Last updated on Apr 8, 2024

You need to coordinate with volunteers for a conference. How can you make sure everything runs smoothly?

Coordinating with volunteers for a conference can be a challenging but rewarding task. Volunteers are the backbone of any successful event, but they also need clear guidance, support, and recognition. How can you make sure everything runs smoothly and avoid common pitfalls? Here are some tips to help you manage your volunteer team effectively.

1 Define roles and expectations

Before you recruit and assign volunteers, you need to define the roles and expectations for each position. What are the tasks, skills, and time commitments required? What are the benefits and incentives for volunteering? How will you communicate and train the volunteers? Create a detailed volunteer handbook that outlines the roles, responsibilities, policies, and procedures for your conference. This will help you attract and retain qualified and motivated volunteers who know what to expect and what is expected of them.

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2 Recruit and match volunteers

Once you have defined the roles and expectations, you need to recruit and match volunteers to the positions. You can use various channels to reach out to potential volunteers, such as social media, email, newsletters, websites, flyers, word-of-mouth, or partner organizations. Make sure you highlight the benefits and impact of volunteering for your conference, and provide a clear and easy way to sign up. When you receive applications, screen and interview the candidates to assess their suitability and availability. Match them to the roles that best fit their skills, interests, and preferences, and confirm their participation.

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Priyadarshini Subramaniam

Advocate & Solicitor at Yadar & Associates
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From past expectations I would generally highlight the event - purpose, venue, date and time. Then I will call for volunteers, may even use volunteers who are influencers within the volunteer circle to encourage participation. Once recruitment is happening start looking at volunteers strengths and weaknesses and if possible grouping of volunteers. Delegate task and appoint team lead and discussing with them if they are comfortable to be given a team consisting of other volunteers ... If during the discussion there are discomfort raised which cannot be overcome then that particular volunteer would be targeted for a different team yet within that particular volunteer's interest scope and capabilities/strength .. Many more...

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3 Communicate and train volunteers

Communication and training are essential to ensure that your volunteers are well-informed and prepared for their roles. You should communicate regularly with your volunteers before, during, and after the conference, using the channels and methods that work best for them. You should provide them with relevant information, such as the conference agenda, venue, logistics, contact details, emergency procedures, and feedback mechanisms. You should also provide them with adequate training, either online or in-person, to equip them with the knowledge and skills they need to perform their tasks effectively and confidently.

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Ananya Shaik

Conference Director at GBB Venture
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When working with volunteers, what's often forgotten is to keep them informed about the whole event/ conference and not just their respective roles. This prepares them for anything that comes their way or at the least equips them to direct the issues to the right people. Most importantly keep them informed about everything that could go wrong or in your experience have been common problems so they don't panic and are able to be of help.

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Heather Arbiter

Product Manager | Gamification and Game Designer | Engagement, Retention & Behavior Design Specialist | MSc, CSPO |🔙 #G4C | 🔙 #GDC | 🔙 #24WIP | 🏳🌈🏳🌈
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Don't forget to be considerate of the fact that you're working with volunteers who have lives outside of the event they're agreeing to work for free at. Try to conduct training asynchronously and make sure you have plenty of methods for them to get info they need on-site even if its just a giant google doc they can search for answers

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4 Support and supervise volunteers

During the conference, you need to support and supervise your volunteers to ensure that they are comfortable and productive. You should assign a volunteer coordinator or manager who can oversee the volunteer operations, troubleshoot any issues, and provide guidance and feedback. You should also provide your volunteers with the necessary resources, such as badges, uniforms, equipment, snacks, water, and breaks. You should check in with your volunteers regularly to monitor their performance, address their concerns, and recognize their contributions.

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Heather Arbiter

Product Manager | Gamification and Game Designer | Engagement, Retention & Behavior Design Specialist | MSc, CSPO |🔙 #G4C | 🔙 #GDC | 🔙 #24WIP | 🏳🌈🏳🌈
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Ensure that the volunteers have a very clear chain of escalation to help attendees. There should be floating support of more experienced volunteers (or workers if they are paid) and those floaters should also have someone to report to. Discord and Slack are both useful tools for coordinating communications across a large event space. Discord supports voice communications like a radio. Slack support can allow for channels of questions that go into threads and can be managed by a team to make sure attendees can get answers even if the person with the answer is across the conference.

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5 Appreciate and retain volunteers

After the conference, you need to appreciate and retain your volunteers to show your gratitude and foster long-term relationships. You should thank your volunteers personally and publicly, either verbally, in writing, or through certificates, awards, or gifts. You should also solicit feedback from your volunteers on their experience, satisfaction, and suggestions for improvement. You should maintain contact with your volunteers and invite them to join future events or opportunities. By appreciating and retaining your volunteers, you can build a loyal and engaged volunteer community for your conference.

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Heather Arbiter

Product Manager | Gamification and Game Designer | Engagement, Retention & Behavior Design Specialist | MSc, CSPO |🔙 #G4C | 🔙 #GDC | 🔙 #24WIP | 🏳🌈🏳🌈
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Be considerate of the fact that you're working with volunteers. They should be getting something back from their participation. Besides access to the event, consider facilitating opportunities for them to network such as afterparties.

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6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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You need to coordinate with volunteers for a conference. How can you make sure everything runs smoothly?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 Define roles and expectations

2 Recruit and match volunteers

3 Communicate and train volunteers

4 Support and supervise volunteers

5 Appreciate and retain volunteers

6 Here’s what else to consider

Conference Organization

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You need to coordinate with volunteers for a conference. How can you make sure everything runs smoothly?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 Define roles and expectations

2 Recruit and match volunteers

3 Communicate and train volunteers

4 Support and supervise volunteers

5 Appreciate and retain volunteers

6 Here’s what else to consider

Conference Organization

Rate this article

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