Activate Volunteers Outside Your Event

As event organizers, producers, directors, etc., it is your job to observe and plan for all stages from beginning to middle and end. As you establish your checkpoints leading up to the event itself, it is crucial that you put this on your list: activate volunteers outside your event.

The urge and the philosophy behind this is one of thermodynamics: energy in equals energy out. This has to do with conservation. Simply put, the higher the note you start off with, the more you will be able to sustain that energy among your volunteers and create a positive, thriving environment. 

(Not to mention there is much to be done leading up to an event whether it is coordinating the volunteers themselves, stuffing packets, running errands, phone drives, or other logistical conundrums.)

Arrange for volunteer gatherings to help accomplish these tasks and more. Something like stuffing packets is ideal because it is the kind of work made light by many hands, and has an easy rhythm that allows for volunteers to talk, get to know each other, and even forge friendships. The mission will bring your volunteers in, but feelings of “togetherness” will keep them coming back.

Get them excited before the day of the event or a short time leading up to it with some kind of orientation, training or pep rally. Plan team-building exercises. This is a great way to build community while also ascertaining how certain people interact with each other. Who are the leaders in the group? The doers, the organizers, the observers? Work your magic to ensure that each volunteer is in the best position catered to their unique skills and interests. They will repay this effort ten-fold – when vision, values and strengths are aligned, purpose thrives.

A pre-celebration party or gathering is an incredibly festive way to begin any trial. Go as big or as small as your budget allows, but if someone threw you a party just for being there, wouldn’t you return next year, too?

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De-Briefing After Your Event

Finally – that event you worked so hard on is over. It finally feels like it’s time to throw on some slippers, grab a bag of chips and wind down with a glass of wine.

But not so fast.

While you should definitely give yourself a pat on the back, the period after an event can give you an opportunity to debrief both for yourself and your volunteer crew while the event is still fresh in your minds.

A de-briefing session can check on what worked and what didn’t for both you and your volunteers. It’s a positive opportunity to put a variety of minds together for a brainstorming sit-down. It can give you a chance to address concerns, highlight strengths and soak in feedback to better future events. And even if you feel like an event went successfully, you will want to check in with your team and volunteers to make sure you’re all on the same page.

Set aside time, have an agenda and get ready to review your goals both for yourself and your team.

 

Questions to ask yourself and your volunteers:

  • Get bigger and better

What are things that can be done to make the next event an even bigger success? Think about both the physical planning of the event and the analyzation of your attendee engagement. Could registration go more smoothly? Do you need more parking? Likewise, is there a way to get more attendees to your event? How was your social media language?

  • The good, the bad and the ugly

Take steps to congratulate yourself, acknowledge what could be improved upon and what needs to be thrown to the wayside. Acknowledge yourself and your volunteers for a job well done, but also discuss what didn’t work and how it can change. 

  • Listen and learn

What kind of feedback did the attendees provide – both explicitly and not explicitly? Brainstorm ways to get attendees to provide direct feedback, but also discuss what was observed. Did people struggle finding things? Was one activity particularly popular?

  • Let’s take action

Create a priority list and determine what actions can and should be done. Making a plan of action sets the tone for both yourself and your volunteers that the feedback they provide will be considered and utilized to make future events even better.

 

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Choosing Your Event Location, Location, Location

The location changes everything when it comes to event planning.

 

Talk to any realtor (or any normal person quoting a realtor) and you’re bound to hear the phrase, “Location, location, location.” Why? Because it makes a difference. Be it a house, a business, or an event, location plays a huge part in its success. The location sets a tone, affects outreach and visibility, and determines overall accessibility and appeal.

 

When the sky’s the limit, you ask, “Where should this event take place?” You dream a minute. Suddenly you’re on a nice sandy beach in your mind before this winter cold snaps you back to reality. Okay, so it’s important to dream big and start a creative brainstorm, while still staying grounded in some of the limitations and intentions behind your event.

 

Top things to consider when planning an event:

 

Availability

There’s no sense getting your heart set on a place if isn’t available how or when you need it. Is the maximum capacity there smaller than your projected attendance? Are there enough rooms that suit your needs? Is it perfect but you’d need to change your date?

 

Cost

More likely than not, you’re working on a budget, maybe even a tight one. What is the cost of all of the possible locations under consideration? Will the cost put too big of a dent in your budget? Is there room in the budget to cut down on costs in another area so more funds can be available for the location? Or, will the location provide food or security or some other segment of your budget that you had allocated elsewhere?

 

Outreach

Is this an area with high visibility? Or a location that is highly desired? Does it carry a “wow factor” that may draw more people? If not, how can you address that or add to its appeal? Will this location expand your reach so that more people are aware and interested in your event than before? Does this location further the mission and align with the goals of your organization?

 

Sponsorships

You may have others who have skin in the game here and therefore a few thoughts on where the event should be held. Be open to suggestions, but also be willing to make an ask. Sometimes business can obtain a sponsorship designation by way of providing the location and features for the event. Not only does that help you in finding a venue, but it broadens their reach in the community as well.

 

Distance

Consider the drive time (as well as public transportation and/or walkability) it takes to get to the event for your target audience. Will a faraway destination provide appeal or deter people from coming? What other local businesses and amenities are nearby? This goes for both the people attending the event and the people volunteering at it.

 

Impact

What kind of impact will a certain location provide? Will it help the community and boost the local economy? Will it cause traffic in an already busy area, making locals dread your event and their longer commute time? Will the aesthetics of the location cause a distraction to attendees or be a source of inspiration? Think about the positive and negative impact the event location will have on attendees, volunteers, staff, and the local community.

 

While we all have certain ideals and dealbreakers, you may have to compromise on some things. Know where you can and should be flexible with your expectations. Prioritize these different elements as best you can to find the location that will be the best fit.   

 

*No control over the location? Sometimes you have say in where your event takes place and sometimes you don’t. But even if the streets for your run are already approved or the conference rooms are already booked–you do still have a lot of control over the location of where your welcome desk is, where the volunteers check in, and what the flow of your event consists of. Be sure to make a new map to reflect the changes so everyone knows where to go. Maybe you’re stuck in the same location as you’ve always been, but there’s a way to be more efficient or effective with the setup of the route, the food, or the volunteer stations.

 

For more information on how to plan an event, check out The Complete Event Planning Guide.

 

 

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Governor’s Ball Music Festival

The subway is packed, the buses are full, and even the water ferries keel and tow with fired-up music lovers. They’re wearing purple lipstick and neon sunglasses, carrying LED hula-hoops and giant beach balls, gleefully interspersed between the usual pedestrian traffic. It’s an open invitation, a shock of color and vibrancy, a reminder that “you’re doing great.”

Credit: Paraiso Adventures
Credit: Paraiso Adventures

It’s festival season in the city that never sleeps – and Randall’s Island in Manhattan is host to the largest of them all: Governors Ball Music Festival.

Complete with four stages, 60+ musical acts, local food vendors and beer tents, mini golf and (why not?) a fun-sized Statue of Liberty, this massive gathering promises attendees the weekend of a lifetime and “an endless supply of high fives!” Governors Ball has become an annual urban celebration of music, sparkling lights and bodies in motion – and to make things even more magical, this event is produced in the heart of Manhattan.

“It’s awesome to have a festival in the middle of New York City,” says Sami Slovy, Volunteer Coordinator at Governors Ball NYC. “The line-up is extremely well curated and the festival always puts a huge focus on the attendee experience.”

Now heading into its seventh year, ‘Gov Ball’ (as it is affectionately coined) is a logistical feat that requires the administrative prowess of many talented staffers like Sami Slovy, in addition to approximately 500 volunteers – all of whom Slovy directly oversees.

“[VolunteerLocal] is a user-friendly, sophisticated software that was customizable for our needs at Governors Ball.” – Sami Slovy, Volunteer Coordinator at Governors Ball Music Festival in NYC

“Volunteers are critical to the festival,” explains Slovy. “They put so much in – they’re awesome. Our volunteers are extremely hard working, dedicated and motivated. They’re driven.”

Credit: Paraiso Adventures
Credit: Paraiso Adventures

She adds, “They want everybody to experience a great time at the festival.”

We can relate. Prior to VolunteerLocal, Slovy and her team at Governors Ball managed volunteers using several third party organizing tools. “It was very extensive and extremely tedious,” says Slovy. “We saved hours by switching to VolunteerLocal.”

Slovy leverages the credit card processing tool to collect application fees (and temporary deposits) from her volunteers at the time of registration. No usernames, no passwords, and a single-step signup process have kept her volunteers happy – and the on-site check-in/out tool keeps Slovy informed on-site.

We at VolunteerLocal are special fans of the Gov Ball Gives Back program – an initiative of the festival in conjunction with New York area nonprofits. This program provides an opportunity for New Yorkers to volunteer at local food banks, kitchens and public parks to earn their free GA ticket to the festival.

Volunteers receive a free t-shirt, ticket to the festival and a “rocking good time.” If that sounds like a good deal to you, the 2017 Gov Ball dates have been released – and the volunteer registration will go live next spring. Happy volunteering!

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