Collision conference’s volunteer program is an example of a win-win strategy that can be easily duplicated by other events. The buzzy conference—which focuses on the world of tech start-ups—has seen attendance balloon from just 1,000 people at the first event in 2014 to more than 11,000 at the 2016 gathering in New Orleans in April.
An event of that size requires a substantial staff to ensure things go smoothly. But rather than hiring people to fill that need, organizers invite anyone interested to apply to be a volunteer—creating an opportunity for people who might not be able to afford tickets (which start at $700) to still attend the event.
“The success of our volunteer program is crucial in delivering a fantastic attendee experience at our events,” said press manager Eleanor McGrath. “And we believe that our volunteer program is a great opportunity to gain work experience, be part of our networking environment, and to simply experience a major tech and start-up event.”
Organizers said they selected 220 volunteers from the nearly 1,000 applicants, from retirees to entrepreneurs to college students. In exchange for complimentary access to the entire conference program, the volunteers work three shifts of about six hours each during the four-day event, helping with registration, social media, and speaker services.
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