Comments 31

1. Sabrina Schroeter 12 Jul

   I don't at all like the new member directory.  Originally, we could build a custom list based on types and size of mtgs, industry, etc.  Then that all went away, but at least we could pull information based on chapter, now that has gone away.
   
   Part of our annual dues is for the directory.
   

2. Gina 12 Jul

   The Membership Directory was such a great feature... what happened?  The new member directory does not allow search by city/state or by chapter which is very disappointing.  

3. Brian Green 12 Jul

   I cant find the list of Platinum speakers!  Need it in order to accomplish my task as VP of Ed in GA....where is it???

4. Catherine McClung 13 Jul

   Brian - We are working to launch a new chapter education database system next week, and had to take the old system down. All inquiries for chapter education programs can be sent to espeakers@mpiweb.org. Thanks!

5. Mary Ellen 13 Jul

   Where is the site map?
   Where is the list of MPI staff? They have disappeared, unless I just can't find it (perhaps the site map would help)
   I really relied upon the membership directory to locate members by chapter, but that feature seems to be gone.
   
   Please advise. All this is very disappointing.

6. Charlie Spiegel 13 Jul

   Great question regarding the member director on the new website. We are still working on expanding the search options and they should be available very soon. We have heard throughout the years that members receive too many emails so we are making an effort to help control this issue by not offering emails at this point. Please feel free to contact me directly at 972-702-3074 to discuss as we want to hear the feedback of the new site.

7. Theresa Davis 14 Jul

   @Mary Ellen
   
   When you go to the very top navigation "About MPI" and then on that page "Contact MPI" you'll find a general directory.  We're updating our detailed staff directory with some new additions and updated profiles.
   
   Glad you find that tool useful, we'll make sure it's availalble soon.

8. Cherai Lewis 14 Jul

   @Charlie Spiegel - left you a voice mail.
   
   This new change in the membership directory is quite interesting and somewhat perplexing to me.  My company pays for my membership in order for me to network with potential customers and to hopefully successfully obtain new business.  That is the #1 priority for them paying my membership.  The education and the certifications offered and supported are secondary - in my employer's mind.   Who are those potential customers?  Could be anyone in MPI. 
   
   My initial questions are as follows:
   
   #1)  If I am not able to have access to a member's contact information in the membership directory in order to contact them, what good is my membership if my number one reason for joining the organization is for business and networking opportunities.
   
   #2)  I am prospecting a new territory outside of my home chapter.  Using the membership directories of ALL industry organizations was a terrific way to contact potential customers for appointments.  If the only way I can now connect with another MPI member is through the MPI email system (as there is no access to a direct email or phone number any longer) and the only way to retrieve an email sent through the MPI email system is to log into your account on a regular basis (hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly), how effective is that method of communication working if the recipient of my email does not log into the website on a timely basis - if at all (and timely is subjective, of course)?
   
   I have a few other questions, as well but those are the main ones that have been debated within some of the members of my chapter.
   
   I appreciate any assistance in understanding this new philosophy. 
   
   Thank you.

9. J Beck 16 Jul

   You need to fix this [title to link to this website from Corbin July/August 2010 TechTalk Newsletter] "MPI expands it website to are richly searchable content portal."
   

10. Laura Stoll 16 Jul

    Please tell us that MPI hasn't decided to do away with its much-used contact database for members.  This is hands-down the most valuable part of my membership, both from a business, committee, and Board of Directors standpoint.  If we lose the ability to contact one another, how are we moving forwards and not backwards?
    
    This affects how I use my membership in so many ways.  If you'd like I would be happy to list out all of the different ways that I, and I know many others, use the directory in our everyday. 
    
    I cannot urge you enough to reconsider the decision to make it less comprehensive...both from a personal and chapter standpoint.
    
    

11. Theresa Davis 16 Jul

    We are restoring the Member Directory (aka contact database) to the previous version that members are used to.  The database was never intended to be "removed" from members, simply modified and incorporated more with our online community. 
    
    Our technical team is working diligently to make this happen.
    
    

12. Laura Stoll 16 Jul

    The more I look around, the more I feel like the Member Directory has turned into a much less interesting version of Linked In. 
    
    I cannot urge strongly enough to reconsider the decision to remove member contact information from the hands of our membership.  As an employer, the value of my organization's membership in MPI just dropped 100%, which means I have some difficult decisions to make about where and how I spend my time.
    
    

13. Judith 17 Jul

    I don't think any of the links for the CMP section work.  Advice?

14. Kyle Hillman 17 Jul

    For the most part, I like the site.. much more modern, news based. Just have to say.. you guys still sell memberships right?
    
    Still wished you would fix the global marketplace.. I would rather shop MPI.. but that thing is a mess.
    
    

15. Philippe Kwon 19 Jul

    I much preferred the previous Member directory that provided contact information for members and the search options by different categories (chapter, city, name, etc.).  Considering we all communicate via email nowadays, not having email addresses available is inconvenient.  
    
    I agree that sending out all kinds of marketing information that inundates inboxes is very unpleasant.  I would hope that there are few MPI members that would do that.  For the few that do overindulge in that activity, perhaps either people can bring that to MPI's attention and they can address that or people can simply block that person's email address in their Outlook program.
    
    One hates to see any bad apples spoiling our great barrel.

16. Richard Kidd 20 Jul

    In the Future Watch page it appears the download function is not working yet. Is it going to be fixed? If it is please could you contact Becky@humewhitehead.co.uk and let her know when it is working. She is an MPI Board member of the UK & Irealnd chapter and wants access to the material.

17. Kyle Hillman 20 Jul

    On a technical side...
    
    Your comment box doesn't work with safari or opera mobile browser.
    
    also...
    
    If your designer is going to link the browser title to the category field, MPI probbaly shouldn't use the uncategorized option.

18. Midge Dobbs 20 Jul

    Couple question (beyond the Member Directory, which I can see has already been addressed.  I am really quite surprised that MPI headquarters would be that removed from their members that they wouldn't know this would be such a huge issue).
    
    1) I like that it appears we can add a logo for our company, but I don't see how to upload that photo?  Also, where can we add information about the company profile?
    
    2) I had taken time to fill in my profile on the old website...is that information gone, or can it be retrieved?  Start over?
    
    Thank you for investing in the website, beyond the newness and learning a new tool it appears to be great!

     

19. Elizabeth George 21 Jul

    I am going to agree with others who have also commented that the previous designed Member Directory was a great tool.  Much easier to navigate than the current one.  I hope that MPI will considering reformatting it for member ease of accessibility!

20. Annette 21 Jul

    I am glad to see that MPI is working to include contact information back into the directory.  As a planner,  I try to use MPI members first and it is much easier to contact them if the information is there.  
    
    It would also be helpful to know find suppliers by category.  It is not always easy to tell a supplier's product or service by the company name.  Thank you

21. Annette 21 Jul

    I am glad to see that MPI is working to include contact information back into the directory.  As a planner,  I try to use MPI members first and it is much easier to contact them if the information is there.  
    
    It would also be helpful to find suppliers by category.  It is not always easy to tell a supplier's product or service by the company name.  Thank you

22. Laura Stoll 21 Jul

    THRILLED to hear that the Member Directory will be coming back - I truly expect nothing less than greatness from MPI.  Nice job team!

23. Andrea B 26 Jul

    I am extremely disappointed with the new member directory.   Part of our membership fee includes the directory-- now it's useless.  Part of membership is being able to to connect with each other--- not just the people they know, but the people they want to know as well.   
    
    Andrea B.

24. Laura 27 Jul

    Now I see phone numbers on an initial search screen, but not emails and no complete profile in one place.  I am really hoping to see the functionality of the old online directory restored, so we can continue to see contact info for other members in one place.  Is that not being restored?
    

25. Katie 28 Jul

    Are the message boards still around? I have not been able to find them and always found them to be helpful and interesting to read.

26. Tracy 03 Aug

    I am also wondering about the message boards. I went to go back and refer to something I had previously posted, but could not find them. Will we see them soon, or are they no longer?

27. JMV 05 Aug

    I am not happy with the new membership directory, which was a huge source of information for me.

28. Sherri 10 Aug

    I agree with the comment mentioning that the CMP links don't work.  I also seem to have problems logging in each time I try to access members-only features. 

29. Neva Greene 13 Aug

    I am very disappointed in the location of the Supplier's Marketplace.  The ONLY place to access it is from the home page and the "Find your Supplier" link/button is hard to find.  It is lost in all the clutter.  Also, when you click on "Marketplace" at the top of the website, it has nothing to do with the Supplier's Marketplace.  It doesn't have a link there nor does it have a "Home" link so you can't even navigate back to the Home Page.
    In fact, from the many other areas I accessed, there are no "Back to Home" links.  You actually have to click off of the website completely and then log back in.
    When I use the MPI Search Portal and input any of the categories within the Supplier's Marketplace, nothing shows up.  For instance, here's my 1st experience to try to find supplier's marketplace:
    1.  On the Home Page, I don't see anything except "Marketplace" at the top.  Well, nothing there.  And there is no "Return Home" link.
    2.  I return to the Home Page, and in the Search I type in "promotional products".  Nothing. 
    3.  I contact MPI headquarters and find out there is only one way to access the Supplier Marketplace area....on the Home page.  "Look for the small blue button titled "Find Your Supplier".  Okay, amongst all the clutter, I finally find it.
    4.  I click on that blue button and finally, I am taken to the Marketplace.  And lo and behold, "Promotional Products" is there.  So, why didn't it show up in my "Search" in the 1st Place?
    5.  Once in the Marketplace area, there is no "Return Home" link!!!
    

30. Swan 25 Aug

    I suggest reading "Four Steps to the Epiphany" about developing customers rather than products.  I think that may be the problem here.

31. Katherine Manfredi, CMM 04 Oct

    I'm sure this will be super once we're used to where things are located. Love that the CSR and other essential timely topics are front and center.
    
    Can you help me locate the section "Contact Us"?
     
    Also, FYI the "Report a Bug" option in groups does not function... just get another error...
    
    How do we contact the webmaster to ask where a missing group went? 
    
    It might be advisable to send out a note to all members that when migrating the site all our conctact info was lost so everyone should go in and repopulate their profiles, etc. Most of the people I look up have not done that yet and I'm guessing they are not aware their info is missing. 
    
    In that profile section, any chance of extending the number of characters a web URL can have, as mine does not fit (unless I turn it into a tiny URL but then my name is not associated with it)  That would be super.
    
    This site has such a lot of great info and wonderful resources, I'm sure it was a huge job to migrate everything, so little glitches like this are totally understandable.  It was a great idea to add the tour to orient us to everthing.
    
    Thanks!

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