TheBuzz Erika Engle

Building a new business organization focused on building

There are professional organizations for everything, still, it's not every day that a new one gets established.

The charter chapter of SMPS in Hawaii pledges to offer pooling of resources and educational opportunities for those whose professions revolve around the built environment -- you know, the architectural, engineering and construction industries.

That is not to say that the society has had nothing to do with Hawaii before now, but more on that in a moment.

The Virginia-based society's national Web site indicates its more than 5,600 members are marketing and business development professionals from architectural, engineering, planning, interior design, construction and specialty consulting companies throughout the United States.

The 50 chapters stage educational events and regular meetings to network and create business opportunities -- exactly the mission of the original organizers back in 1973.

"After years of hoping, dreaming and planning, the Society for Marketing Professional Services will be chartering our newest chapter in Hawaii this month," said Ron Worth, society chief executive officer, in a statement.

"SMPS will continue its mission to connect the building and design community through extensive educational and networking opportunities within the Hawaiian islands," Worth said.

Is it just your columnist, or does anybody else smell the mainland chapters' desire to attend an annual conference in the Aloha State?

SMPS Hawaii already has a president, Cathy Handen, who by day toils at Rider Levett Bucknall, headquartered in Arizona but with an office on Bishop Street.

The other mover-shaker who worked to bring Hawaii a chapter is Michelle Skupin,* who is a marketer for Honolulu-based Peter Vincent & Associates LLC.

The two invite interested built-environment marketers to contact Skupin at michelles@pva.com for details about the chapter's inaugural meeting.

It will feature a Pam Chambers address on "How to Address the Media," and a presentation on the benefits of SMPS membership by national board member Tom Smith.

SMPS' linkage with Hawaii goes back at least to 1999, when it presented a marketing achievement award to Howard J. Wolff, now senior vice president at Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo. His title at the time was vice president and international director of marketing and he was honored at a national conference in Portland, Ore.