Conferences require many volunteers, especially if it is a large one over a number of days.  The conference organizing committee can take over some of the duties, but there are always more positions to fill then there are committee members.

It is a good idea to start recruitment early; this is especially the case if the event will occur around a particularly busy time of the semester – midterms, finals, etc.  The earlier volunteers agree to work an event, the likelihood of there being a conflict with another appointment is reduced.

Volunteers can be students, faculty, session chairs, or members of the community, but they should all have an interest in the conference or event proceedings.  After determining how many required conference positions can be filled from the organizing committee, you can start recruiting from other areas.  It is easiest to start recruiting among your school peers, so issue notices in the relevant buildings and go and talk to classes.  Then go and talk to different faculty members – who are not directly involved with the conference organization – from departments related to the conference theme.

Your recruitment may have more results if you allow the volunteers to choose their duties from a pre-prepared list.  This will also help to ensure the volunteers show up at the time of the event instead of making their excuses and bowing out simply because they were not enthusiastic about what they would be doing there.

Once you have your volunteers continue to check to ensure they are still able to participate in the event.  Life does happen, and some of your original volunteers will need to cancel, but try and fill these vacancies as soon as possible to avoid problems later on. 

At a later date you should set up a meting to conduct any required training, and to review the various conference schedules.  At this point make sure each volunteer has copies of the schedules, and contact names and numbers for committee members or TRU departments which are involved in case something goes wrong.

The numbers required will vary depending on the size of the conference.

Transportation:

• Guest and participant welcoming committee
• Drivers for the special speakers, and for the participants if you are personally picking some of them up once they arrive in the city, or driving them during the conference.

Registration:

• Welcome people and provide them with an information package
• If fee payment is made at the time of registration someone should handle the money – possibly the treasurer – someone needs to make nametags and hand out completed information packages

Food Sales:

• Handing of the food if not done by the CAC or another vendor
• Money handling
• Supervising any cash floats for financial transactions

Other:

• Answer questions, staff an “Info Point”
• Guide participants to sessions if they are in a separate building on campus – this can be the mediator of the session as well
• Garbage maintenance and general cleanup if this is not performed by Facilities
• Session maintenance – do the speakers have water, is there fresh water for each session, any cleanup, etc.
• Signage
• A/V
• Catering
• Media relations
• Special event management and supervision
• Banquet set-up and operation
• Resolution of any problems, and ensuring all mediators are present
• Supervision of volunteers

One method of gaining volunteer participation is to offer them compensation for their duties, which can include the waiving of all or a part of the registration fee or gifts from any of the sponsors and/or the TRU Bookstore.

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