By Chris Smith
FMCA Executive Director
March 2018
FMCA Executive Director/CFO
Greetings from Cincinnati! As you read this, the national office staff will be wrapping up registrations for FMCA’s 97th International Convention and RV Expo, set to take place March 15 through 18 in Perry, Georgia. Registration figures for “Southern Charm” have us trending toward the biggest event in a number of years. If you want to join the party, it is not too late. You can go to https://www.fmca.com/fmca-perry-learn-more, or call us at (513) 474-3622 or (800) 543-3622 to sign up or learn more about the event.
We have a shiny new toy that I am so happy to unveil. Long days and countless hours went into completely overhauling FMCA’s old website into something we are very happy to share with the world. If you haven’t noticed by now, the new website went live at FMCA.com on January 23. I want to provide a quick overview of some of the new features.
All of what you loved on the previous site is still available but with a fresh, new look and some additional features we hope you’ll enjoy. We listened to what members were asking for and what interests them, and we worked to encapsulate the fun of RVing through new imagery, videos, and icons. Plus, to make content easier to find, FMCA.com has been separated into mini-sites based on some of the departments we have here at the office: Membership, Events, Magazine, and Chapters.
The Membership mini-site touts all the current benefits in one easy-to-find place. Go there to sign up for benefits such as Connect-on-the-Go with Verizon, TechConnect+ with Sprint, or Roadside Rescue. In need of new tires? Quotes with special rates from Michelin and Continental are one click away on our “Tire Discounts” page.
One of the best parts of RVing is the lifestyle and the connections you make along the way. The “Lifestyle” page on the Membership mini-site gives you a quick reference to a variety of material that will help make your journeys easier and provide opportunities to meet new people. Connect with other RVers in the FMCA community via our social links on the “Community” page, or join the Forums discussions for technical and lifestyle tips by clicking in the “Chat” box. Forums also has its own tab on the black menu bar that appears at the top of all pages.
Head to the Events tab to find all the need-to-know information about conventions and rallies. We’ll keep this updated with details about convention entertainment, seminars, and things to do in the area where the event is taking place. You can find helpful convention-site specifics on the new “Information Central” page. Are you a first-timer with us at convention? No sweat. We have a page for that, too — titled “First-Timers” — complete with videos from our Events team’s Facebook Live streams, in case you missed one. If you’re interested in finding a list of exhibitors that will be at a convention, pop over to the “Exhibitor Directory” page to see them all. Or, if you want to take part in the convention as an exhibitor, you can find everything you need on the “Exhibitor” page.
Search the Chapters mini-site to find a chapter that might interest you, or look for chapter activities near you via the Association Calendar. Any member interested in forming a new chapter can gain access to the Chapter Formation Kit on the “Join a Chapter” page. FMCA has 10 areas that are always interested in accepting new joiners to their chapters and to their area rallies as well. Find the area welcome letters, officers, and individual websites on the “Structure” page on the Chapters mini-site. You also can check out the “Chapter Spotlight” page to read more about the chapters that have been highlighted in our magazine.
If you’re in the market for a different tow-behind vehicle, take a look at all our towing guides on the Magazine mini-site. As a commercial member, you can find our media planner and info about advertising with us as well. If you’re recruiting members — family or commercial — and want to show them a digital sample of the magazine, send them to Magazine Home (non-signed in) for a sneak preview.
On every page, you’ll find a series of icons anchored on the right-hand side. The icons included here with this column are visible to signed-in members. Several changes were made to the Member Dashboard, found by clicking the Dashboard icon. Here you can preview our latest YouTube videos, quickly access and print your membership card, find a Pinch Hit Driver via the Membership Directory, read the latest updates from FMCA, and (my favorite) use a Google map to check out which FMCA commercial members are close to you, no matter where you are parked.
Click the new Quicklinks icon to check out frequently asked questions and to easily reference the most commonly visited pages.
Click on the Profile icon to update your member profile information, including your mailing address, email address, or phone number. Tell us what your interests are, add your name to the Membership Directory, and view your event sign-ups.
The Search, Quicklinks, and Contact form icons are also available to folks who aren’t signed in to the site.
Finally, the FMCA.com website footer has all the overarching items you may need. Out and about and need more member recruitment forms? We’ve got you covered; click on “Member Recruitment.” Other documents, such as the FMCA Bylaws, can be found with the “Documents and Forms” link. If you are interested in learning more about FMCA and our history, you can navigate to “About FMCA” in the footer to find more. We always love hearing from you on social media, too, so find all our links down in the footer as well.
Stay tuned for even more additions to the new website — we’re always working to roll out helpful features for our family!