It’s Tuesday….ok it’s really Sunday but I’m gonna take us back to Tuesday to talk about day 2 of the SMPS SERC Conference. Then we’ll get into Day 3, AKA Wednesday. I’ll admit once the conference started it was a whirl wind. It was sessions, then more sessions, then lunch and afternoon sessions before a meet and greet and the nights activities. I will also add I didn’t sleep well Tuesday which didn’t help with my not feeling like I’m in a whirl wind throughout this conference. So let’s take it day by day.
Day 2 Tuesday:
Day 2 started early, after a very easy going Monday Tuesday hit the ground running. The Opening Keynote/Breakfast was very interesting … Breakfast was kind of blah. It was basically granola, bagels, and some fruit in this weird sauce. I didn’t partake. I did drink some juice while the Keynote speaker was talking but by lunch I was very hungry. I hadn’t run into my group from the Emerald Coast chapter yet this morning, I knew they were in the room but I didn’t know where. I was one of the last in the room so I just grabbed a seat near the front so I could see and hear what was being said.
The Opening Keynote if I had really been paying attention set the tone for not only the day but the next few days as this conference seemed to be about keeping emotions in check, finding creativity and using it, and setting yourself and message apart from the pack. Lots of what I call Cheerleading sessions in which it sounds good and is very inspirational but not so practical. Then again I’m a pessimist so there’s that.
The worst part of this conference was the overlapping sessions that I wanted to attend and having to choose between one vs the other. For the most part I chose well, I think. Only once did I feel that I chose wrong. They had a session about how to read Construction Documents for use in proposals, but the description made it sound like they were going to focus on architectural construction documents, which isn’t at all what I do. However for 2 days all I heard was how amazing and awesome that session was. I can’t wait to download that session. That’s the coolest part of this entire conference, sometime next week SMPS will put all of the presentations and handouts online for us to download.
One session I really enjoyed was about Thematic Interpretation. In which they focused on developing a theme for the proposal and allowing it to take over every piece of the submittal. I wish I had been to this session two weeks ago cause my last submittal could have really used a theme or well anything to make it better than what it was. My issue with these plans is that they assume you have the time to actually build these things into the submittal. I guess one day I will but so far I haven’t see that happen yet.
In the afternoon session I’ll be honest I’m still surprised I didn’t fall asleep. I don’t know if it was a combination of being hot, and not being able to sleep The topic was really interesting it talked to things I think I really need to know but I think it was over my head. I did also enjoy the one about Branding. Our company recently went through kind of an overhaul and it talked about how you can take those elements and use them as a way to make your proposal really pop as opposed to being boxed into something.
That night we had a social at a local Brewery called New Belgium Brewery. It also happened to be the birthday of one of the girls in our Chapter. So we joined everyone for dinner and drinks at the Brewery. I’m not a beer drinker so I had a glass, and everyone else had 2 then we were told the Bus was going back early if anyone was interested. We jumped on the buss and hit the hotel bar for shots and chatting with others who headed home. I thought for sure I’d sleep great that night but I went back to my room, packed up everything for leaving the next day and then laid there for far too many hours with an Advil PM in my belly.
Day 3 Wednesday:
First off let me say if you are hosting a conference at your hotel for a group of people, most of whom had flown in for the conference….how about you allow for late checkouts? I mean the check out time for the hotel was 11 am … the conference didn’t end until nearly 2 so the Wednesday sessions were filled with people lugging around luggage and just made and already packed room even more packed. Just a thought for next year. Which btw will be in Tampa next year! We have an office in Tampa …. Just saying! :D
So first thing first was packing the car since i'd have to checkout after the breakfast/announcements. I really almost skipped breakfast after yesterday’s lame breakfast but was soooooo happy I didn’t when I got there to bacon, eggs, biscuits … everything was yummy. My first session was about mentorships. My boss is definitely a mentor to me, I’d like to be that for my team, or the ladies who work with me. I like to think I am but some days I think I’m just a crutch for them. Often they come to be for advise but sometimes I worry that I’m giving them the answers instead of showing them the process to get the answers. This session was especially interesting to me but I wish it had gone more into how we can be mentors to others as opposed to determining who your mentors are. Then again that’s exactly what was advertised.
My last session of the conference was about infusing creativity into your pursuits which was frankly just fun. The ladies were all dressed like Bob Ross (with a big afro wig on – it was red so it was more Annie than Bob Ross but they were fun, informative, and entertaining so I wasn’t going to split hairs with them). This one also gave me some things to think about for upcoming proposals. I think this was my favorite session of the entire event. I almost went to a different session but went to this one at the last minute instead and that was the greatest decision I made during the entire conference.
Then we had lunch and the close out of the conference with the closing keynote with Danielle Gray talking about how to ignite and sustain passion. I could sit at the feed of Ms. Gray for the rest of my life and live only on the soaking up of her being and be forever fulfilled. She was definitely perfect for the closing keynote. Apparently she’s also an SMPS member and is featured in their new branding that was rolled out late last year. I know a good number of people skipped the closing keynote and those guys really did themselves a disservice cause it was fantastic. After that I took off to Charlotte for a few days of R&R before heading home. However that’s another post.
Have a great week ahead!
Marcy
@beaslma
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