TIAC’s marketing committee has been hard at work on its mandate to promote the association’s brand and activities, and by extension, promote education about and the use of mechanical insulation.
Shaun Ekert, TIAC’s vice-president and member of the marketing committee, said the committee operates by a broad brushstroke, and has come a long way over the past five years.
It began with three or four individuals working behind the scenes to tidy up TIAC’s logos and tagline, and has blossomed into a full-fledged initiative, with members elbows deep into new ideas for promoting the association’s brand.
“The marketing committee is a newer initiative of the board,” said Ekert. “The first thing was to clean up the association’s logo and taglines, and really broaden knowledge of our brand, not just to members but also to the market.
It’s grown well beyond that to encompass the ‘Where’s Steve’ segment in the TIAC Times, and a new association website, and continues to morph into new initiatives, including a group for young mechanical insulation professionals, he added.
Ekert is referring to the next initiative of the marketing committee, which is establishing a group for young and new-to-the-industry mechanical insulation professionals to help mentor and assist them in participation in association events
and activities.
He plans to present the criteria and framework for the yet-to-be-named group for young members at the board meeting in February, and work on putting the group into action between then and the conference in September.
“I’m hoping we can kick off the group prior to the conference and each individual in the group can attend conference and have a yearly face-to-face,” he said. Members of the group will also meet and participate via web conferences and tele-conferences throughout the year.
The committee’s second current initiative is developing a session on the Denis Formula to be carried out at the conference this September in Banff. “Many of us know about it and use the Denis Formula, but many don’t,” said Ekert. “This session will make more people aware of it, where it came from, and how it is used.”
The committee is also looking into the development of technology that will grant users better access to mechanical insulation standards and best practices.
Though it is a bit down the road, the intention is to have mechanical insulation engineered standards and details as well as TIAC’s Best Practices Guide available in a mobile app so these resources are at every member’s finger tips.
“That way, if you are looking at a valve installed and insulated in field, for example, you’ll be able to ensure it is installed and insulated using the industry’s best practices,” said Ekert.
The marketing committee is open to feedback and suggestions about its programs and initiatives, and can be reached through the TIAC office.
“In five years, the committee has come a long way from cleaning up logos where every part of TIAC now has part of the marketing committee in it,” said Ekert.
