is closing at the end of the month. We wrote nearly two years ago that it looked like McGraw-Hill (publisher of Engineering News-Record and Architectural Record, among many other publications) would buy Reed Business Information. We also wrote that Reed Elsevier wanted to divest itself of RBI in the second half of 2008, so clearly, today's announcement is the result of a long process of trying to find a buyer that, unfortunately, did not prove successful.
Among the recognizable names to AEC professionals affected by this would presumably be Building Design + Construction Editor in Chief Robert Cassidy, Dave Barista, editor in chief at Professional Builder and former managing editor at Building Design + Construction, Jay Schneider, senior editor at BD+C, and Jeff Yoders, associate editor at BD+C, among many others.
According to published reports, Reed Elsevier is not saying how many positions will be eliminated as a result of the closings. The company says it is open to discussions with potential purchasers of the intellectual property associated with any of the closed brands.
One upshot to all this is the serious negative impact it will have on AEC marketing professionals who will have that many fewer places to run their articles, position pieces, and get their firm leaders and technical professionals exposure.
It also is another sign of how significantly this recession has impacted the AEC industry since it is a lack of advertising (presumably from AEC vendors) that led to this outcome.
A sad day, indeed.
The affected titles include many that cover the AEC space: Building Design+Construction, Chain Leader, Construction Bulletin, Construction Equipment, Consulting-Specifying Engineer, Control Engineering, Converting, Foodservice Equipment & Supplies, Graphic Arts Blue Book, Graphic Arts Monthly, HOTELS, Logistics Management, Material Handling Product News, Modern Materials Handling, Plant Engineering, Professional Builder, Professional Remodeler, Purchasing, Restaurant & Institutions, Semiconductor International, Spec Check, Supply Chain Management Review and Tradeshow Week.
The announcement comes about nine months after putting the brands published under the U.S. arm of Reed Business Information on the block again. The news was announced internally at RBI by a memo from RBI Global CEO Keith Jones.
In the memo, he wrote that RBI had successfully sold 21 magazines, representing about two-thirds of the revenues of the portfolio to be divested. But none of them were really in the AEC space (unless you count Interior Design).
In talking about the publications that will be shuttered, he wrote, "These publications have had very experienced, professional and committed teams running them in the most difficult of circumstances. However, their trading performances have been under pressure for some time and the impact of the recession and media migration in the markets for these titles is such that we cannot see our way back to profitable growth. This is very sad for all of us in the RBI community and I wish colleagues at these titles the very best for the future and thank them for their services to readers, advertisers and the company."
The news brings to a close the long saga of Reed Business Information's attempt to find a buyer for the magazines it is closing at the end of the month. We wrote nearly two years ago that it looked like McGraw-Hill (publisher of Engineering News-Record and Architectural Record, among many other publications) would buy Reed Business Information. We also wrote that Reed Elsevier wanted to divest itself of RBI in the second half of 2008, so clearly, today's announcement is the result of a long process of trying to find a buyer that, unfortunately, did not prove successful.
Among the recognizable names to AEC professionals affected by this would presumably be Building Design + Construction Editor in Chief Robert Cassidy, Dave Barista, editor in chief at Professional Builder and former managing editor at Building Design + Construction, Jay Schneider, senior editor at BD+C, and Jeff Yoders, associate editor at BD+C, among many others.
According to published reports, Reed Elsevier is not saying how many positions will be eliminated as a result of the closings. The company says it is open to discussions with potential purchasers of the intellectual property associated with any of the closed brands.
One upshot to all this is the serious negative impact it will have on AEC marketing professionals who will have that many fewer places to run their articles, position pieces, and get their firm leaders and technical professionals exposure.
It also is another sign of how significantly this recession has impacted the AEC industry since it is a lack of advertising (presumably from AEC vendors) that led to this outcome.
A sad day, indeed.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
PBS&J in turmoil?
Hot on the heels of last week's news that PBS&J's former CEO John Zumwalt is about to receive more than $2.3 million in payments and benefits comes news that the company may be up for sale.
Zumwalt announced last month that he would resign as CEO and also step down as chairman of the company's board of directors after PBS&J's employee-owners rejected his re-election to the board at the company's annual meeting, according to a Tampa Bay Business Journal article.
The biggest chunk of the separation agreement is a $900,000 transition payment. PBS&J will make that payment to Zumwalt in 24 monthly installments, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The company will also pay Zumwalt a $330,000 severance payment, payable in a lump sum. The restricted stock he holds will vest immediately and the shares of common stocks he owns in a 401(k) will be redeemed during the next open trading window, the filing said.
In addition, Zumwalt will get $946,824, the value of the accumulated benefits payable to him under the company's key employee capital accumulation plan and $16,003as compensation for accrued but unused paid time off, the filing said. He will be reimbursed $20,000 for legal fees incurred with negotiation and review of the agreement.
He agreed to make himself available to consult with the company for three months in return for a $135,000 consulting fee. If the company needs his consulting services after three months, he'll get a per diem payment of $3,000 per day.
In return, Zumwalt agreed not to compete against PBS&J for two years.
Zumwalt resigned in the midst of an internal investigation at PBSJ Corporation into alleged violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practice Act. The internal probe is focused on the PBS&J International Inc. subsidiary. Zumwalt served as president of the international subsidiary until July, according to the article.
Meanwhile, a St. Petersburg (Florida) Times article that came out this morning claims that the employee-owned firm has stopped workers from buying or selling company stock while it considers overtures from outsiders.
Investors and competitors have expressed preliminary interest in buying a stake in PBSJ Corporation or acquiring the company, chairman Robert Paulsen wrote in an e-mail to employees last week. The company has signed nondisclosure agreements with potential suitors and can't say if negotiations are taking place or with whom, he wrote.
Securities laws prohibit companies from engaging in stock transactions without disclosing information that could influence an investor's decisions to buy or sell the stock.
Employees holding more than 20 percent of PBSJ shares indicated they wanted to sell their shares when the annual "window" for stock transactions was scheduled to open March 17.
Stay tuned.
Ed
Zumwalt announced last month that he would resign as CEO and also step down as chairman of the company's board of directors after PBS&J's employee-owners rejected his re-election to the board at the company's annual meeting, according to a Tampa Bay Business Journal article.
The biggest chunk of the separation agreement is a $900,000 transition payment. PBS&J will make that payment to Zumwalt in 24 monthly installments, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The company will also pay Zumwalt a $330,000 severance payment, payable in a lump sum. The restricted stock he holds will vest immediately and the shares of common stocks he owns in a 401(k) will be redeemed during the next open trading window, the filing said.
In addition, Zumwalt will get $946,824, the value of the accumulated benefits payable to him under the company's key employee capital accumulation plan and $16,003as compensation for accrued but unused paid time off, the filing said. He will be reimbursed $20,000 for legal fees incurred with negotiation and review of the agreement.
He agreed to make himself available to consult with the company for three months in return for a $135,000 consulting fee. If the company needs his consulting services after three months, he'll get a per diem payment of $3,000 per day.
In return, Zumwalt agreed not to compete against PBS&J for two years.
Zumwalt resigned in the midst of an internal investigation at PBSJ Corporation into alleged violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practice Act. The internal probe is focused on the PBS&J International Inc. subsidiary. Zumwalt served as president of the international subsidiary until July, according to the article.
Meanwhile, a St. Petersburg (Florida) Times article that came out this morning claims that the employee-owned firm has stopped workers from buying or selling company stock while it considers overtures from outsiders.
Investors and competitors have expressed preliminary interest in buying a stake in PBSJ Corporation or acquiring the company, chairman Robert Paulsen wrote in an e-mail to employees last week. The company has signed nondisclosure agreements with potential suitors and can't say if negotiations are taking place or with whom, he wrote.
Securities laws prohibit companies from engaging in stock transactions without disclosing information that could influence an investor's decisions to buy or sell the stock.
Employees holding more than 20 percent of PBSJ shares indicated they wanted to sell their shares when the annual "window" for stock transactions was scheduled to open March 17.
Stay tuned.
Ed
Friday, February 26, 2010
Have we reached the point when the AEC industry starts redesigning fast-food menu items?
Some people may feel that way after seeing the latest figures from the American Institute of Architects' Architecture Billings Index.
As anyone who practices in the AEC industry, or follows this space, will tell you, things have been bleak since fall 2007. Not coincidentally, the January ABI numbers mark the beginning of the third year of negative conditions, with a drop of almost three points.
The January ABI rating was 42.1, down sharply from a revised reading of 45.4 in December. (Every January, the AIA research department uses Department of Commerce statistics to re-estimate ABI data based on seasonal patterns, resulting in a recalibration of recent figures.)
The score indicates a continued decline in demand for design services as any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings. The new projects inquiry score was 52.5, down more than seven points. Regionally, the ABI breaks down as follows: Midwest 48.0, Northeast 45.7, South 41.32, West 40.5. The sector index is as follows: Multi-famliy residential (50.1), commercial/industrial (44.9), institutional (43.1), and mixed practice (40.3).
"Projects are being delayed or cancelled because lending institutions are placing unusually stringent equity requirements on new developments. This is even happening to financially sound companies with strong credit ratings," said AIA Chief Economist Kermit Baker.
The credit crunch that originally hit small AEC firms hard in 2008 and into 2009 is now hitting medium- and larger firms, as witnessed by the abrupt December closing of Boston-area architecture firm Cubellis and this week's news that Memphis architecture firm Looney Ricks Kiss has filed for bankruptcy. Fact is, banks are being very skittish about loaning money or extending credit lines right now, and it is having a direct impact on the AEC industry.
"This serious situation is being compounded by a skittish bond market, decreased tax revenues for publicly financed projects, and declining property values, all which serve as deterrents for construction activity. Until these factors are resolved, the design and construction industry-- which accounts for roughly 10 percent of GDP and is facing unemployment figures in excess of 20 percent-- will continue to face deteriorating market conditions."
Read that last sentence again. Until factors that are outside of this industry's control are settled, a profession with upwards of 20 percent unemployment will continue to suffer.
So while some folks out there espouse designing hamburgers and hot dogs, the smart AEC firm leader will continue focusing on his bottom line, managing his business effectively to survive this recession and emerge even stronger when it ends.
As anyone who practices in the AEC industry, or follows this space, will tell you, things have been bleak since fall 2007. Not coincidentally, the January ABI numbers mark the beginning of the third year of negative conditions, with a drop of almost three points.
The January ABI rating was 42.1, down sharply from a revised reading of 45.4 in December. (Every January, the AIA research department uses Department of Commerce statistics to re-estimate ABI data based on seasonal patterns, resulting in a recalibration of recent figures.)
The score indicates a continued decline in demand for design services as any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings. The new projects inquiry score was 52.5, down more than seven points. Regionally, the ABI breaks down as follows: Midwest 48.0, Northeast 45.7, South 41.32, West 40.5. The sector index is as follows: Multi-famliy residential (50.1), commercial/industrial (44.9), institutional (43.1), and mixed practice (40.3).
"Projects are being delayed or cancelled because lending institutions are placing unusually stringent equity requirements on new developments. This is even happening to financially sound companies with strong credit ratings," said AIA Chief Economist Kermit Baker.
The credit crunch that originally hit small AEC firms hard in 2008 and into 2009 is now hitting medium- and larger firms, as witnessed by the abrupt December closing of Boston-area architecture firm Cubellis and this week's news that Memphis architecture firm Looney Ricks Kiss has filed for bankruptcy. Fact is, banks are being very skittish about loaning money or extending credit lines right now, and it is having a direct impact on the AEC industry.
"This serious situation is being compounded by a skittish bond market, decreased tax revenues for publicly financed projects, and declining property values, all which serve as deterrents for construction activity. Until these factors are resolved, the design and construction industry-- which accounts for roughly 10 percent of GDP and is facing unemployment figures in excess of 20 percent-- will continue to face deteriorating market conditions."
Read that last sentence again. Until factors that are outside of this industry's control are settled, a profession with upwards of 20 percent unemployment will continue to suffer.
So while some folks out there espouse designing hamburgers and hot dogs, the smart AEC firm leader will continue focusing on his bottom line, managing his business effectively to survive this recession and emerge even stronger when it ends.
Friday, December 18, 2009
ABI Ends Up and Down Year on a Down Note
The American Institute of Architects' Architecture Billings Index (ABI) dropped more than three points in November, proving itself unable to sustain the positive momentum it generated the previous month, when it reached its highest mark since August 2008.
The November rating of 42.8 fell from its October rating of 46.1 and was the lowest rating since 41.7 in August (September's rating was 43.1). That August 2008 watermark came just before the fall 2008 credit crunch affected not only the AEC industry, but the entire economy.
As a leading indicator of construction activity, the ABI reflects the approximate 9- to 12-month lag time between architecture billings and construction spending.
The 42.8 mark indicates a continued decline in the demand for design services (any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings). The new projects inquiry score was 58.5, the same mark as in October.
"There continues to be a lot of uncertainty in the construction industry that likely will delay new projects in the near future," said AIA Chief Economist Kermit Baker. "Perhaps the President's plan calling for loans for small business, funding for instructure projects, and rebates for homeowners making energy-efficient improvements will help speed a recovery in the construction industry."
Anything that would bring a measure of stability to the AEC industry, let alone growth, would be a welcome sign these days. The index was 42.9 in May, dipped to 37.7 in June, increased to 43.1 in July, dipped to 41.7 in August, climbed to 43.1 in September and 46.1 in October, and fell to 42.8 in November.
Numbers that constantly move up and down make it difficult for architecture firms to make strategic decisions with any certainty that their fortunes are turning for the better.
Regional averages were as follows: South (46.4, up from 46.1 in October, 42.7 in September, 44.1 in August, 43.4 in July, and 40.5 in June), Northeast (45.0, up from 44.3 in October, but down from 47.4 in September and 45.2 in August and up from 37.8 in July and 42.8 in June), Midwest (43.7, up from the 43.0 mark where it stayed the previous three months), and West (41.1, down from 42.8 in October, but still up from 36.0 in September, 37.5 in August, 39.7 in July, 39.9 in June, 39.4 in May, and 39.2 in April).
The November ABI breaks down by sector as follows: institutional (47.0, down from 48.7 in October, but up from 43.9 in September and 37.5 in August), multi-family residential (45.8, showing the continued uptick from 45.4 in October, 45.1 in September, 43.4 in August, 40.7 in July, and 42.7 in June), mixed practice (42.8, the highest it has been since July and up from 39.1 in October, 36.3 in September, 41.4 in August, but down from 42.9 in July, 43.5 in June, 44.5 in May, 44.2 in April, and 44.0 in March), and commercial/industrial (40.7, down from 41.7 in October, but up from 39.0 in September, and down from 45.6 in August and 42.9 in July).
Ed
The November rating of 42.8 fell from its October rating of 46.1 and was the lowest rating since 41.7 in August (September's rating was 43.1). That August 2008 watermark came just before the fall 2008 credit crunch affected not only the AEC industry, but the entire economy.
As a leading indicator of construction activity, the ABI reflects the approximate 9- to 12-month lag time between architecture billings and construction spending.
The 42.8 mark indicates a continued decline in the demand for design services (any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings). The new projects inquiry score was 58.5, the same mark as in October.
"There continues to be a lot of uncertainty in the construction industry that likely will delay new projects in the near future," said AIA Chief Economist Kermit Baker. "Perhaps the President's plan calling for loans for small business, funding for instructure projects, and rebates for homeowners making energy-efficient improvements will help speed a recovery in the construction industry."
Anything that would bring a measure of stability to the AEC industry, let alone growth, would be a welcome sign these days. The index was 42.9 in May, dipped to 37.7 in June, increased to 43.1 in July, dipped to 41.7 in August, climbed to 43.1 in September and 46.1 in October, and fell to 42.8 in November.
Numbers that constantly move up and down make it difficult for architecture firms to make strategic decisions with any certainty that their fortunes are turning for the better.
Regional averages were as follows: South (46.4, up from 46.1 in October, 42.7 in September, 44.1 in August, 43.4 in July, and 40.5 in June), Northeast (45.0, up from 44.3 in October, but down from 47.4 in September and 45.2 in August and up from 37.8 in July and 42.8 in June), Midwest (43.7, up from the 43.0 mark where it stayed the previous three months), and West (41.1, down from 42.8 in October, but still up from 36.0 in September, 37.5 in August, 39.7 in July, 39.9 in June, 39.4 in May, and 39.2 in April).
The November ABI breaks down by sector as follows: institutional (47.0, down from 48.7 in October, but up from 43.9 in September and 37.5 in August), multi-family residential (45.8, showing the continued uptick from 45.4 in October, 45.1 in September, 43.4 in August, 40.7 in July, and 42.7 in June), mixed practice (42.8, the highest it has been since July and up from 39.1 in October, 36.3 in September, 41.4 in August, but down from 42.9 in July, 43.5 in June, 44.5 in May, 44.2 in April, and 44.0 in March), and commercial/industrial (40.7, down from 41.7 in October, but up from 39.0 in September, and down from 45.6 in August and 42.9 in July).
Ed
SMPS Announces Call for Entries for 33rd Annual National Marketing Communications Awards Program
The Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) is accepting entries for its 33rd Annual national Marketing Communications Awards (MCA) competition. The MCA Program is the longest-standing, most prestigious awards competition recognizing excellence in marketing communications by professional services firms in the design and building industry. The early-bird entry deadline is March 1, 2010. Both SMPS members and nonmembers are eligible to enter.
Two new entry categories have been added to the MCA Program for 2010: Recruitment & Retention Communications and Social Media. As the name implies, Recruitment & Retention Communications are programs designed to recruit potential and retain current firm employees through print and/or electronic communications. Social Media entries will shed light on how A/E/C firms are using social media tools to provide a platform for collaboration, knowledge sharing, and interaction with clients, partners, employees, and others. Detailed descriptions and submittal requirements for all 20 MCA categories can be found here.
In addition, SMPS is pleased to offer an entry fee discount to small firms with 25 or fewer employees companywide. These changes, based on feedback from past participants, respond to profound shifts in professional services marketing and current economic challenges firms are facing.
Each year, this competitive awards program receives hundreds of entries from around the country and globe. Firms can select among 20 different marketing communications categories, and there is no limit to the number of categories that a firm can enter. Most categories are open to both print and electronic projects. Consistently popular categories over the past few years have been corporate identity, holiday piece, internal communications, promotional campaign, and Web site.
Entries will be evaluated on March 20, 2010, by a jury of experienced architects, engineers, contractors, marketers, business developers, graphics and PR professionals, and industry clients. Jurors use a numerical scoring system based on five criteria in order to evaluate effectiveness and return on investment, in addition to quality, message, and design.
Visit www.smps.org/mca for detailed competition information, including categories and submittal requirements, a comprehensive FAQ, and a downloadable brochure and entry form, plus examples of past winning entries.
Award winners will be announced and honored on July 15 at a black-tie Awards Gala during Build Business: “Reinvent. Retool. Rebound,” the 2010 SMPS National Conference in Boston, MA. Winning entries will be prominently displayed throughout the conference. Industry editors and association executives will select the Best of Show, and all conference attendees can vote for the People’s Choice award. Award winners will be publicized via press releases sent to national industry publications.
Two new entry categories have been added to the MCA Program for 2010: Recruitment & Retention Communications and Social Media. As the name implies, Recruitment & Retention Communications are programs designed to recruit potential and retain current firm employees through print and/or electronic communications. Social Media entries will shed light on how A/E/C firms are using social media tools to provide a platform for collaboration, knowledge sharing, and interaction with clients, partners, employees, and others. Detailed descriptions and submittal requirements for all 20 MCA categories can be found here.
In addition, SMPS is pleased to offer an entry fee discount to small firms with 25 or fewer employees companywide. These changes, based on feedback from past participants, respond to profound shifts in professional services marketing and current economic challenges firms are facing.
Each year, this competitive awards program receives hundreds of entries from around the country and globe. Firms can select among 20 different marketing communications categories, and there is no limit to the number of categories that a firm can enter. Most categories are open to both print and electronic projects. Consistently popular categories over the past few years have been corporate identity, holiday piece, internal communications, promotional campaign, and Web site.
Entries will be evaluated on March 20, 2010, by a jury of experienced architects, engineers, contractors, marketers, business developers, graphics and PR professionals, and industry clients. Jurors use a numerical scoring system based on five criteria in order to evaluate effectiveness and return on investment, in addition to quality, message, and design.
Visit www.smps.org/mca for detailed competition information, including categories and submittal requirements, a comprehensive FAQ, and a downloadable brochure and entry form, plus examples of past winning entries.
Award winners will be announced and honored on July 15 at a black-tie Awards Gala during Build Business: “Reinvent. Retool. Rebound,” the 2010 SMPS National Conference in Boston, MA. Winning entries will be prominently displayed throughout the conference. Industry editors and association executives will select the Best of Show, and all conference attendees can vote for the People’s Choice award. Award winners will be publicized via press releases sent to national industry publications.
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