Volunteer/Work Exchange Positions:

Volunteers – our volunteers choose how they would like to help with the conference.  There are plenty of opportunities to share your time before the conference, so volunteers are not required to attend the conference to participate in its growth.  Similarly, if volunteers plan to attend the conference, they are not obliged to assume onsite tasks during the conference, though they may volunteer to do so if they wish.

Work Exchange – There are a limited number of spaces for the Work Exchange team. Those who wish to participate in the work exchange program must submit an application form to the Volunteer Coordinator.  Those who participate via Work-Exchange will pay a reduced fee for the conference.  This fee can be reimbursed upon completion of requisite hours.  Before the conference, each participant will select workshops in which they wish to participate and registration will ensure there is space for them in these workshops.  They may also choose their duties from a schedule of onsite tasks, in order to offset the program fee.  All work-exchange participants will receive an onsite task as a part of this position.  All work exchange participants will be onsite at 12:00 p.m. on Friday April 17th in order to become acquainted with the place, each other, and the duties.

All volunteers and work exchange are spokespeople for our message, so each will be mailed a small number of promotional materials, which they will put up in a public space, or pass along to friends/co-workers, etc.  (Some ideas for placing promotional material: the local gym, a bulletin board at a public library, school bulletin boards, post at your workplace, if you attend a church/temple/synagogue perhaps there is space for you to leave a poster, etc.)

Volunteer/Work Exchange Job descriptions

Distribution:
-You will receive promotional material in the mail, along with a list of places – local to you – that will receive this material.  You will put up the material in these places and then email us to fill us in on how it went.
-Alternatively, you can send us a list of places that are local to you, and we will send you the appropriate amount of material.  Remember, even a few posters/postcards can help quite a bit. Think about your routine…do you walk by a community centre, or yoga studio every day?  You can help us quite a bit, without even going out of your way to do so.

Door Monitor:
-Please be ready and at your room 15 minutes prior to workshop start time.  If you are participating in a workshop beforehand, you will have to leave early to do so.
-If applicable, turn lights on, check room temperature and make sure there is water for the teacher
-Allow all participants/instructors from the previous workshop to leave before allowing workshop attendees to enter the room
-Help workshop attendees waiting for their workshop room to form a line, leaving room for the previous workshop to exit.
-Greet workshop attendees and check their pass/take their ticket
-Kindly ask that all participants have their passes before entering, and direct to the registration desk those who have not registered and wish to do so
-Mention to participants where they may put their personal items while in the workshop (i.e. shoes and bags are placed at the back of the room, creating more space and reducing clutter.)
-Know your way around the building so you can direct people to wherever they need (washrooms, registration, etc.)

Workshop Buddy:
-Please meet your teacher 10 minutes before scheduled workshop at the Conference Office. If you are participating in a workshop beforehand you have to leave before the end of the workshop to do so.
-Locate photocopied handouts (the teacher will have requested these prior to the conference, and they will be found prepared in the conference office)
-Ask the teacher how he/she would like the students to set up their mats, and assist the students in establishing the required set-up.
-Attend to your teacher’s reasonable needs
-Study your teacher’s bio
-Introduce your teacher to the class and thank them at the end
-Know your way around the building so you can direct people to wherever they need (washrooms, registration, etc.)

Conference Office/Runner:
-Be present and excited to answer questions and direct people, to workshops, washrooms, lost and found, etc.
-Communicate with the buddies and door monitors, especially when workshops are beginning, helping them with unforeseen requirements
-Know your way around the building so you can direct people to wherever they need (washrooms, registration, etc.)

Registration Desk (which later becomes the Information Desk):
-Provide assistance to the registration team, working under their direction
-Take people’s name and distribute conference package
-Please remind our guests of the Marketplace and up-coming events
-Know your way around the building so you can direct people to wherever they need (washrooms, registration, etc.)

Marketplace Assistant/Runner:
-Set-up will start Friday 12pm
-Know where to find the power outlets, garbage/recycling, etc.
-Must have a map of the booth lay-out
-Assist vendors with their reasonable set-up needs
-Know your way around the building so you can direct people to wherever they need (washrooms, registration, etc.)