Marketing Boot Camp: Communications Edition is a one-day professional development workshop designed specifically for entry-level A/E/C marketers, communications coordinators, marketing coordinators, and professionals looking to strengthen their communications foundation within the A/E/C industry.

Whether you're new to the profession or looking to expand your skill set, this interactive boot camp will provide practical strategies, industry insights, and valuable networking opportunities to help you succeed. Throughout the day, attendees will hear from experienced communications and marketing professionals on topics including strategic communications, brand reputation, social media planning and execution for small marketing teams, and the responsible use of AI in communications and graphic design.

Participants will gain a better understanding of how communications supports business development and marketing efforts, learn actionable techniques they can apply immediately, and leave with new connections, fresh ideas, and greater confidence in their role as an A/E/C marketing professional.

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Q&A Panel Moderator

Amanda Hamende, MBA

Senior Communications Coordinator, Patel, Greene and Associates (PGA)

Amanda brings a well-rounded perspective that blends traditional consumer marketing with AEC proposal and pursuit strategies. For almost five years, she's led pursuits from early pre-positioning efforts through final selections and client debriefs, giving me a full-picture understanding of what it takes to win and retain work. Amanda's passionate not just about results, but about how we communicate them by translating the bigger picture in a way that resonates with both internal teams and external stakeholders. Her experience spans social media content creation, website development, podcast planning and production, and SharePoint intranet management, along with supporting employee retention and recruiting initiatives through thoughtful, strategic communications.

Presenters

Kaitlyn Perez 

Founder and CEO, Kaitlyn Perez Communications (KPC)

Kaitlyn Perez Communications (KPC) is a founder-led firm supporting leaders through moments that matter. When the spotlight is sharp and expectations are high, messages need to be clear, credible, and grounded in purpose. Kaitlyn Perez is the Founder and CEO of KPC, a communications firm supporting leaders through moments that matter. With more than 15 years of experience, she advises CEOs, government leaders, and legacy organizations navigating complex reputational challenges, public scrutiny, and periods of significant change.

Noel Russell

Marketing Manager, GM2 Associates

Noel Russell is an A/E/C marketing and business development professional with experience in proposal strategy, client engagement, communications, event planning, team leadership, and professional development. She currently serves as Marketing Manager at GM2 Associates, where she supports Florida growth initiatives by strengthening industry presence, building strategy into the pursuit pipeline, developing service areas for FDOT and municipal clients, shaping proposal messaging, and coaching emerging project managers in pursuit and client development. Within SMPS Tampa Bay, Noel has served as Membership Director for two board years and previously supported the chapter as Membership Recruitment and Retention Co-Chair and DEI Co-Chair. Her leadership helped the chapter reach its largest membership total in history, launch new signature socials, expand member feedback efforts, and deliver its largest Tandem mentorship class to date. Noel brings a collaborative, strategic, and people-centered leadership style rooted in helping members connect, grow, and contribute meaningfully

Morgan Rola, MBA

Marketing & Communications Manager, ELEMENT Engineering Group

Morgan has nearly five years of experience in A/E/C marketing at ELEMENT Engineering Group, where she works across proposals, communications, social media, and graphic design. As the firm’s Marketing & Communications Manager, she brings a creative eye to everything from pursuit materials and social content to branding and other marketing initiatives. She holds an MBA in Strategic Digital Marketing and is experienced in Adobe Creative Suite, Canva, and a variety of digital platforms. Morgan is passionate about brand storytelling and finding the right way to bring a message or idea to life. She is always looking for new ways to work smarter and create better, using technology to strengthen the creativity and storytelling behind great marketing.

Schedule

9-10 AM | Breakfast/Networking

10-10:45 AM | Q&A Panel

This interactive panel will introduce today's speakers and their backgrounds. Anything A/E/C or communications 101 is up for discussion! We want to cover what's most relevant to your career journey in communications as well as anything pressing in the industry. 

Please submit any questions you have in advance HERE.

10:45 - 11 AM | Break

11 - 12 PM | Session 1: Strategic Communications with Kaitlyn Perez Communications

This interactive session is built around KPC's strategic communications philosophy, which positions communications as the foundation that supports marketing, business development, brand reputation, stakeholder relationships, and crisis readiness. Through practical AEC examples, participants will gain a clearer understanding of how strategic communications complements marketing and business development while helping organizations build stronger brands, communicate with intention, and protect the reputations they work hard to earn.

Learning Objectives:

12 - 1:30 PM | Lunch

1:30 - 2:30 PM | Session 2: Small Team, Strong Social: Building Sustainable Social Media Systems for A/E/C Firms with Noel Russell

Social media can be a powerful tool for A/E/C firms, but for smaller marketing teams, it can also become one more reactive task competing with proposals, events, resumes, CRM updates, and everything else on the deadline list. This session will help early-career A/E/C marketers build a more intentional and manageable approach to social media, rooted in firm goals, internal buy-in, repeatable systems, and realistic production workflows. Designed for marketing coordinators and small-team marketers, this session will explore how to identify the decision-makers shaping your firm’s social media priorities, clarify whether your firm is using social media for recruitment, thought leadership, client visibility, culture-building, project storytelling, or all of the above, and translate those goals into a practical content plan. Attendees will learn how to map annual content opportunities, plan recurring posts, create approval processes, and develop systems for gathering useful information from technical staff before and after conferences, client events, project milestones, and community involvement. The session will also address how to reduce the burden on a team of one by using templates, scheduling tools, content prompts, and platforms such as Adobe Express to streamline design, approvals, and posting. Attendees will leave with practical ideas for creating consistency without overcomplicating the process.

Learning Objectives:

2:30 - 3 PM | Break

3 - 4 PM | Session 3: Graphic Design and Usage of AI with Morgan Rola

Good design isn't just about making something look nice, it's about communicating information clearly, intentionally, and in a way that gets noticed. This interactive session will introduce practical graphic design principles that A/E/C marketers can apply to everyday work, from social media graphics and internal communications to proposals and presentations. Using Canva as the primary design tool, participants will explore how layout, hierarchy, typography, imagery, and brand consistency can strengthen their work. We'll also talk about how to be creative within your firm's established brand guidelines and use those guidelines as a starting point rather than a limitation. The session will also explore how AI can support the creative process, from brainstorming and content development to design inspiration and efficiency. All the while keeping human creativity, brand knowledge, and judgment at the center. Through hands-on activities, attendees will put these concepts into practice and see how thoughtful design choices, the right tools, and a strong understanding of their brand can work together.

Learning Objectives:

4 - 5 PM | Optional Happy Hour at the Venue

Join your fellow attendees and instructors for celebratory drinks. Unwind, share takeaways, and enjoy the evening as you reflect on the day’s insights.