About SECP

About SECP

Who we are:

Self-Employed Creative Professionals are the strategic planners, writers, photographers and designers who create advertising and marketing buzz, plan and design websites, and develop content and images for effective communications. Our members range from recent graduates to seasoned professionals who have built a successful business around the creative work they love.

SECP strives to be a hub for creative talent — a resource for both creative independents and the business community they serve. SECP has a three-part mission:

To create a community for Portland’s self-employed creatives to share their expertise and save on essential business services and products;
To foster collaborative relationships through which members can team up for projects and provide a fuller range of creative services;
To promote SECP members’ services to the broader business community.

We do this through:

Monthly events with opportunities to meet other independent creatives and hear an outstanding series of speakers on professional and business development topics.
Annual trade show for members to showcase their work and connect with businesses looking for creative talent.
In-depth workshops and seminars for professional and business development.
E-newsletters with updates on SECP events, job opportunities, creative business tips and industry news.
The SECP Directory to help members team up for projects and — more importantly — to promote this talent pool to the business community.

There are an estimated 24,000* independent creative professionals in the Portland area, according to the Portland Development Commission. Of those, nearly 600 are members of Self-Employed Creative Professionals. From our beginnings in 1997 as part of IABC (International Association of Business Communicators), we have grown to become Portland’s creative hub — a relaxed, friendly place to connect, grow and thrive.

Last year, SECP celebrated ten years of fostering connections and supporting creative professionals in the Portland area. This milestone generated a surge of energy: an expanded menu of resources and services for members and a commitment to market SECP members to the Portland business community and beyond.

*2000 Creative Services Alliance report generated by the Portland Development Commission.

About SECP

Who we are:

We do this through:

Our Group

Events

Membership

Newsletter