Movers and Shakers: Spooktacular Proposal Swap - No Tricks, All Wins!
Posted on Nov. 5, 2026 / Event Recap / Subscribe 0
On October 21, SMPS New York brought together 30 AEC marketing, business development, and proposal professionals at EnTech Engineering’s New York City office for the Movers & Shakers Spooktacular Proposal Swap: No Tricks, All Wins - an interactive evening of collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and practical learning.
Armed with redacted proposal materials from their own firms, attendees were ready to share, compare, and discuss the strategies behind their work. Participants were divided into two groups for 30-minute breakout discussions before switching topics. Alex Borowick led a conversation focused on Executive Summaries and Case Studies, while Liz Kupcha facilitated a discussion on Resumes, Organizational Charts, and Project Approach sections.
Rather than simply reviewing finished materials, the discussions went deeper, exploring the thought processes and strategies behind different approaches. Were examples pulled from established templates or developed specifically for a particular pursuit? What made one approach more effective than another? Attendees shared lessons learned, exchanged constructive feedback, and welcomed suggestions from their peers. In several instances, participants put their own work up for discussion, inviting fresh perspectives and ideas for improvement.
Attendee Takeaways: Different Approaches, Shared Challenges
One of the evening's most valuable takeaways was the realization that, while every firm has its own proposal processes and preferences, many teams face remarkably similar challenges. Seeing how others tackle familiar content offered attendees new perspectives, fresh inspiration, and practical ideas to bring back to their own organizations.
The exchange also reinforced the value of collaboration within the AEC marketing and business development community. From creative approaches to presenting project experience to finding more effective ways to communicate a firm's value, the conversations demonstrated that there is rarely just one right way to tell a compelling story. Sometimes, the best ideas come from looking at a familiar challenge through someone else's lens.
The evening wrapped up with a roundtable reflection and one final question: "In one word or short phrase, what's your biggest takeaway from tonight?" The responses captured the spirit of the event perfectly: shared challenges, fresh perspectives, practical inspiration, and a community that thrives when professionals are willing to learn from one another.
A big thank-you to Costanera, our event sponsor, and EnTech Engineering, for generously hosting us at their New York City office. And thank you to everyone who brought their work, ideas, and willingness to share to make this Proposal Swap a success!
That's what makes our SMPS-NY community stronger - no tricks, just shared knowledge and plenty of wins!
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