Volunteer Position Descriptions and Instructions
Accessibility Attendant
- Please arrive at the Volunteer Room 15 minutes prior to your shift to check in and then report to the Accessibility Information Kiosk in near registration. You must check out at the Volunteer Room once your duties are complete.
- Accessibility Attendants will assist attendees by checking out/in mobility scooters and devices, answering questions regarding the Lactation Room and direct attendees to NRPA’s inclusion rooms.
Bag Stuffing**
- Bag stuffing+ will take place in Exhibit Hall C near the 300 aisle café area of the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center. Please go directly to Exhibit Hall C, as the volunteer room will not be open.
- Volunteers will place informational and promotional materials into Conference attendee bags and neck wallets. You may also be asked to provide other ‘swag’ related assistance as well.
**If you are bag stuffing on Saturday or on Sunday morning, keep in mind that you will not be able to pick up your registration materials for the conference until registration opens on Sunday at 12 noon.
Best of the Best
- Please arrive at the Volunteer Room at least 30 minutes prior to your shift to check-in. The Best of the Best volunteers must check out with someone on the NRPA staff before leaving. We keep track of your attendance.
- Best of the Best volunteers will assist with checking in attendees, handing out programs and ushering groups to their seating area.
Day 2 General Session Usher
- Please arrive at the Volunteer Room at least 30 minutes prior to your shift to check in. Once checked in, you will head to Convention Center Exhibit Hall F on Level 200 wearing your Volunteer T-shirt. You must check out with NRPA Staff. We keep track of your attendance.
- Day 2 General Session Ushers will assist with greeting and directing attendees to their seats upon their arrival.
Exhibit Hall Luncheon Ticket Taker
- Please arrive at the Volunteer Room 15 minutes prior to your shift to check in and then report to Exhibit Hall E near the NRPA Sports Demo Zone. You must check out at the Volunteer Room once your duties are complete.
- Exhibit Hall Luncheon Ticket Takers will assist with taking tickets and handing out boxed lunches on the Exhibit Hall floor.
Floor Captains (Including PCW and Speed Session Floor Captains)
- Please arrive at the Volunteer Room at least 15 minutes prior to each shift in order to receive your training. Upon check-in, you will be informed which session room areas you will be assigned for your floor captain duties. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes, as you may be doing a lot of standing and/or walking. You must check out at the Volunteer Room once your Floor Captain assignment is complete.
- Floor captains will provide support to the Room Hosts and assist when information or supplies are needed, contact the proper person for help if a speaker needs AV assistance and check rooms to ensure all assigned Room Hosts arrive on time and with the assigned session packet. (Two-way radios will be provided for communication purposes and you will be trained how to use them — don’t worry, it’s easy).
Flying Squad
- Please arrive at the Volunteer Room 15 minutes prior to each shift to check in. Depending on what you are needed for, you may be standing/walking often or you may be waiting for tasks. You must check out at the Volunteer Room once you have completed your Flying Squad assignment.
- Flying squad volunteers must be flexible about where they are assigned and will be on constant call during their shift. Volunteers will be stationed in the Volunteer Room to await instructions.
- Flying Squad members will help fill in areas where additional volunteers are needed. Additional roles might include: delivering messages, picking up packages, filling in for room hosting or other no-shows, assisting with emergencies, etc.
NRPA Member Area (located on the Exhibit Hall floor)
- Please arrive at the Volunteer Room 15 minutes prior to your shift to check in and then report to the Member Area booth in the Exhibit Hall. You must check out at the Volunteer Room once your duties are complete.
- Member Area volunteers will assist NRPA staff as needed in the various departments in the booth, help to keep the area clean and organized, answer attendee questions or direct them to NRPA staff as needed.
NRPA’s Opening Reception at Gilley’s
- Volunteers should meet in the Volunteer Room, 30 minutes prior to their assigned time for check in. Please be prompt.
- Volunteers will then meet an NRPA Staff member to board a shuttle bus to Gilley’s where they will receive further instructions. Volunteers will be released and must check out with NRPA staff once their duties are complete. We keep track of your attendance.
- Assigned tasks may include:
- Assistance with collection of badge tickets and handing out party passports
- Assisting people throughout the reception
- Volunteer may also be dedicated to assisting the event sponsor, GameTime
NRPA Swag Attendant (located on the Exhibit Hall floor)
- Please arrive at the Volunteer Room 15 minutes prior to your shift to check in and then report to the NRPA Booth – Booth #430 – in the Exhibit Hall. You must check out at the Volunteer Room once your duties are complete.
- NRPA Swag Attendants will assist with swapping badge tickets for NRPA sponsored swag which will be eligible to exchange for fun, limited edition NRPA member swag.
Opening General Session Usher
- Please arrive at the Volunteer Room at least 30 minutes prior to your shift to check-in. Once checked in, you will head to Convention Center Exhibit Hall F on Level 200 wearing your Volunteer T-shirt. You must check out with NRPA Staff. We keep track of your attendance.
- Opening General Session Ushers will assist with greeting and directing attendees upon their arrival, provide any necessary programs/handouts and will help with directing attendees to the exhibit hall floor once it ends.
Registration Area Line Usher
- Please arrive at the Volunteer Room 15 minutes prior to your shift to check in and then report to the Registration area. You must check out at the Volunteer Room once your duties are complete.
- Registration Line Usher volunteers will assist in the registration area by directing attendees to the correct registration counter (Pre-Registered or Onsite Registration). Registration Line Usher volunteers will also assist with attendee questions; Line Ushers will be carrying ‘lollipop’ signs and must be able to walk and stand for extended periods.
Research Poster Session Host
- Please arrive at the Volunteer Room 30 minutes prior to your volunteer time slot to pick up your packet and receive any last-minute instructions.
- Research Poster Session Host duties include assisting poster presenters prior to and during the poster session. They will monitor the poster session and assist when information or supplies are needed; contact the proper person for help if assistance is needed; check the poster area to ensure all poster presenters arrive on time and are able to find and hang their poster in their assigned space. (Materials and training will be provided onsite).
- Research Poster Session Host volunteers must check-out at the Volunteer Room once they have completed their assignment.
Session Room Host
(Includes PCW, Round Table Session and Speed Session Room Hosts)
- More information will be provided about the training(s) soon.
- When you check in at the Volunteer Room you will receive a packet of information with all necessary materials. Please arrive at the Volunteer Room 30 minutes prior to your volunteer time slot to pick up your packet and receive any last-minute instructions.
- Room Hosts are responsible for the tasks listed below and will have access to a Floor Captain who will be stationed near, but outside, of your session room in case you should encounter a problem.
- Room host responsibilities include:
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- Checking the room set-up, ensuring chairs are neatly placed and debris is cleared from tables and floors
- Reading the provided Session Room Host Script prior to the Education Session
- Working with the floor captains to resolve an Audio/Visual (AV) issues
- Assisting speakers with handouts or challenges
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- Monitoring room capacity as individuals enter session rooms (overcrowded rooms are not permitted)
- Aid with questions related to the App-based evaluation and CEU process
- May help with any app-based issues if attendees have problems
- Determining and recording the number of attendees on a head-count sheet
- Returning any necessary materials back to the Volunteer Room immediately following the session
- As a Room Host you are eligible to receive CEUs if you attend the entire session. To obtain CEUs, you must follow the same CEU procedures as the other session attendees.
- Room Host volunteers must check-out at the Volunteer Room once they have completed their assignment.
Volunteer Room
- Please arrive at the Volunteer Room 15 minutes prior to your shift and await instructions.
- Volunteer room volunteers will check volunteers in and out, pass out Volunteer T-shirts (sponsored by PlayCore), answer all questions to the best of your ability, assist with Room Host Script handouts and/or provide general information to other volunteers.
- Checking volunteers in and out is critical. Anyone not signing in or out for their assigned volunteer responsibility may be required to pay a no-show fee for assignments missed, or for their registration if they do not attend the Conference at all.
- Volunteer Room volunteers are often the Volunteer Coordinator’s “right-hand person!”
***Please be aware that changes to instructions and/or meeting locations may occur. If this happens, correspondence will be sent to your email address on file. Please keep an eye on your email while you attend the conference to the best of your ability.
Opportunities include floor captains, volunteer kiosk assistants, flying squad runners, room hosts for education sessions (Note: Individuals will be able to receive CEUs when volunteering in education sessions), exhibit hall directional assistants, evening social support and more.
For more information about volunteering at the conference, please contact events@nrpa.org.
