Build and Learn: Jenna Lackey Reflects on the Society for Marketing Professional Services’ Southeastern Regional Conference

The first entry in our new series, Build and Learn, which highlights the learning opportunities of our employees, Senior Marketing Coordinator Jenna Lackey shares how her chapter involvement, the industry- and role-specific content, and her team’s attendance enhanced her experience at the 2026 SMPS Southeastern Regional Conference.

Finding SERC

Like most people in my industry, AEC marketing took me by surprise. Fresh out of college and scrolling LinkedIn, I came across a marketing position at an architecture firm. Although unfamiliar with this career path, I was intrigued. The thought of working at a design firm piqued my interest, a seed probably planted by an old roommate majoring in interior design. Soon after, I joined Clark Nexsen’s marketing team.

This role introduced me to the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS), a national organization built around advancing marketing, communications, and business development in the AEC industry. Through my local Research Triangle chapter, I found not only professional resources, but a community. I joined the Membership Committee and the Communications Committee and participated in their mentorship program. Every year I look forward to the Southeastern Regional Conference (SERC). Hosted by SMPS chapters across the Southeast, it brings together professionals and presents new content each year that is built for us and relevant to what we do every day.

Impact of Involvement

My involvement with my local chapter has had a direct impact on my experience at SERC. Through their mentorship program, I was paired with an experienced AEC marketer and built relationships with professionals across firms. Their familiar faces filled session rooms, presenting opportunities for further discussions on presenters’ content. Additionally, as part of the communications committee, I was responsible for a social media post about the event, which shifted my perspective and required me to view the conference through a new lens. I felt more present and engaged, and it inspired me to think about the conference as a whole rather than the individual sessions. It was also a chance to finally put faces to the names I’d been emailing for months as part of the membership committee. That digital introduction paved the way for those hard to replicate in-person connections.

Hosted in Norfolk, VA, the conference brought together chapters from across the Southeastern United States.

Tailored Learning and Stand Out Sessions

By attending conferences specific to your role and industry, you gain tailored advice that can be easily adopted into your workflow, learn new approaches to tackle the unique challenges you face, and are positioned to be an early adopter of the latest tools and technologies. It’s what keeps bringing me back to SERC. Additionally, each conference features new presentations and topics. This year, I found the sessions dedicated to authentically connecting with clients through your written proposal content particularly impactful, especially in the age of AI.

AI is everywhere and, understandably, so are opinions on it. While it is a genuinely useful tool, it shouldn’t be doing our jobs for us. AI-generated content has tells: the em dash overuse and words like robust, leverage, pivotal, nuanced, and delve into. Proposals and marketing copy start to sound the same, and if every firm is leaning on AI, clients will eventually start noticing that too. In Kristina von Tish and Abigail Leon’s session “Cutting Through the Noise: Authentic Content Marketing in the Age of AI,” they not only shared what they use AI for, but also what they don’t. AI is great for breaking through writer’s block or getting your thoughts moving, but the initial concept and final product should always be written by a human. That’s what gives it the personality, warmth, and authenticity to resonate with humans, not computers.

Melanie Hawley and Stephanie Flury’s session “Reflections That Resonate: The Neuroscience of Tone” felt like a natural follow up to Kristina von Tish and Abigail Leon’s presentation. It dove into how the tone of our writing, especially in proposals and cover letters, actually lands with clients. We spend so much time highlighting our firm’s differentiators and expertise, but here’s the thing: a lot of that expertise isn’t unique to us. Every firm can say they’re experienced. What sets your writing apart is how readable, human, and client-focused it is. Your words matter, and how you use them matters even more. AI can generate words, but it can’t replicate your voice.

Bringing together colleagues across offices, SERC becomes an opportunity for teambuilding as well as professional development.

Better Together

One of my favorite parts of SERC this year was seeing my team. We are spread across multiple offices, so we don’t get a lot of facetime outside of a Teams meeting. Being scattered across the southeast also means that we are involved with different chapters, resulting in natural introductions to other chapter members. Attending a conference together gives us the chance to bond, learn side by side, and head home growing in the same direction. It’s equal parts teambuilding and professional development. For example, I am able to go to one session while a colleague goes to another. We then compare notes and talk about the sessions we attended to gain insight from one another, ultimately absorbing more and capitalizing on all of the content offered.

Jenna Lackey is a Senior Marketing Coordinator based in our Raleigh office. She is experienced in creating, editing, producing, and maintaining marketing content that supports the firm’s strategic plan and resonates with clients. To speak with Jenna, please email jenna.lackey@clarknexsen.com or call 919.576.2081.