Nationally Acclaimed Speaker to Host SMPS Session on Proposal Writing

On May 20, as part of the Society for Marketing Professional Services' Spring 2003 Education Series, Denis Schrag, Ed.D., CPSM, will host "Writing Winning and High Impact Proposals."

Schrag - president of the Longview Group of Iowa City and a faculty member at the University of Iowa, Tippie College of Business - has presented this and other marketing fundamental seminars to design and construction firms throughout the United States, including Iowa, South Dakota, Chicago, Florida and Montana. He regularly teaches courses, including proposal preparation and interview consulting/training, organization structure and planning/implementation.

The half-day session will address the importance of a well-written, professional-looking proposal and how a proposal that focuses on the customer and presents compelling, convincing and concise information consistently wins work.

The course will teach proposal teams and managers the skills to produce and write winning proposals, including proposal management essentials, strategy approach and guidelines for more effective business writing.

The cost for the session is $99 for SMPS members, $109 for associate members and $119 for non-members and includes a continental breakfast. The program will be held at the Four Points Sheraton, 600 S. Colorado Blvd., Cherry Creek. Check-in and networking begin at 7:00 a.m. and the session will run from 7:30 a.m. to noon.

To register, contact Lisa Rise at 303-471-6277 or email secretarialsolutionsco@attbi.com. For more information about the series, contact Education Chair Becky Shemony at becky.shemony@bovislendlease.com or visit the SMPS-Colorado Web site at www.smpscolorado.org/events.html.

BIA Panel Discussion to Feature Elements of a Design-Build RFP

On May 21, the Design-Build Institute of America Rocky Mountain Chapter will hold the second in a series of seminars on design-build request for proposals. The panel discussion will provide an overview of the issues encountered and techniques used in responding to design-build RFPs.

Panel members include Tom Wierdsma, director of project planning and development for Hensel Phelps Construction Co.; Keith Molenaar, assistant professor of the University of Colorado at Boulder's Construction Engineering and Management Program; and Todd Whitlock, senior vice president of Southland Industries. Ed Icenogle, director and shareholder of Icenogle, Norton Smith, Bliesner & Miller will be the moderator.

The discussion will be held at the Lakewood Country Club - West 10th Ave. and Pierce Street - from 7 to 10 a.m. Cost is $35 per person for DBIA member firms and $50 per person for non-members - price includes breakfast. Registrations received after May 16 are subject to an additional $10 fee. Individuals or firms who join DBIA before this event will receive free registration. For more information, contact Carter Boardman at 303-751-0741 or carter.boardman@merrick.com.

SA to Present Profit Enhancement and Cost Management Seminar

On May 21, the American Subcontractors Association of Colorado will present "Profit Enhancement & Cost Management: Using a Temporary Lull in Economic Activity to Make Permanent Improvements in the Way You Run Your Business."

Dom Cignoranelli of Grimsley, White & Co. will provide an overview on cost management profitability improvement. Contractors can re-evaluate what they are doing in their business during the economic slowdown and how to improve their bottom line.

Topics include:

• If you can't measure it, you can't manage it;
• The relationship between pricing, fixed costs and variable costs; and
• Budgeting - based on last year or on this year's strategy?

This workshop will help contractors learn how their accounting and management information system should be helping with management decisions; how to identify the difference between growth for growth's sake and profitable growth; and how to tie budgeting into strategy.

The session will be held from noon to 1:30 at the IEC Building, 5975 Omaha Blvd. in Colorado Springs. Cost is $25 per person and includes lunch. For more information or to RSVP, contact Meg Benjamin or Diana Smith at 303-759-8260 or via email: Mbenjamin@ASAColorado.com

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