Garmann Miller was the recipient of the M Award presented by the Society of Marketing Professional Services at its national Amplify AEC conference. Director Doug Rentz, Creative Leader Jamee Thobe and Marketing Coordinator Kristi Shaner accepted the award for Trade Show Marketing at the society’s MCA awards ceremony in Austin, Texas, Aug. 10.

Now in its 46th year, the annual MCA competition is the longest-standing, most prestigious awards program recognizing excellence in marketing and communication by professional services firms in the architecture, engineering and construction industry. This year SMPS had its largest number of entries since 2008 with 332 entries. GM’s winning entry was its 2022 marketing campaign for the Ohio School Boards Association Capital Conference & Trade Show, where it executed a golf-theme program using mixed media and interactive on-site experiences.

“Receiving the M Award from SMPS is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our team,” Thobe said. “We are committed to delivering innovative marketing strategies that showcase our firm’s culture and contribute to the overall advancement of the AEC industry.”

Each year, Garmann Miller debuts a new interactive component in its 30-foot trade-show booth. The display is part of an overall brand strategy to convey GM’s culture, provide a memorable experience to attendees and create more conversations on the show floor. The team hand-built a 5×7-foot miniature golf hole for its “Swing for Swag” campaign, which included a neon sign, staffers dressed as Masters caddies, a hand-signed hole-in-one board, logo argyle socks, branded umbrellas, a guess-the-tees competition and a dancing “Caddyshack” gopher.

“This national recognition from SMPS is a reflection of our team’s commitment to excellence and its ability to effectively communicate our core values and vision in a fun and engaging way,” said Garmann Miller CEO Eric Baltzell.

48 awards were given out in 21 categories. See GM’s entry and the entire 2023 SMPS Marketing Communications Awards Gallery here.