How to brief event volunteers
Volunteers have said yes, and the briefing is the one chance to turn good intentions into people who know where to stand and whom to ask.
The short answer
Brief volunteers in two parts: a short, scheduled session before the event, and a one-page handout for their own post. Cover the event in one minute, their post in detail, the decisions they may make, who to call, and what to do when something does not fit.
Finish by asking each volunteer to say back their first task and the person they would call. If they cannot, the briefing is not finished.
What the briefing is for
A volunteer should be able to answer four questions without asking: where do I stand, what do I do first, what can I decide, and who do I call. Everything else in the briefing supports those four answers.
Keep the delegate-facing message consistent: volunteers are often the first people attendees ask, so give them the three facts they will be asked most, such as session times, room names and where to find the registration desk.
Agenda for a 45-minute briefing
| Segment | Time | What to cover |
|---|---|---|
| The event in one minute | 5 min | Purpose, audience, programme shape, what good looks like. |
| Walk the venue | 10 min | Routes, rooms, registration, toilets, lifts, where volunteers are posted, where the supervisor will be. |
| Posts and shifts | 10 min | Each volunteer's post, time block, break cover and handover (see shift handover). |
| Decisions and escalation | 10 min | What they may decide, limits, who to call, and what not to attempt alone. |
| Questions and say-back | 10 min | Each volunteer states first task and who they would call. |
The one-page handout
- Their post, time block and break cover, with the names of neighbours.
- Three contact numbers: supervisor, project owner, venue contact. Test each before the day.
- The three facts delegates ask most.
- A short list of things that need to be passed to someone else, not handled alone, such as safety concerns, injuries, upset delegates, media questions or any request involving payments or personal data.
- Arrival time, where to sign in, and what to bring.
Safety, welfare and conduct
Safety, first-aid and emergency arrangements belong to the venue and the competent party you appoint. Ask them what volunteers need to know, and include only that in the briefing.
Say plainly who volunteers report concerns to, including concerns about their own welfare, and give them the break schedule and where to rest. Questions on conditions of volunteering, insurance or age limits are for your legal or HR adviser.
Pitfalls
- Briefing on arrival, in the middle of setup.
- Overloading the briefing with the whole run-of-show.
- Giving volunteers tasks that need specialist skill or sign-off. Check against the competency checklist.
- Not testing contact numbers, so the first call fails.
- No say-back, so confusion is discovered in front of delegates.
Worked example · Fictional example
Briefing eight volunteers for a one-day forum
Fictional organisation and figures. Times and numbers are hypothetical.
A fictional professional-learning association has eight volunteers for its forum. The project owner runs the 45-minute briefing the evening before, with the venue contact for the walk-through. Each volunteer receives a one-page handout and says back their first task and who they would call.
| Volunteer post | First task | First call | Pass on, do not handle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registration desk | Set out badges in A to Z order | Registration lead | Payment queries |
| Room 1 door | Check projector and sign for room | Technician | Equipment faults |
| Wayfinding | Stand at lift lobby and direct to registration | Supervisor | Delegate in distress or injured |
| Speaker host | Meet speaker at green room | Programme chair | Request to change slot |
Use this yourself
Volunteer briefing checklist and handout
Copy this and tick items as you cover them. Use the second half as the handout, one page per post.
- Session scheduled before the event day, with a start and end time.
- Venue walk-through done with the venue contact.
- Each volunteer has a post, time block, break cover and handover partner named.
- Handout printed or sent, one page per post.
- Three contact numbers tested.
- Safety, first-aid and emergency information given only as provided by the venue and competent party.
- Escalation list covered: what is passed on, not handled alone.
- Say-back completed for every volunteer.
- Arrival time, sign-in point and what to bring confirmed in writing.
Handle it in-house, or bring in help?
Your team can usually handle this when
- A small number of volunteers who have helped at this event before.
- A simple post such as a door or a sign-in desk.
- A supervisor available for the whole event.
Outside planning help earns its fee when
- Many volunteers across several rooms, with first-time helpers.
- Volunteers will be near suppliers, speakers or VIPs and need clear boundaries.
- Nobody on the team has time to run the briefing, write the handouts and check the say-back.
Want the briefing planned and run with your team?
A conference project lead can draft the volunteer handouts from your staffing plan, run the briefing and say-back, and keep the contact sheet and handover points in step. Safety and welfare content comes from the venue and the competent party you appoint.
Questions organisers ask
How long should a volunteer briefing be?
Around 45 minutes is workable for most professional events, including a walk of the venue. Longer for large teams or complex posts, shorter for a simple desk.
When should the briefing take place?
Before the event day, not on arrival during setup. If volunteers cannot attend in advance, run a short repeat on arrival and give them the handout beforehand.
Do volunteers need to sign anything?
Whether volunteers should sign anything, and what it should say, is a question for your legal adviser. Your briefing only needs a sign-in so you know who is present.
Related resources
Content record: Draft. Written from the cited sources and checked by automated rules; not yet independently reviewed.