By Tanya Karamian, Assoc. AIA, Principal

In mid-September I volunteered at the 22nd Annual Fall Home/Garden Show at the Del Mar Fairgrounds that AIA San Diego coordinated for members. At first, I was hesitant to go because I wasn’t sure the time and effort would be worth it for my small firm, but with some encouragement from my marketing partner I decided to attend with an "it can’t hurt" attitude.

When I arrived for my Saturday afternoon shift, AIASD had a small booth in a space designated as "Design Experts’ Alley." Adjacent to the booth, were displays of the residential boards from the 2010 Design Awards. I added my business cards and some flyers to the table, as well as, my laptop, and within no time I had an interested "customer."

During my four-hour shift there was never a quiet moment - I was talking to someone the entire time. A couple of visitors were potential clients and the two main comments/questions they asked me were:

1. "I don’t want to hire an architect because they are too much money. Are they really worth the added cost?"

2. "I need to hire an architect, but don’t know how to find one. How do I go about finding and selecting one?"

I was so glad I brought my computer to show people my 3D models and to be able to visually demonstrate the value architects bring to a project – often at a savings!

The other people that stopped by the booth were fellow industry professionals, and I networked with them to establish prospective references and future collaboration opportunities. Aside from marketing myself and my firm’s services, I also was able to create a buzz of public awareness for the profession and educate the public on the value of hiring an architect so, in the end, it was well worth the time and effort. My only regret is that I didn’t sign up for more shifts!

In the next few weeks, I’ll be working with some of the other members who participated in the 2011 spring and fall shows. We’ll be planning an even higher level of activity and visibility for AIA San Diego and its members at the 2012 spring show. We’ve already obtained time slots to do presentations/seminars for show attendees and will likely do a "call for presentations" so chapter members can compete for these coveted business development opportunities.

For people like me who have smaller, young businesses that are really just getting started, this was a great member benefit. I think it’d work out for more established residential firms too but you won’t know until you give it a try and put some effort into it.