Wednesday, October 8, 2014

TheatreFest 2015 Registration Changes

You will see a lot of changes this year for TheatreFest 2015 and one you may have already noticed is the registration process.  TETA has listened to its members and we are moving much of our paperwork online.  Two recent additions to the online movement are membership applications/renewals and TheatreFest registration.

TETA membership has always run from September 1st through August 31st and although the dates will not change, the way you apply for membership or renew your membership has changed.  In the past your membership was included on your TheatreFest or SummerFest registration form and there was no way to simply renew a membership without registering for one of the conventions.  This year to simplify the membership process and the bookkeeping for TETA, the Board of Directors has voted to remove adult membership from the registration forms and make it a separate process.  All adult members and institutional members will now be registered in our online TETA membership database where their information will carry over from year to year making all renewals in the future much easier for the members and for TETA.

To move to the new online database we need every adult TETA member to fill out the online form (basically apply for membership again) providing us with your information and membership level.  High school and college students do not need to register for TETA membership, as their yearly dues are paid with their convention registration.  Upon completion of the online form you will be given the option to pay online, which you can do right away via credit card.  If you would like to pay later, we still accept personal checks or school checks...simply print out the invoice (which is automatically emailed to you when you finish the online form) and send it along with your payment to the new TETA mailing address.

TETA
650 W. Bough Ln.
Suite 150-199
Houston, Texas 77024

When TETA receives your payment, your membership registration is complete.  Next year you will automatically receive an email from TETA that will contain an invoice for your 2015-2016 dues.

Once you are a registered member of TETA (registered in the new online database) you can log on to the TETA membership pages and register for TheatreFest!  You MUST be logged on or you will not be able to register for TheatreFest as an adult.  

The registration form itself is very simple to complete and when you are done it will give you the option to pay online via credit card.  If you want to pay later simply print out the invoice that was emailed to you and mail it along with your payment to the new TETA mailing address.

This is a new process for us as well as for you and we are still learning how to use all the features in this new system.  Please be patient with us and feel free to ask questions.  I mean it… contact us for any questions at all.  We want to help.

My email address is: communications@tetatx.com (This is the preferred method of communications.)  But if you need a more immediate response...
The TETA phone number is: (832)303-8382.  If I do not answer, please leave a message and I will get back to you as soon as I can.  You can even send a text to the TETA number: (832)303-8382.  We want to make it as easy as we can for you to communicate with us.

Here are a few frequently asked questions we’ve heard so far:

I can’t pay by credit card.  How can I pay by check?
If you want to pay for your membership or your convention registration by check, you can simply print out the invoice that is automatically sent to your email address (the address you provided when you registered for membership) and send in your payment along with a printed copy of the invoice to the new TETA mailing address.  If you did not receive an email copy of your invoice, contact me at communications@tetatx.com and I will be happy to resend it.  Sometimes these things get caught in spam filters.

My school wants to cut one check for membership and registration fees.  Can we still do that?  
Yes, of course.  Just print out the two invoices and attach them together, along with the payment, before you mail it in.  You can combine as many invoices as you want...other adult registrants or even student registrants that your school wants to include in one check.

How does a student apply as a member of TETA?
Students do not need to apply for TETA membership.  Students just need to register for TheatreFest!

I know I registered/renewed already but I can’t find/remember my login information for TETA.
No problem at all.  Contact me and I will assist you.  When we changed to the new online system it is possible that my fat fingers did not type every name and every email address perfectly.  I don’t mind looking up your account information or retyping it if needed.

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Do not wait to renew your membership and do not wait to register for TheatreFest.  It is quick and easy and you do not need to pay right away, just get your information in our system so you start receiving all our emails and do not miss out on any important information.  Did you know that if you register as an adult for TheatreFest 2015 by November 1st you are automatically entered to win a free room at the Hyatt for the convention?  That is a great prize!  So get registered today...get registered now!



I hope this article helps you get registered in our new system and I hope to see you all at TheatreFest 2015!


Darve Smith, Communications Director
Texas Educational Theatre Association, Inc.

(832)303-8382

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