A considerable workforce is frequently required to guarantee that a successful event runs smoothly. Your concentration will most likely be on the speakers, presenters, and other performers, and you won’t be able to be everywhere at once. However, unless your budget is limitless or you’ve secured sponsorship, you may not be able to pay all of the employees you require.
Volunteers for events are an excellent way to boost manpower while staying on budget. It needs a combination of hard effort and creative planning to know how to attract and keep volunteers. Not only will you need to recruit volunteers, but you’ll also need to persuade them that giving their time to your event is worthwhile. Finding volunteers for charity organizations has the benefit of individuals feeling more comfortable contributing their time to a non-profit than a for-profit company.
After you’ve figured out how to recruit volunteers and how to keep them on your team, you’ll need to master volunteer management – which can be a beast in and of itself – and think about volunteer retention techniques to keep your team with you until the end of the event. None of these obstacles, however, are insurmountable. With Eventbrite on your side, creating events that are effective at engaging volunteers from the start is easier than ever.
How to Create a Volunteer Program for Your Event
You should start planning your volunteer recruiting techniques as soon as you know how many jobs you’ll need to fill. You’ll need to figure out how much staff you’ll need for your event and whether you’ll need volunteers to help out.
Begin with your event’s requirements
Consider all of the places where volunteers might be beneficial while preparing an event. A well-run event will usually necessitate positions such as:
- Preparation – Moving and arranging chairs, tables, sound systems, video controls, banners, decorations, and kiosks are all required.
- Ticket sales and registration at the door – This person should be stationed at the main entrance.
- Ushers – They are often employed at more formal presentations to escor guests to their seats.
- Handler of swag – If you’re handing out swag or other items supplied by sponsors, you’ll need someone to do it.
- Seller of merch – Do you sell t-shirts, coffee mugs, or other branded items? You’re going to need a cashier.
- Cleanup – After the celebration, it’s time to clean up and pack up, and assistance is always welcome.
Make a list of volunteer criteria for the event. What qualities and talents should your ideal volunteers possess? If your employment requires you to move large objects or walk stairs, for example, make sure you’re clear about the physical demands. You may also need bilingual volunteers if you anticipate a large number of event attendees who speak Spanish, Chinese, or another language. Also, for legal reasons or if alcohol is being provided, consider utilizing volunteers who are above the age of 18 or 21. (check your local regulations). It would be easier to identify suitable matches if you are explicit about your expectations.
How to Recruit Volunteers for an Event
Once you’ve determined your volunteer requirements, you’ll need to understand how to attract volunteers in order to identify the best people to represent your event’s brand. To enhance your pool of potential volunteers, successful volunteer recruiting techniques frequently encompass as many lines of pursuit as feasible.
- Begin with your guests. People on your email list or who have already registered are already enthusiastic about your event. Get in touch with them to see if they’re interested in volunteering.
- Make use of the community. If a community group is already participating in the event, reach out to them and ask for volunteers. You may also call nearby universities to ask if you can inform students about the opportunity and distribute volunteer recruiting flyers on campus.
- Make a social media post. Recruiting volunteers via social media is the new frontier. Post a call for volunteers on social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to reach followers and admirers who don’t check their email. You may also publicize your event on sites like VolunteerMatch if it’s for a worthy cause.
- Provide incentives. You should provide an incentive for individuals to give their time if you want them to do so. It’s possible that after their shift finishes, they’ll get a premium level of event access, a discount on items, or tickets to a fun giveaway. The goal is to make volunteers feel important and valued.
How to Prepare Your Volunteers
Once you’ve gathered some volunteers, you’ll need to know how to effectively manage them. Knowing how to train volunteers for an event so they understand their responsibilities come showtime is the first step to successful event volunteer management.
It’s critical to understand how virtual and hybrid events vary from live-only events in terms of needs. Volunteers will be responsible for managing chat rooms and other online conversations, as well as checking for civility and technical smoothness, thus volunteers should be familiar with Zoom, Vimeo, and other streaming platforms.
