Fellow modelers, today we roll out a new member and event management system that will bring IPMS/USA into the 21st century. With over 4,500 members, IPMS/USA is much too big and complex to manage on an Access database any longer! The new system brings automated processing to many of the repetitive tasks involved in keeping track of our memberships and will improve turnaround time on renewals, new memberships, convention registrations and more.
Some of the features you can take advantage of now:
- Online Renewals: You will now begin to receive emails notifying you when your membership renewal is due. No more wondering or checking the Journal cover for your expiration date- you will get a few reminders to make it easy to renew your membership on time, so you don’t miss any Journals. You can check your profile any time to see when your renewal is due by visiting your IPMS profile page. In addition to showing you all of your profile data, a reminder will display when it is time to renew. Renewal is as easy as clicking a button and choosing a payment method.
- Self-Service: Lost your membership card? Need to change your address? You are now in control of your own profile information. You can make updates any time and they will be entered directly in the system, eliminating delays and mistakes. You can print a new membership card any time you need one directly from your profile page.
- Seamless payments: The system now has built in connections to PayPal for payment processing using PayPal or credit cards. No more multiple data entry or opportunities for the systems to be out of synch. You can choose to print an invoice or receipt for your membership payment or use the “Invoices and payments” tab to see your payment history from now on.
- Manage your online Privacy: We will soon be able to build a member directory, but you get to choose whether to participate and what information to share. The “Privacy” tab gives you complete control.
- Avatars and Photo Albums: You can now add an avatar to your member profile and create your own photo album to show off your work. Again, you control access - open to the public, limited to other IPMS/USA members, or no access at all.
More to come! What to expect in the near future:
- 2022 Omaha National Convention Registration: Starting in February you will be able to register for the Omaha Convention in the same new system. No need to re-enter your personal information - it will all be prefilled when you enter your email address and sign in. All of the optional convention add-ons (Banquet, Tours, T-shirts and more) will be on the registration page to make it easy to complete your order. And since payments are integrated, you can pay right in the system too.
- Better Communication with IPMS/USA: Our system will now allow us to send you the information you need about IPMS/USA directly via email. We will keep you informed about what is happening in your Society and about upcoming IPMS events. But we will never sell your information or send you advertising!
Check the website at IPMSUSA.org for detailed instructions for your first log is under the “Join IPMS/USA” tab. We are here to help if you have any trouble - contact Manager@ipmsusa.org or Treasurer@ipmsusa.org with any issues. We hope you enjoy the new system and what it will do to help our Society grow and serve you better!
David Lockhart, President
International Plastic Modelers’ Society/USA