Future Membership Communications

With the last edition of Asphalt Professional now through your mailbox, I hope to explain about how we intend to communicate with you, our members, in the future.

The fact that you are reading this now means that our new website and App have gone live.

All the content which you previously received in Asphalt Professional, including technical papers, branch news, committee reports, and more, will be delivered to you on the website and App.

Website

You will see 4 distinct sections on the website homepage, namely

·      Membership

·      Technical Library and Resources

·      Events

·      Education

Membership - this will be about benefits of being an IAT member, how to join and other guidance for non-members.

Technical Library and Resources – here you will find technical papers, previous versions of Asphalt Professional, links to our videos and recordings of online events. Most of the information in this section of the website will be accessible to members only and require you to log in.

Events – where details of all branch, national and online events will be posted with links to register for members. It is important to note that within your personal profile section, you can choose which branches you receive email notifications for with a default setting of just your own local branch.

Education – this section of the site will host details of our various educational offerings and how to access and enrol for courses at University of Derby, Vocational Qualifications and Professional recognition. This area of the site will be open to members and non-members alike.

News

To the right-hand side of the homepage, you will see a scrolling “News” section. This will include IAT news such as notification of new events, President’s blog, committee reports and branch news.  Industry news items will also be fed to the site from external sources, company press releases and guest contributors.

Other features which users should be aware of are the improved “Search” function and “Members Log In” area.

Visitors can search for specific terms, events and resources much easier and quicker than our previous site offered.

The Log In area offers important and valuable features for our members. Once logged in to your personal area of the website, your profile will allow a choice of communication preferences, branch notifications and importantly an individual record of CPD and an event attendance register. You can also download a copy of your membership certificate and receipts for subscription payments here.

The IAT App

In addition to our new web site, we have launched a brand-new smart phone app, available to both Apple IOS and Android users.

This will bring the IAT to your pocket, offering all the events information, resources news and additional features on your smart phone.

Like many other apps, the user will be able to turn on/off notifications and reminders to help manage their IAT activity.

The app will be available to everyone with certain features only accessible to members, providing additional value and hopefully promoting membership growth.

The images which accommpany this article illustrate some of the App features including an individual membership card, CPD record, event reminders and Asphalt Laying Guide.

We hope that you will enjoy using both the new website and App, and that the features will enhance your IAT membership experience.

You will get the opportunity to feeback your thoughts and suggestions in a survey within the next few months. Please use the opportunity to help us develop the next versions of both these resources.