Rubies, Emeralds, and Awards - Oh My! Recap of 2022 Reign Awards and 40th Anniversary Celebration by Alicia Aravena

Rubies are red, Seattle is green, let us tell you about the Reign Awards evening! All cheesiness aside, for those of you who couldn’t attend this year’s gala, beware! This may bring on some major FOMO (fear of missing out).

As guests opened the doors to the waterfront Elks Ballard Lodge, they were immediately greeted with history, nostalgia, and a hallway full of memories. The display was a true tribute to the last 40 years of the chapter through photos, an evolution of graphics, previous winners, and salary survey results from decades past. The entry time capsule was the perfect first impression, displaying the growth the Seattle chapter has accomplished over its lifetime.

At the end of the hallway attendees were greeted with a flute of bubbly and a ballet to cast their vote for the people’s choice award. Voting was no easy task, with so many submissions to choose from! Items from the silent auction generously donated by local businesses were displayed beautifully along the windows looking out at the sound. The silent auction raised over $1,345 to go towards ending youth homelessness with local nonprofit, YouthCare.

The theme, “Ruby Year in the Emerald City” was prevalent throughout the décor, with rubies, hydrangeas, and red tablecloths covering every surface. The dining room place settings were catalogue-worthy with each plate carefully decorated with a ruby red chocolate heart.

The room roared with sounds of laughter, introductions, handshakes, hugs, and the palpable energy that comes from interacting outside of a computer screen. After years of video calls, virtual happy hours, and countless instances of, “your mic is off,” the sheer volume was proof of the excitement behind finally attending the coveted event in person.

One of the most memorable parts of the evening was viewing the 40^th Anniversary videos. The heart and creativity that went into its production was exceptional. It hit emotions in all the right places! Carla Thompson, Bill Strong, and Ted Sive appeared on screen in a blooper-like conversation that sounded like “what are we supposed to for this? Are you asking us questions now?” The room roared with laughter at the humorous comradery between the three Fellows. Tears swelled when members shared testimonies on how SMPS changed the trajectory of their career through education, relationships, mentorship, and lifelong friends. Photos of Fellows with 80’s style hair and pantsuits faded between candid shots of new members and recent events. The video concluded right where it began, with Thompson and Strong staging a kiss that sent the audience rolling again as the screen turned black.

Fellows Scholarship to Amplify A/E/C Winner

• Allina Hakim, Säzän Group

Individual Merit Award Winners

• Marketing Advocate: Jack Chaffin, AIA, Johnston Architects
• Andy Zinsmeyer Member of the Year: Emily Walker, MG2
• Rising Star: Mia Alhambra, GGLO
• Marketer of the Year: Wendy Simmons, Middle of Six
• President's Award: Jessica Congdon, CPSM, DCI Engineers
• VIP Backstage Pass Award: Melanie Cochrun, CPSM, GLY

Following a brief intermission, Reign Award judges took the virtual stage to announce the best marketing and communications projects in 11 separate categories.

Project Winners

• Brand Experience/Identity: GLY for "GLY Brand Guidelines"
• Digital Media Campaign: Stantec for “Tattoo Recruitment Campaign”
• Marketing Campaign: Hargis Engineers + UMC for “Hargis + UMC • Pathway Forward, Understanding Clean Buildings”
• Marketing Collateral: Johnston Architects for “JA Marketing Collateral”
• One-time Marketing Piece: MG2 for “MG2 50th Anniversary”
• Website: OCMI, Inc. for “OCMI Intranet - OCconnect”
• Events: Hargis for “Hargis Podcast - The PhilABob Minute”
• SMB/DBE/WMBE: Johnston Architects for “JA Brand & Identity Refresh”
• Judges Choice: Middle of Six for “The Shortlist Podcast”
• People's Choice: Stantec for “Tattoo Recruitment Campaign”

Special Thanks To Our Judges

• Alain Calle, Reid Middleton
• Isabel Cattadoris, Andersen Construction
• Kaitlin Hillson, Hillson Creative
• Diane Vandewall, Krazan & Associates
• Zoey Zemanek, MBA, CPSM

RA40 Videos and Photos

What SMPS Means to Me

Fellows of SMPS Seattle

40 Years of SMPS Seattle

The Terribly Embarrassing Story

Check out your colleagues at the photo booth gallery and Facebook.

Additional Special Thanks

2022 Reign Awards & 40th Anniversary Celebration Videos

• Hansen Belyea

Photo Gallery

• Abby’s Booth
• ANAM Media
• Zera Photo

Sunset Bay Lodge

• Ballard Elks

2022 Reign Awards & 40th Anniversary Celebration Team

• Jackie Corley, Director of Special Events
• Amanda Privitt, RA40 Co-Chair
• Leah Curulla, RA40 Co-Chair
• Erin Hatch
• Lara McNulty
• Ranjana Sterling
• Kellie Fortier
• Jeremy Richard
• Paula Welly
• Chris Stuvek
• Nicole McShane
• Jessica Curtin