Contact Information:

www.smpsindiana.org

President: Holly Bolton
President-Elect: David Peterson

About:

The Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) was formed in 1973 by a small group of professional service marketers. At the time, the marketing of services for the built environment was an uncharted professional field. In most cases, principals were responsible for developing new business, primarily through informal contacts and sole-source arrangements. Few people were tasked specifically with the marketing function.

However, with increased competition and eased restrictions on advertising and promotion came the need for corporations to establish marketing departments and structured marketing programs. In effect, a new career field was born.

SMPS was founded to help the members of this new field share concerns, pool resources and develop skills through continued education. Within a short time, it became apparent that SMPS was an idea whose time had come. The organization's growth has been dramatic - from a handful of members in 1973 to a membership of 50 in 1974 to the magic 1,000-member mark in 1979. Today, with a total membership of more than 5,000 representing 50 chapters, SMPS continues to grow steadily as the field it serves.