Prepare yourself for the marketing event of the year! Join us for an evening of elegance and celebration at the 2024 SMPS CT Marketing Communications Awards Golden Gala! This prestigious event honors the best and brightest in marketing communications within the A/E/C industry highlighting exemplary marketing projects, campaigns, and materials.

This won’t be your typical awards ceremony. SMPS members and non-members alike are encouraged to dress to impress and enjoy a night of awards, dinner, and networking! In addition to the MCA entry awards you will hear from keynote speaker, Dr. Tamara Smith, on reigniting the growth mindset!

Benefits of attending the Marketing Communications Awards Golden Gala include:

• Exposure to potential clients and media

• Learn about marketing projects submitted by your peers

• Find inspiration for future campaigns for your own firm

Congratulations the MCA Winning Firms!

• Holiday piece: Consulting Engineering Services (CES)
• Social media: Flow Tech, Inc.
• Internal communications: Fuss & O’Neil
• Promotional Campaign: O&G Industries
• Special event: 1^st Place Award Fuss & O’Neil | Merit Award Flow Tech, Inc.
• Website: Petra Construction Corporation
• Video: BSC Group
• Judges’ Best In Show: O&G Industries
• People’s Choice Award: Consulting Engineering Services (CES)

Learn more about the categories and the program by viewing the Submittal Requirements. 

Keynote Presentation: "Reigniting the Growth Mindset"

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Tamara B. Smith

Dr. Tamara B. Smith is a seasoned expert with more than two decades of experience in the transportation industry. She holds a Doctor of Management degree in Organizational Leadership. She is a leadership expert who delivers high-energy keynote presentations that challenge audiences to leverage their focus and pay attention to what matters most at work and in life. She believes strongly in the individuals’ innate impulse to grow and evolve into more expansive versions of themselves.  

She mentors with passion, guiding her mentees to effectively strengthen and elevate their personal, professional and leadership visions to new heights. With a passion for giving back to the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) industry, she is actively engaged with several professional organizations. Notably, Dr. Smith is the 2022 Women Transportation Seminar, CT Chapter Rosa Parks Diversity Leadership award recipient.

Meet our Emcee:

Jessica Quinn | General Manager | Hartford Business Journal

Jessica’s  ascent to the position of General Manager has been marked by a results-driven approach to management. She believes in empowering her team with the tools and resources necessary to excel, fostering a collaborative and innovative work environment. Her leadership style emphasizes the importance of aligning individual strengths with organizational goals, resulting in heightened productivity and a cohesive team culture.

While education undoubtedly plays a role in professional development, Jessica’s success story underscores the significance of hands-on experience and practical knowledge in the realms of logistics, customer service, and management. Her journey is a testament to the value of adaptability, strategic thinking, and a relentless pursuit of excellence in the ever-evolving business landscape.

MCA Judging Panel:

As Communications Manager at Acentech, Sandy Kane is responsible for the implementation of Acentech's brand identity and marketing content development. She writes press releases, awards submissions, and contributes to the firm’s multi-market portfolio. She also designs high-impact graphics for digital and print promotional campaigns for specific events and conferences. Her designs for Acentech's Reflections yearbook and Pebble & Acorn coloring book won SMPS Boston awards, and she contributed to several other award-winning campaigns including the ‘People’s Choice’ Turkey Time holiday animation.

Ashlyn Lower is energetic and passionate about creative storytelling. At Sullivan & LeShane Public Relations (SLPR), Ashlyn’s skilled social and digital media experience gives clients an upper hand in bringing their communications strategies to a new level. Her direct “keep it crisp and concise” approach to digital and social media helps drive the attention and engagement they need to showcase the best in what they do.

Before joining SLPR, Ashlyn was the Marketing and Communications Manager for Junior Achievement (JA) in Hartford, driving a mission-based digital campaign that made JA stand out as a premier organization in fostering business leadership among young professionals. Before that, Ashlyn began her career working, and eventually running, the marketing department at New England’s largest single-location HVAC and refrigeration distributor.

Ashlyn graduated from the University of Hartford with a BSBA in Marketing and she is now an elected member of the Alumni Advisory Council. Ashlyn is an active networker with an instinctive curiosity for getting to know what makes people tick. She is everywhere, from HYPE events to sitting on the Board of Governors for CT ASHRAE (The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers), where she is Chair of the YEA (Young Engineers of ASHRAE) committee.

Loretta Stevens serves as the CEO and visionary force behind Competitive Edge Branding Inc. (CEB), a company founded with the mission of propelling startups and small to medium-sized businesses toward rapid growth through innovative brand and marketing solutions, ensuring a competitive advantage. CEB operates as a proficient business advisory and coaching firm, specializing in the conception and execution of compelling company and service brands. 

Addressing the challenge of a crowded marketplace, CEB navigates the sea of sameness, transforming elements such as CEO names, products, or services into distinctive competitive edges. The firm's clientele encompasses founding CEOs, startups, and established businesses with gross revenues ranging from $0 to $30 million.

Loretta's professional journey has been marked by an unwavering commitment to empower businesses, CEOs, and startups in achieving accelerated growth and gaining a competitive edge through inventive brand and marketing strategies. She has navigated challenges related to growth, brand development, strategic alignment with organizational culture, seed funding, and recruitment across diverse sectors, including manufacturing/distribution, advertising, startups, retail, nonprofit, and professional services.

As the Founder of the Senior Executive Women's Network (S.E.W.N.), Loretta has further refined her skills in fostering dynamic group collaboration and creating growth opportunities for women leaders. Her focus revolves around turning the seemingly impossible into reality for women aspiring to achieve greatness.

Leveraging her extensive expertise and facilitating impactful collaborations, Loretta remains dedicated to empowering executives, uplifting companies, strengthening communities, and fostering sustainable growth.

Dominic Di Cenzo, has been the Executive Director of the Connecticut Concrete Promotion Council of the Connecticut Ready Mixed Concrete Association for the past seven years. In that time, he has been recognized for his marketing and promotion by the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association as the State Association of the Year in 2018 and as Individual State Affiliate Promoter of the Year in 2020. 

A 48 year veteran of the construction industry, Di Cenzo has held multiple operations and sales & marketing positions with Connecticut-headquartered LATICRETE International, a global manufacturer of ceramic tile & stone setting materials; as Marketing Manager for Neoperl, Inc., (Waterbury) an OEM supplier of faucet aerators; and as the Marketing Director of Five Star Products (Fairfield & Shelton), a supplier of precision grouts and concrete repair mortars.

He is a member of the ACI (American Concrete Institute) National and ACI New England Chapter; a member and board member of ACE (Aggregate & Concrete Executives Association); Board Member of ARC (Architectural Resource Center); an Allied Member of AIA Connecticut and the Connecticut Green Building Council, and past member of ICRI (International Concrete Repair Institute). He currently is a member of the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association Social Media Task Force. Di Cenzo has owned his own construction marketing communications firm, TOTAL Marketing LLC, since 1999.

8:15 PM to 8:30 PM – Closing Remarks, More Photo Ops and Networking

Location: The North House | 1 Nod Road | Avon, CT 06001

Parking: Free onsite parking is available.

CEUs: This event is eligible for .25 CEUs for Domain 6 (Management).

Registration: Please register by Wednesday, April 10, 2024. Registrations after this date will incur a $10 late fee.

Thank you to our Door Prize Sponsor!

Thank you to our Emcee sponsor!

Thank you to our Judging Panel sponsors!