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BUSINESS NEWS JACOBS SELECTED FOR DESIGN AND ENGINEERING SERVICES AT GEORGE R. BROWN CONVENTION CENTER IN HOUSTON Houston First Corporation selected Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. as its architect and engineer to lead a multi-discipline design team for planned improvements at the city’s downtown George R. Brown Convention Center. The contract will address opportunities offered by an ambitious 10-year highway project adjacent to the convention center and surrounding area. An iconic Houston fixture, the George R. Brown Convention Center hosts more than 400 events and approximately 600,000 visitors annually. Its eastern portion currently backs up to the elevated freeway, and the vision is to connect both sides of downtown Houston via a potential deck park. Jacobs will assist Houston First in modifications while ensuring that the convention center remains fully operational during construction and responds appropriately to this challenge. “We have an opportunity to be part of a project that will embrace a new gateway to East Downtown and make the convention center and its connections to this newly
created space unique and versatile, while maintaining operational functionality,” said Jacobs Global Director of Built Environment and Vice President Brad Simmons. “Our efforts will focus on helping Houston First continue delivering a positive experience for the community that results in repeat visits in both the business and leisure markets – both during construction of the North Houston Highway Improvement Project and for years to come.” The Jacobs team – which includes convention and exhibition facility design firm Populous , and landscape and architecture firm OJB – will plan, design, and deliver visionary and technical solutions for the convention center, which is one of the nation’s 10 largest convention centers in a major city that ranks as one of the top 25 cities for convention, conference, and seminar travelers. They will focus their design and engineering services on maximizing the facility’s operational efficiencies, maintaining continuous business operations, and coordinating efforts with the Texas Department of Transportation, the City of Houston, and other entities involved in the North Houston Highway Improvement Project.
“Houston First is very excited about this once in a lifetime opportunity to improve the connection and accessibility between Downtown and Eado. Joining these two areas will be a game changer, providing a more enriching experience not only for visitors to the George R. Brown Convention Center in the heart of Avenida Houston, but for all of Houston,” said President and CEO of Houston First Brenda Bazan. “We look forward to partneringwith the Jacobs teamand have every confidence in their expertise to make certain the GRB is able to continue attracting and delivering superior services to its clients during the transformation of an elevated freeway into a multi-use green space for everyone to enjoy.” Jacobs leads the global professional services sector delivering solutions for a more connected, sustainable world. With $15 billion in fiscal 2017 revenue when combined with full-year CH2M revenues and a talent force of more than 77,000, Jacobs provides a full spectrum of services including scientific, technical, professional and construction- and program-management for business, industrial, commercial, government and infrastructure sectors.
LINDSAY YOUNG, from page 11
project, and the prospect signs your contract to work with your firm on their project. These three areas each require a unique set of skills to achieve success. If you can find someone who possesses knowledge of all three, then they are a rare gem! Understanding these pieces of the puzzle is instrumental in identifying where and how to invest time and money into marketing and business development. Once you understand the difference between the three, your life will become much easier. “Firms that invest in marketing and business development are more profitable, get to work with clients who align with their company values, and recruit and retain great talent.” Firms that invest in marketing and business development are more profitable, get to work with clients who align with their company values, and recruit and retain great talent. Every firm desires these things, so investing in marketing and business development just makes sense for your firm. If you struggle with the first step of putting together a marketing plan, contact us today. One of our talented employees would be happy to assist you with this process. LINDSAY YOUNG is president and founder of nu marketing. She can be reached at lindsay@numarketingllc.com.
Success in marketing and business development is almost always due to a combination of things occurring over time. It’s sponsoring a chamber event, attending networking events with your prospects, following up with an email requesting a one-on-one meeting, building that relationship, seeing them at a community event, submitting a project proposal, interviewing for the project, and then getting the signed contract. It takes months, and many times years, for these investments to create a return, but it’s always worth it. There are so many touch points, and all of them make a positive (hopefully) impact on your prospect. It’s hard to decide which one to cut because they all helped you land that project! That’s what marketing and business development is all about – building a relationship. It’s also about education. AEC firms often struggle to understand the difference between marketing, business development, and sales. Most principals just lump them all together, but that’s a mistake. Let’s clear up the confusion: 1) Marketing is everything that happens before you have a per- sonal connection with someone. This includes your branding, website, word of mouth, content marketing, social media, marketing collateral, advertising, and sponsorships. 2) Business development is when you start to build that rela- tionship, face-to-face, with a prospect. This includes trade shows, association involvement, community and civic orga- nizations, networking events, and presenting at conferences and workshops. 3) Sales is when you get you and your team interview for that
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THE ZWEIG LETTER January 21, 2019, ISSUE 1280
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