Submissions for the 2026 Palm Awards are now closed.
The SMPS San Diego Palm Awards provide an opportunity for local professionals to showcase their best marketing practices and to acknowledge the critical role of marketing in AEC firms. The Palm Awards serve to recognize leaders in the marketing/BD industry and within the San Diego chapter.
Our program is open to both member and non-member firms whose offices are located in the San Diego area. Winners will be honored at our Palm Awards Event in August 2026. There is no limit to the number of categories a firm can enter! However, please note that a submission form is required for each entry.
Materials completed between January 1, 2025 and December 31, 2025 will be accepted for the 2026 competition. Submittal requirements vary depending on category. Please review the individual category descriptions below for submittal requirement details. Failure to comply with submittal requirements can result in disqualification of entry.
If you would like to submit for a category, use the appropriate link to access the Google Form. Upon completion of the Google Form, you will receive a link to complete your entry with a separate payment form. Your entry will not be complete until you submit payment. If you have any questions, please reach out to Chelsea Gazaille.
The SMPS San Diego Palm Award categories and submission requirements are similar to those from SMPS National, so any submittal may be transferable to a National submission. Our judges and judging process are different from those on the National level, so we encourage members to submit for both local and National awards.
Submission Pricing and Dates
| Early Bird Entry (Project or Client Collaborator Category) | Regular Entry (Project or Client Collaborator Category) | Hall of Fame Entry | Professional Spotlight Entry | |
| Deadline | ||||
| Pricing | $125 first entry $100 additional entries |
$50 per entry | Free |
Project Categories
All project submissions will be judged according to the following criteria:
| 1. Creative Brief (250 words or less) | 15 pts |
| 2. Marketing Objectives (150 words or less) | 20 pts |
| 3. Target Audience (75 words or less) | 5 pts |
| 4. Research and Planning (150 words or less) | 5 pts |
| 5. Messaging (75 words or less) | 15 pts |
| 6. Results/Impact (150 words or less) | 20 pts |
| 7. Exhibits/Samples (specified for each category below) | 15 pts |
| 8. Overall Presentation Quality | 5 pts |
Brochures
- (Digital or Print): This category may include quals packages, booklets, firm profile packages, Issuu books, slideshows,etc. Brochures can be specific to a sector, region, service, etc. This may include materials from RFQ responses. Not intended for project-specific RFP responses.
- A print or digital publication describing your firm’s general capabilities. A brochure has a limited shelf life, as a firm’s capabilities, staff, and projects change over time.
- Submittal Requirements: A pdf of the printed or digital brochure. If entering a digital brochure, include a URL to view the original digital format.
Corporate Identity
- This category may include branding projects completed for or in relation to AEC firms.
- New Brand: A new cohesive brand applied to your firm’s print and/or digital collateral materials for the purposes of creating a brand-new corporate identity. Firm must have been previously unbranded.
- Brand Refresh: A cohesive brand applied to your firm’s print and/or digital collateral materials for the purposes of Modernizing its current brand while maintaining its core identity and strategy. The brand must be recognizable from its previous version. Entry should include old brand and the new brand for comparison.
- Rebrand: A new brand applied to your firm’s print and/or digital collateral materials for the purpose of overhauling the firm’s previous brand identity and strategy. Entry should include the old brand and the new brand for comparison.
- Submittal Requirements: For rebranding and branding refresh entries, submit a before-and-after representative sampling of materials that convey your firm’s corporate identity. For new identity entries, submit a representative sampling of materials that convey your firm’s new corporate identity. Both types of submissions may include logo applications such as banner ads, social media graphics, website graphics, letterhead, business cards, and promotional items. If available,the corporate identity manual or graphics standards should be included as well as URLs to view original digital components.
Internal Communications
- This category may include company newsletters, training or HR or informational content, internal brand guidelines, etc.
- Any print or digital communications intended for an employee audience, including but not limited to a recognition program, awards program, HR communications, staff training videos, informational videos for internal staff, internal websites or intranets, internal brand guidelines, employee retention or educational materials, or communications associated with mergers, acquisitions, or new business line initiatives.
- Submittal Requirements: A pdf of the materials. If entering digital communications, include a URL to view the original digital format. If entering an internal newsletter or magazine, include copies or links to the last three issues of the newsletter/magazine. If entering an internal site, confirm you have permission to submit the internal site and only provide screenshots of the site and block or hide any sensitive information.
Promotional Campaign / Special Event
- This category may include open houses, lecture series, conference events, firm parties, fundraisers, sports tournaments, etc.
- Promotional Campaign: A comprehensive, multi-tactic campaign that takes place over an extended period to promote a specific company message, event, program, or project. The campaign should include a combination of tactics and media—print, digital, or multimedia—and implementation strategies.
- Submittal Requirements: A pdf of your promotional plan describing campaign focus and objectives. Submit a pdf of any collateral pieces and multimedia aspects of the program. If media relations were a part of the campaign, please submit a pdf of releases/media kits/features developed and a list of results. Include a URL to view the original digital format components.
- Special Event (Digital): Digital pieces produced for one-time use to promote a special event including but not limited to an anniversary, new name, office opening, dedication, or groundbreaking.
- Submittal Requirements: Include a URL to view the original digital components and/or a pdf that complies the materials created for the event.
- Special Event (Mixed): A combination of print and digital pieces produced for one-time use to promote a special event including but not limited to an anniversary, new name, office opening, dedication, open house, or groundbreaking.
- Submittal Requirements: A pdf of the materials. Include images of the original packaging if possible and include a URL to view the original digital components.
- Special Event (Print): Print pieces produced for one-time use to promote a special event including but not limited to an anniversary, new name, office opening, dedication, or groundbreaking.
- Submittal Requirements: A pdf of the materials. Include images of the original packaging/products/materials if possible.
- Submittal Requirements: A pdf of the materials. Include images of the original packaging/products/materials if possible.
Digital
- This category may include social media campaigns, blogs, podcasts, websites and website features, digital external newsletters, internal and external videos, etc.
- Social Media Campaigns, Blogs, Podcasts and More: Any marketing effort that utilizes online social media tools to provide a platform for thought leadership, collaboration, and user interaction. Can be one platform or a combination of platforms.
- Submittal Requirements: Include a web link to view online, for blogs and podcasts, submit at least three consecutive postings/episodes for review.
- Video (specify the video type on the entry form): A video created for external communication purposes.
- Submittal Requirements: Submit a web link to view online in the original format.
- Websites (specify the website type on the entry form): An external, public website that either promotes your firm or has been launched by your firm for a specific project.
- Submittal Requirements: Include a URL to access the website. If entering an internal site, confirm you have permission to submit the internal site and only provide screenshots of the site and block or hide any sensitive information.
- Newsletters: (external / client focused): A publication designed in newsletter or magazine format and produced via print or digital media. This includes a printed or digital serial publication or periodical in the editorial format that presents one or more points of view. A magazine may enter this category if it has a client or external audience.
- Submittal Requirements: A pdf of each of the last three issues of the publication. If entering a digital newsletter, include a URL to view the original digital format of the last three issues.
- Note: Digital materials related to special events and promotional campaigns should be submitted to the Special Events / Promotional Campaigns Category.
- Note: Videos, internal websites/intranets, or internal newsletters should be submitted to the Internal Communications Category.
NEW! Hall of Fame Gallery ($50 entry)
A new addition to the 2026 Palm Awards!
- If you have marketing materials that you would like to show off, but none of the award categories seem quite right, you can still submit them to our Hall of Fame. Submissions to the Hall of Fame will be displayed on posters around the Palm Awards venue. This is a great, low-stress way to show off work your marketing team completed this past year.
- Submittal Requirements: See our poster template and sample posters to ensure your poster fits our specifications. Submit your poster as a pdf.
- Note: Entries into this category will not receive an award recognition.
New: Client Collaborator of the Year
A new addition to the 2026 Palm Awards!
- Recognizes excellence in communication and the working relationship between the consultant and client in a way that supports AEC marketing efforts. Nominees will include those exceptional clients who helped make completion of important projects possible by running a particularly concise or appropriate selection process, valuing excellent design, playing an integral and supportive role on the project team, or any combination of these and other factors.
- Submittal requirements: Client contact info, AEC consultant (nominator) contact info, a nomination statement, and optional supporting materials.
- The nomination statement should address the following:
- Description of the project(s) or event(s) around which the success of the Client-consultant relationship was especially well demonstrated
- How communication between the Client and design or construction team was established and maintained.
- How the Client contributed to a successful project or event.
- How the partnership benefitted both the client-side and AEC firm-side.
- How the project or event benefitted from a successful collaboration between firm and client.
- Willingness of client to participate in marketing initiatives (i.e. photography, events, PR, award submittal information, social media, etc.)
- Description of the project(s) or event(s) around which the success of the Client-consultant relationship was especially well demonstrated
PROFESSIONAL SPOTLIGHTS
The Professional Awards serve to recognize leaders in AEC Marketing and Business Development roles and within the SMPS San Diego Chapter. You can nominate someone else or self-nominate. Winners will be honored at our annual Palm Awards Event in August 2026. Professional nominations are free of charge.
