We’re moving from our current WordPress site to a new custom VML web application. This represents a significant shift in our web presence going forward, one which we hope will allow increased focus by board members on producing events for our members. This update will introduce you to some features that will be used by our members, guests, and the board so that we can all focus more on having fun.
This transition will allow us to centralize membership management, event ticketing and RSVPs, volunteer shifts, and club communications in one secure, modern platform.
The reasoning for this transition is cost, both monetary and temporal, as well as security. Currently, we have to collaborate to send out e-blasts as well as update the web, a process that takes several hours out of the month that would better be used planning for our events.
Communications
This transition alone will allow us to save ~$30/month that it would cost us to send more than 1 group email per month or maintain a list of more than 500 recipients. It also provides greater granularity to who is receiving emails and provide our members exclusive updates on events that the general public may not be aware of.
Events Calendar
Along with our communications strategy, the biggest difference you will notice is a centralized, feature-rich events calendar, which we hope will take on an important role not just within the club but for the entire Vancouver leather and fetish communities.
We will be able to do away with the combination of Google forms, external event booking platforms, and manual coordination of volunteering. Instead, all of this will be available on an event listing in our calendar. We also gain the ability to control granular details about events and volunteering. These are made visible by icons displayed on an event’s page, as well as color-coding event listings on the calendar view.
Once exciting feature is the ability for us to assign “community event creators”. These users will be able to submit non-VML events to be listed on our calendar, and we hope to make our calendar a singular source of information that the community can rely on for events that are of interest to our members and guests.
Along with these changes, we are making the arrival process for events more smooth when a check-in is required. When you sign up for an event, you receive a QR code. The volunteer who is working check-in will be able to simply scan the QR code and immediately check you into the event.
See and Be Seen
Along with this event granularity, we are giving you more granularity in how you are seen within the community. Members will have access to a new Roster of members:
This is completely opt-in, so you get to choose what information, if any, you share with other members and what information you keep private. This is a great chance to share a pic of yourself in your gear, provide a link to your recon, instagram, or linktree, and tell other members what you’re into.
Your privacy and communication settings in general are completely under your control. E-blast subscriptions, push notifications, etc can all be modified from within your dashboard.
And if you wish to completely “lock down” your account, you will be able to do so, opting out of the roster and the ability to see or be seen by other users, without affecting your ability to maintain your membership or register for events and volunteering.
…But Wait, There’s More
This is just a quick overview of a few of the changes you’ll see as we transition over to the new web app. There is a lot that goes on behind the scenes that will help us run the club. We’re really excited to show you, and we expect to have the application ready by the AGM this coming year. When it’s ready to go, you’ll receive an email with instructions on how to confirm your account and start using the VML Web App.
During this transition, the WordPress site will remain active, with vital updates still taking place as we sunset paid features. Once a final set of bug fixes are complete and tested, the WordPress front end will be replaced with the redesigned portal, you will receive your transition email, and the new app will serve as VML’s unified home for both public information and member-only features.
If you have any questions, please email me at it@vmlclub.com.
