2019 ACM Awards Weekend: How to Make a Polished Volunteer Management Program

We've all heard of the Academy of Country Music Awards Weekend -- but not everyone knows that it's run primarily by volunteers. For its April 2019 event, a small ACM events management team, comprised of 75 volunteers and about 25 staff, supervisors, and administrators, covered over 415 shifts and worked 2000 to produce one of its most successful events ever. Their secret? ACM event managers used the mobile event app InitLive to create a polished volunteer management program. 

ACM results with InitLive

In a nutshell, these were the weekend results:

• Communications improved 100%, eliminating no-shows.
• Administrative work was cut in half. 
• Using InitLive helped lower operating costs.
• The event staff dealt with less everyday stress because volunteers felt more prepared.

How ACM event staff used InitLive 

1. Custom Registration

AMC provided a professional looking, accessible self-registration system through InitLive's signup page. It proved easy to use and allowed staff to customize questions about skills and experience in order to properly match volunteers with the right roles. 

2. Improved efficiency

With InitLive, it took event managers just moments to review volunteer availabilities and assign new shifts.

3. Reduced event day anxiety

Organizers used InitLive to post all information online which volunteers would need beforehand. So volunteers had far less on-site questions for their team leads -- and less anxiety.

4. Real-time visibility

ACM event organizers monitored volunteer check-ins and were able to remedy potential shift shortages immediately.

5. Mobility

ACM event organizers orchestrated multiple events and activities which took place at the same time. With InitLive, team leads checked in volunteers from any location.

6. Improved communications

Volunteers could text their team-leads in real-time updates through InitLive. And not a single volunteer was late or missing this year.

Are you looking to improve day of communications with your event's volunteers? Check out - Efficient "day of" communication with event staff and volunteers

7. Information sharing

ACM organizers included as much information as possible in the InitLive mobile app, including checklists, schedules, and artist face sheets. That way, volunteers were prepared to answer virtually any question from both fans and artists.

8. Customer service

In short, AMC's event manager found that InitLive helped create an informed, efficient, and polished customer service team. That's why the organizing team receives a refresher course each year to get the most out of the InitLive mobile event app.

For more information on how you can use the InitLive mobile event to create a polished and successful volunteer management program, please contact us.

A Customer Success Story  Learn how the Academy of Country Music Awards  spend 50% less time on administrative work with InitLive's volunteer scheduling software.