Ruby Year in the Emerald City: A Tribute to SMPS Seattle's 40th Anniversary — by Leah Curulla

SMPS Seattle Chapter beginnings

The year was 1982. Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” was released, “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” debuted, the average yearly income was $21,050, the average cost of a new house was $82,200, if something was “Bad”, it was actually good, and the SMPS Seattle Chapter was officially chartered.

Fast-Forward 40 Years

Today, the SMPS Seattle chapter is one of the oldest, largest (more than 300 members), and unwavering SMPS chapters in the country. As the chapter was deciding how to honor the milestone year for this award-winning chapter, rubies came to mind. Traditionally, the ruby has been used as a symbol of romance, devotion, and passion for couples that have weathered 40 years together. But I like to think of it as representing the burning flame of passion that is in the hearts of marketers who have made SMPS Seattle what it is today.

As we embarked on this 40^th year, we wanted to pay homage to the pathway that members have paved to shape SMPS Seattle and in turn, the careers that SMPS Seattle has helped pave for its members.

To accomplish this, Erin Hatch and Heidi Maki culled together photos, articles, and relics from SMPS Seattle’s history. This specially curated gallery will be showcased at the Reign Awards on June 15^th.

We asked Erin about some of their finds, and this is what she had to say:

Q: What are some of the interesting facts you have learned while doing this research?

A: I’ve learned a bunch of fun things! A few things that stand out are the article that Vicky Cooper, FSMPS, shared that talks about the early days of marketing professional services in Seattle, and what the early pioneers in our profession did that we now take for granted. I also enjoyed learning that the Reign Awards used to be called the Markee Awards, and that in the early 2000’s, SMPS worked with chapter members to run a recurring column in the Daily Journal of Commerce called ‘Marketing Matters.’

Markee Awards, 2003

Q: What is unique about our chapter?

A: SMPS Seattle is one of the oldest chapters in the country, and we have had a strong connection to the national organization that oversees all SMPS chapters. We have had many of our leaders go on to serve in national roles and have been lucky that many national leaders have come to visit our chapter. SMPS Seattle has received national awards such as the annual Striving for Excellence Award that is bestowed upon outstanding chapters, the Reign Awards that was recognized as the 1st place winner in the 2020 Chapter Program awards, and individuals have been recognized for excellence including Carla Thompson, who won the Weld Coxe Marketing Achievement Award, and Amanda Erickson, who won the Chapter President of the Year Award. 

Q: How have you been conducting your research? Any shortcuts?

A: I have to give a major shout-out to Heidi Maki for supporting the effort to gather this information. It hasn’t been easy! Many of our early chapter leaders and members have long since left the industry or are just plain hard to track down. With the switch from physical to digital record keeping, much has been lost – or lives in a banker’s box in someone’s garage! But I am grateful to those who have shared their memories, photos, stories, and scans – Sandy Chapin, Kenda Salisbury, Jan Flesher, and many others. Also, a big thank you to the Daily Journal of Commerce for making many of their archived articles available online!

Q: What do you want the people who are thinking about attending the event to know?

A: I hope that everyone who is involved in SMPS – whether you’ve ever been to a Reign Awards or not – can join us at this year’s in-person event! It’s going to be a really fun evening of celebrating all that our chapter has been and has yet to become – and we’re a very welcoming group, trust me! Whether you have been involved in our chapter’s full 40 years of existence, or this is your very first event, you’ll learn something new and have a good time. Also, you do not need to submit an entry to attend, in fact sometimes the best reason to attend the Reign Awards is to see what the competition is doing to keep their marketing and BD efforts fresh, and you’ll come away with all kinds of ideas to take back to your firm. Hope to see you there!

Don't Miss Out on this Special Year!!!

You don’t want to miss out on all that this year’s exciting Reign Awards event has to offer. Come and celebrate all the hard work of your peers and colleagues and you! Beautiful view, free parking, great food, and great company!

This is just the beginning - learn more about SMPS Seattle over the years and celebrate our 40th Anniversary at the Reign Awards+40th Anniversary Event June 15th! Register today to reserve your spot and join us for the festivities!!