Shining Bright in San Antonio: Joist AI at the SMPS Southern Regional Conference

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What happens when the brightest marketing and business development minds in the AEC industry descend upon the vibrant streets of San Antonio? A whole lot of inspiration, connection, and growth.

Last week, the Joist AI team had the incredible honor of heading to Texas to sponsor the SMPS SRC Event. This wasn’t just any conference; it was a powerful gathering of multiple chapters from across the Southern Region, all coming together with a shared goal: to learn, network, and elevate the industry.

Why Joist AI Showed Up

At Joist AI, we are passionate about empowering AEC firms to tell their stories more efficiently and effectively. Being a sponsor for SMPS SRC allowed us to sit at the table with the very people who are driving the industry forward. From the Alamo to the River Walk, the energy was palpable, and the commitment to professional development was second to none.

Keynote Takeaways from the SMPS Southern Regional Conference

The conference kicked off with a bang thanks to an incredible opening keynote by Damion Morris from PCL.

Damion’s message struck a deep chord with our team. He used the beautiful metaphor of a constellation: reminding us that while every "star" (or professional) holds their own individual brilliance, the true story and the true impact are only revealed when we connect with others.

In a world where we often feel pressured to "do it all," Damion’s call to align our unique gifts and shine alongside one another was the perfect setup for the event. It’s a philosophy we take to heart at Joist AI, using technology not to replace the human element, but to let those individual stars shine even brighter by removing the friction of manual work.

Emerging AEC Marketing Trends

Sarah Kinard presented the inaugural SMPS Foundation/FMI Emerging Trends report during the lunch keynote. The research examined how client expectations are shifting and what strategies are helping firms win work in tighter markets. A few questions from the study stuck with me: How should teams be structured for the future? What innovations from outside AEC deserve attention now?

This kind of industry-wide benchmarking has been missing. Having data on how firms are approaching these challenges, rather than just anecdotes, gives marketers ammunition for internal conversations about investment and structure.

High-Level Learning & Deep Dives

The breakout sessions and education tracks were where the real collaboration and growth happened. We saw attendees diving deep into topics that are reshaping how we do business:

• Marketing Strategy & Research: Learning how to use data to tell better stories.
• Business Development: Strategies for building authentic, long-lasting relationships in a digital-first world.
• Leadership & Teamwork: Building on the keynote's theme to create resilient, high-performing AEC teams.
• The Future of AEC Tech: Exploring how tools (like AI!) can give marketing teams their time back to focus on high-level strategy.

Joist AI’s Takeaway

The Southern Regional Conference proved once again that the SMPS community is one of the most supportive and forward-thinking groups in the professional world. Whether we were chatting at our booth, sharing a meal, or taking notes in a session, one thing was clear: we are better together.

We're returning home with full notebooks, new friendships, and a renewed drive to help AEC marketers shine. That's what we're building at Joist: not AI that replaces the collaborative work of proposal development, but AI that makes that collaboration faster and better informed.

To everyone who stopped by to say hi, shared a laugh, or talked shop with us, thank you for making San Antonio so special. We can't wait to see how these new constellations of ideas and partnerships grow in the coming year.

See you at SRC 2027 in Fort Worth!

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