Top Four Takeaways from 2022 APMP BPC

What an amazing week in Dallas! For the first time in 3 years, bid and proposal professionals gathered for a full-blown APMP Bid and Proposal Conference, or BPC. It was my first time in attendance since the 2019 Orlando conference. I have to say I didn’t realize how much I had missed in-person conferences until I walked into the exhibitor’s hall on Monday afternoon (arriving a bit late as my hard-ball negotiating son turned 9 that day and insisted we have breakfast together before I headed to Dallas) . As I sit in DFW Airport waiting for my flight home, here are my key takeaways from the conference.

I’m With My People! One of the best parts of coming to a conference is to be among like-minded people. Every time I come to BPC, I am amazed by the expansiveness of our field. Both when I was a full-time employee and now since I’ve set up BZ and gone out on my own, I can lose sight of the size and scope of our profession. There are so many exceptional people working in the commercial, state and local, and other parts of the Federal bid and proposal world. I always walk away with invaluable insights from across our industry and learn so much from other people’s successes and shortcomings.

In addition, it felt incredible to catch up with so many people I haven’t seen since before the pandemic. BPC is truly a global event, and it was great to see professional connections in person from the UK and across the US. So many people have moved houses, had children, or experienced other life-changing events over the past 3 years. It was just fun to finally be with them all again.

Embrace the New Normal. Robin Davis is one of those friends I missed seeing in person, both to catch up and to hear her insights on the field. Her panel on tips for getting into consulting was informative, even for someone who has been navigating those waters for quite some time. My key takeaway from her presentation was how the pandemic has severely disrupted our industry but also opened the door for more consulting opportunities. By 2027, 60% of professionals will be working in some form of consulting and freelance work. As this becomes the new normal, there will be significant impacts through an increased supply of and demand for high-quality consulting services. As someone who stands proudly behind the work each of our consultants provide, I know my firm is well positioned to handle this changing environment.

Use the Tools You Have. Two sessions really spoke to how we can maximize our efficiency through the use of the tools we have available to us. Katherine Aucott walked through some helpful tips in Microsoft Excel, including using formulas to quickly develop a high quality compliance matrix. I cannot wait to apply those insights to my own Excel workbooks, creating efficiencies for myself and our clients.

Dick Eassom has forgotten more about Microsoft Word than most of us will ever know. His ever informative Wordman sessions always provide insights and tips to improve using an often troublesome word processing program. His tips on how to lock down styles, manage copy and paste options, and create appendix headings were incredibly beneficial. If you haven’t been to a Wordman session and you rely on Word for your work (and, honestly, who doesn’t?) you must attend one of his sessions.

Write Drunk, Edit Sober. I think my favorite session overall was The Power of Writing fireside chat with Sarah Reynolds Westin and Samantha Enslen, moderated by Rick Harris. There were so many great tips and insights, including a reference to George Orwell’s “Politics of the English Language,” which I use in every proposal writing training I deliver. In addition, Sarah spoke about writing like we talk and focusing on action oriented words. This language brings the audience in and highlights what we will do to make them successful. It dovetails perfectly with my belief in empathetic writing. Samantha mentioned how we need to write less and think about the visual layout and impact of the page. When we are trying to cut space and ensure we are inside of page count, it can be easy to lose sight of how the page looks. This is a mistake that can lead to negative impressions for our clients. For those wondering, the title of this section comes from an audience member, who quoted this Nashville music writing advice when talking about the importance of editing to our overall process.

Conclusion. I felt so at home, back among my professional friends and colleagues, in Dallas for 2 ½ wonderful days. The benefits of reconnecting with my network and meeting new people (including several new to our amazing profession) will stay with me for a long time. I feel supercharged to get back to work and help our clients filled with all the incredible knowledge I received. I am already counting down to BPC Orlando 2023, and I hope to see you there!