You must keep track of your assignments. There is so much activity going on during the conference, we count on you to show up where you are assigned to, and to do the job correctly.

There are no switching sessions during the conference without approval from Amanda Clay!

DUTIES FOR ALL VOLUNTEERS: 

Each day, sign in at the Volunteer Room/Lounge desk ONE HOUR BEFORE** your first scheduled session or other assignment. You must be on time. If you have not checked in 30 minutes before the start of your assignment, we will replace you for that assignment. Please CALL or text us as soon as you know you’re not going to make it on time. If it happens more than once, you will not be invited back.

 

***If you have breakfast duty or an a.m. assignment, please just sign in and go straight to the job.

• Check in at the Volunteer Room for any last-minute changes throughout the day while you’re on site. We may need to reassign you or have you fill a scheduling hole that comes up during the day.
• Always sign out when you leave for the day. Again, you are committed to the entire day as a volunteer, and we may need to place you in an unscheduled session. This is another reason to stay in touch with the volunteer room.

 

The Volunteer Dress Code

• Business casual: no jeans, flip-flops, or shorts.
• Wear your badge at all times. You are only issued one badge. If you take it home at night, remember to bring it back the next day.
  It is best to leave your badge in the volunteer room “badge box” and pick it up when you return.

 

The Volunteer Room/Lounge, Marina Rm.

This is the hub of volunteer activity. If you have any questions about your volunteer duties or the schedule, find someone in the Volunteer Room/Lounge. You may take breaks between your volunteer duties in this room, and you may leave your personal items there. We are not responsible for items you leave in the Volunteer Room/Lounge, but someone will be in that room at all times during the conference hours. We supply coffee and tea from the hotel all day.

 

LUNCH:

Due to hotel union restrictions, we are not supposed to bring in our own food.  We found this was not a problem at all last year. We will have mini fridges in the volunteer room where you may keep the food you want to bring.

 

On Thursday if you work the entire day, you will be given $10.00 cash by the conference for a meal. This will be given to you when you check in that day. If you are scheduled on Friday, Saturday for all day you will be given the $10 cash. There are multiple reasonably priced lunch options within walking distance to the hotel.

 

BAG STUFFING:

Bag stuffing will take place Wednesday July 20 following the 2 p.m. meeting. This is busy and hard work, and also a lot of fun.

 

BREAK OUT SESSION DUTIES:

Each breakout session is assigned two volunteers: a HOST and an AV tech, who will also act as timekeeper.

 

Timekeeper signs, a program, and name plates for the speakers will be in the podium in each room. Make sure you return the signs and the program to the shelf in the podium at the end of your session. The used nameplates can be returned to the volunteer room.

 

Show up at the assigned room 15 minutes before the start of the session.

 

In most cases, there will be a session about to end when you arrive. Wait in the hall until they wrap up, and take the time to tidy the area. You should be able to enter the room 15 minutes prior to your session. Help the exiting volunteers to pick up trash and flyers left on seats and the floor, and clear away used glasses. If you find water on the podium or tables, clean that up, throw away any wrappers left out, put dirty glasses on the tray and away from the clean glasses. If there are flyers on a table, make sure they are stacked neatly.

 

Please keep all our areas clean. This is part of your job.

 

BEFORE THE SESSION:

1. Make sure the correct session name is posted on the door.
2. The name cards for each speaker will already be in the room, under the podium.
   Put the speakers name plate on the podium or table where they will speak from.
3. When the speaker arrives, introduce yourself and ask if they have handouts that you can help distribute.
4. Make sure they have water.
5. Ask the speaker if they want you to introduce them, and if so, if they have brought an introduction for you to read. If they have not, read their bio from the program. Many speakers prefer to introduce themselves, and that is fine.
6.  Remind the speaker that since the session is recorded it is important that they read the question or repeat the question from an audience member into the mic for the recordings.
7.  AV TECH – Signs stay in the room all day and should be under the podium for each session.
8. Directions on giving speaker introductions are in the podium. Do not alter from the written introduction, whether you’re reading what the speaker has given you or from the bio in the program. Please make sure you know how to pronounce the speaker’s name. Practice this before you say it or ask someone. Try not to say “umm,” and don’t make jokes or try to be entertaining. These sessions are being taped, and your intro will be on that tape.

 

DURING THE SESSION:

The sessions are 45 minutes: 30 minutes for the speaker to present and 15 minutes for Q&A. They must be started on time and they must end on time.***

1. As attendees enter the room, try to direct people to the front first. This keeps latecomers from disrupting the session.
2. Make sure all volunteers attending the session sit in the back. If the room fills up, volunteers must give up their seats. Ideally, volunteers will not take a chair until attendees have found seats.
3. When the session starts make sure the doors are closed.
4. AV TECH/TIMEKEEPER – Hold up a sign at 15, 5, and 1 minute, and STOP to end the presentation and transition to Q&A. Make sure the speaker can see and that they notice you.
5. Q&A . Pass out index cards for the audience to write their questions down during the sessions. As the speaker wraps up, please collect the cards and give them to the speaker to read out loud and answer. Some speakers may just do their own thing and take questions as they are speaking and that is fine.
6.  AV TECH/TIMEKEEPER – During the Q&A, keep track of the time and when the session is almost over, hold up your sign that says LAST QUESTION.
7. When you see the LAST QUESTION sign, get up and, if the speaker does not wrap it up, say “That is all the time we have. If you want to ask questions please meet in the hallway, or see the speaker at Meet a Pro, we need to get the room ready for the next session.” 

***These sessions must end on time.  There is no going over time. Your job as volunteer is to politely stop the session on time and then ask people to step outside to talk and ask more questions of the speaker. It does not matter if the session starts late, it has to end on time.

 

AFTER THE SESSION:

1. Clean up the room for the next session. Due to Covid, we will be wiping down the tables and taking extra care with clean up. One of our biggest complaints from other volunteers is that the volunteers for the session before them run off and leave the room a mess. Please be a team player and don’t do this!
2. Use this check list (found on the clipboard in the podium) to complete the room tasks. Check each box and initial the form and return it to the volunteer room.
3. At least one volunteer stays in the room until the volunteers for the next session arrive. Do not ever leave a session room empty. If no one is showing up for a scheduled next session. Call one of us in the volunteer room or tell the floater ASAP.

 

IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM DURING YOUR SESSION:

If you have a problem in your session, do not leave the room. Check the hallway for a floater or text the volunteer room. Their job is to take care of crowd overflow or other unforeseen problems.

 

For example: If your speaker has not shown up 5 minutes before class, immediately tell the floater, and call or text Amanda Clay in the volunteer room. We will handle it. This does happen. Sometimes speakers miss their own sessions!

 

If there are any other room issues or problems find the floater and tell them. They will know what to do or find someone who does.

 

Other Volunteer tasks and activities:

More information will be given at the time of the task.

• Meal Greeter and Seater–help usher attendees into their seats. Assist with speaker Q & As.
• Volunteer Room/Lounge attendant– Assist in helping other volunteers with their schedule, check in and answer questions.
• Reception desk attendant- answer general questions and provide information.
• Speed Dating attendant – attend the speed dating event on Sunday. Refill snacks, water, answer questions, make announcements.
• Ask a Pro attendant – help attendees find their seats, answer questions, assist the “pros”.
• Nightly Dinner Sign-up attendant – Act as a friendly liaison to the conference, chat with attendees, help Harvey with minor coordinations such as taxis or directions. Enjoy a complimentary dinner!
• Agent One-on-One attendant – Help with appointment check ins, answer questions, assist agent with water, etc.
• Floater – Move around the conference checking in on sessions to make sure all is going smoothly. Report to Volunteer room any issues.

 

Remember, you are on call during the days you are scheduled to volunteer. Things happen, and sometimes at the last moment we will need your help in a position you were not originally assigned to. Please remember to be flexible and accommodating. You are here to serve the presenters and attendees first.

 

Enjoy yourself. You will help the reputation of the conference, and this will make it easier for you to make the connections you want.

 

• All volunteers are encouraged to attend the keynote speakers’ sessions. When the meal is completed, feel free to take a seat in the back of the room. If there is no meal served, wait until attendees are seated, and then go to the back of the room.

 

• All volunteers are welcome to the Saturday night Gala Cocktail and Networking event and the Poetry & Jazz party that follows.

 

Misc other items:

 

Volunteers may not participate in speed dating, agent consults, or other free consults.

However, the WNBA-SF chapter runs a speed dating, they call Pitch O Rama, in March, with almost all the same people the conference has. Visit their website to sign up. https://wnba-sfchapter.org/

Please do not pitch yourself to the speakers/agents/authors when you are working. You have a tremendous amount of freedom to speak to anyone at the conference. Not however, if you have an assigned duty. This is not acceptable. Your assigned duties come first. We have no problem with you talking to speakers, on your own time.