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The success of conventions nowadays depend upon your top-notch volunteer program. Fandom conventions in particular can present a management challenge due to the potential scale of the event and the high expectations of fans. But those elements can contribute to a phenomenal experience for all if your volunteers are well-trained, motivated, and up-to-speed. Read on to take your fandom convention to the next level with an absolutely amazing volunteer program.
1. Inspire excitement.
Understanding the passion of your volunteers in essential to creating a volunteer program they will be lining up to join. Create insider content for all the volunteers you have in your database and start sparking excitement before registration starts. Makes sure to share sneak peeks of volunteer perks like swag and insider meet and greets on social media to get the attention of new volunteers.
2. Offer self-registration.
One of the best ways to find passionate volunteers is to offer self-registration online. You'll attract focused, tech-savvy volunteers who already know what aspect of the convention they're passionate about and how they'd like to spend their volunteer time. For that reason, it's a good idea to make all the role choices available online with full descriptions. Your volunteers will appreciate the autonomy -- and they'll be motivated to do their best.
To learn more about volunteer recruitment and registration click here.
3. Give volunteer perks.
Let your volunteers have the chance to enjoy the ultimate fan experience at your fandom convention by designing a tier system where the more hours volunteers put in, the faster they gain access to the conventions' most exciting events. Your volunteers will work hard to get the perks that inspired them to volunteer for the conference in the first place -- like a few minutes face time with guest celebrities or a free pass to a sci-fi speaking panel.
4. Stay connected.
When you're running a fandom convention with hundreds or even thousands of attendees, your volunteers will be spread throughout the event site. And you may have some volunteers leave the site to run errands for special guests. So you'll need a great communication app like InitLive for your staff to stay connected with each team member, wherever they go.
Check out - 5 Tips For Promoting Your Fandom Convention
5. Track hours and verify shifts.
Be sure to use a mobile app which tracks the number of shifts each team member works and allows you to verify check-ins. When that capability is combined with InitLive's real-time communications, you can make immediate scheduling adjustments so that your event will continue running smoothly.
6. Don't forget the data.
As this Medium.com article tells us, collecting data -- whether it's about employee performance or about guest attendance and registration -- is an essential part of determining whether or not your event is a success. Use an event app like InitLive to collect and data and track progress. That way, avoid downloading spreadsheets and doing manual calculations as you review expenditures, registration numbers, revenue, and other vital metrics.
7. Show Appreciation
Volunteers are the backbone of any event, without them the event wouldn't be able to run smoothly. Make sure to show your volunteers appreciation once the event is finished, a card or a small gift goes a long way in retaining those amazing volunteers.
For more information on how you can create an amazing volunteer program when you use InitLive as your all-in-one event management tool, please contact us.
