AEC marketing is more than showcasing finished buildings; it is about capturing the purpose, identity, and voices behind them. Join SMPS for an interactive panel where industry experts show you how to elevate your visual storytelling, strengthen brand equity, and capture high-impact client testimonials.

What You Will Learn:

• Strategic Project Photography: Identify core story signals in completed projects to ensure photography captures what truly matters (Adam Suiter, 517 Visuals).

• Brand & Visual Communication: Bridge the gap between basic visual assets and high-value brand equity that drives messaging (Lauren Andersh, Lo Studio).

• Client Testimonials: Conduct authentic client interviews, structure video shoots, and edit sound bites that land deals (Nate Hoekstra, Rockford Construction).

Panelist Biographies: 

Lauren Andersh, Lo Studio

Lauren Andersh spent the first near decade of her career as an in-house graphic designer and marketer. Like any good in-house designer, she leaned into the small-team approach and took on every project she could — from designing digital assets and making a social strategy to creating print materials and art directing campaigns. Today, she's taking that experience and bringing it to clients looking for a creative boost and an extra set of hands on their team. Lauren is currently the creative behind Lo Studio— working as an independent designer, art director, and creative strategist.

Adam Suiter, 517 Visuals

Adam Suiter is an architectural photographer and co-founder of 517 Visuals, a Michigan-based studio serving AEC firms. His work focuses on the built environment and the people behind it, with an emphasis on helping firms think more strategically about how photography documents and communicates their work.

Nate Hoekstra, Rockford Construction

Nate Hoekstra is Senior Marketing Manager at Rockford, where he leads video and content production for the marketing and business development team. With more than 20 years of experience spanning broadcast journalism, print reporting and higher education communications, he brings a reporter's instinct for story to every project. His background includes roles at WOOD-TV, the Daily Herald's State Capitol Bureau, the Grand Haven Tribune and Grand Valley State University. Nate holds a B.S. in Journalism from Grand Valley State University and an M.A. in Public Affairs Reporting from the University of Illinois and is a member of the Society for Marketing Professional Services.