On January 8, the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) celebrates AEC Growth Professionals Day—a moment dedicated to recognizing the marketers, business developers, and strategists who drive growth across the architecture, engineering, and construction industry.
At its core, this holiday is about more than titles or tasks. It is about a profession that has evolved, a community that has grown alongside it, and an organization that has consistently created space for learning, leadership, and connection.
What Is AEC Growth Professionals Day?
AEC Growth Professionals Day was established by SMPS to recognize individuals who help AEC firms grow intentionally. These professionals sit at the intersection of strategy, relationships, and insight, turning ideas into opportunities and long-term vision into actionable direction.
As SMPS notes, growth professionals are shaping the future of the AEC industry every day: building trust with clients, fueling innovation within firms, and opening doors to what is possible. The holiday is both a celebration and a reminder that this work matters.
Why SMPS Matters to This Profession
What makes AEC Growth Professionals Day resonate is not just the recognition—it is who is doing the recognizing.
SMPS has long been a cornerstone for growth professionals in AEC, providing education, mentorship, and community at every career stage. For many of us, SMPS is where we learned to think strategically, speak confidently, and see ourselves not as support staff, but as leaders.
That Impact is Deeply Personal for Our TEAM
Our Senior Marketing Coordinator, Suzanne King, has been an SMPS member since 2011, first engaging through the Boston Chapter. Like so many others, she found not just professional development but a network of peers who became collaborators, sounding boards, and friends. It was through that broader SMPS network that she met Sarah; proof that this organization has a way of connecting the right people at the right time, even across chapters and geographies.
Sarah, our Head Bird, is a long-time SMPS member herself and currently serves as President of the SMPS Foundation. Her leadership reflects a deep belief in what SMPS stands for: expanding access to education, advancing research, and investing in the next generation of AEC growth leaders.
A Network That Helps You Grow
Growth work in AEC can be challenging, isolating, and complex. Markets shift. Expectations rise. The role itself keeps evolving. SMPS creates a space where growth professionals can learn together, challenge assumptions, and build confidence in an environment that understands the nuances of this industry.
Those relationships matter. They shape careers. They influence firms. And they often extend far beyond chapter meetings or conferences, becoming trusted networks that professionals rely on throughout their working lives.
At The Flamingo Project, we believe strongly in that ecosystem. SMPS membership is foundational to how growth professionals learn, lead, and stay connected to the broader industry conversation.
AEC Growth Professionals Day is an invitation to pause and reflect. It is a chance to recognize the colleagues who shape strategy behind the scenes, advocate for clarity amid complexity, and bring both rigor and heart to the work of growth. It is also a moment to thank the mentors, peers, and communities—like SMPS—that make this work more sustainable and more meaningful.
To our fellow growth professionals: your work matters. Your voice matters. And your commitment to leading AEC forward does not go unnoticed.
Happy AEC Growth Professionals Day.
