2010 Highlights

Organic Landscape Alliance helping homes be chemical free Browsing the books Heifer helping and representing farmers across the globe

Featured Presentations from the 2010 Conference

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Volunteers

From the Conference Manager: to all of the 90+ volunteers who scurried around the Expo, who helped carry in boxes, who got up at 6.45 am to register guests for workshops, who pasted exhibitor forms on tables till 10.30 pm, etc., etc., we could not have run the 2010 Conf. without you ! Please volunteer again for 2011.

Volunteering at the Conference

From Volunteer Coordinator:
Kerry Brookes

Hello.
I am the Volunteer Co-ordinator for the 29th Annual Guelph Organic Conference. I am asking for your help in assisting me at this Conference during the period January 28 – 31, 2010. If you are not interested for yourself, perhaps you could pass along this Web Site and contact page to others who might be. If you have already contacted me in regard to volunteering, please read on and find out more about the Conference… and about the specific duties which we must fill.

Firstly, I suggest you check out the Conference schedule and workshop times by accessing “Workshops (Overview)” – the drop-down menu found in the top-right corner of the Conference home page. Then, decide which days you can attend. Unfortunately, we cannot provide car-pooling or billeting for the Conference due to prohibitive insurance costs. However, if a group of you decides to come at the same time, let me know and I will try to arrange compatible schedules.

Your volunteer commitment would consist of one or more of the following days:

FRIDAY:
If you volunteer on Friday during the day, a minimum of 3-3.5 hours is required. You may attend for free the evening Public Forum and any workshops that do not conflict with your volunteer schedule. If you volunteer just for the Public Forum on Friday evening, you will get into it for free.

FRIDAY ORGANIC DINNER:
Everyone must pay (and register beforehand) to attend the Organic Dinner. Cost of 1 Meet The Presenters Organic Dinner Ticket: $50.

SATURDAY:
If you volunteer on Saturday, you must do so for 3-3.5 hours. Then, you are free to attend any of the workshops that don’t conflict with your volunteer schedule. Free admission to Saturday workshops does not include admission to the Keynote address. This is a separate event for which an admission ticket is needed.

SUNDAY:
If you volunteer on Sunday, you must do so for 2.5-3 hours. Then, you are free to attend any of the workshops that don’t conflict with your volunteer schedule.

Please browse this Web Site to see those workshops which you might be interested in attending/volunteering… and I will try to accommodate you.

Obviously, the sooner you reply, the more likely you will get the job you want.

If there are any physical limitations, please tell me and I’ll do my best to accommodate you. Also, if you have any special skills, let me know.

Here is a list of typical volunteer duties:

  • Workshop monitors: (check badges of guests, hand out evaluations, assist the presenters)
  • Registration desk: register guests, handle money
  • Coat check: this important task takes place just inside the door of UC103/Central Registration Room on the Main Level (south entrance) of the Guelph University Centre
  • Parking control/exhibitor unloading: must be able to be on-site at the Conference for approx 6:00 am on Saturday and be able to handle cold weather
  • Set up: must be able to be at Conference for approx 6:00 am on Saturday to help exhibitors set up for Trade Expo
  • Tear Down: must be able to stay til about 7:00 pm on Sunday to help exhibitors tear down and load their vehicles at end of Trade Expo
  • Greeters: greet attendees on Saturday and Sunday morning and help guests with specific information and directions as they get set to register for Conference
  • ‘Gofers’ (runners for immediate tasks which arise:) be at my beck and call (!) for your volunteer time and also interview Trade Expo attendees using a brief survey
  • Public Forum: check tickets at the entrance to Thornbrough Auditorium (next to Guelph U.C.) on Friday evening

    • I’m sure there are other duties that will arise, but the ones just listed are the basic set of annual jobs which we need filled.

    It helps if you are a “people-person” – someone who can handle a busy job. It’s a pretty hectic 4-day event, certainly with some slower periods. However, almost all the volunteers over the years have enjoyed themselves in these important jobs and have asked to be considered for future volunteer duties.

    If you’re interested in getting involved in the Organic Movement, please contact me. This Conference, Canada’s longest-running organic marketing event, is a great place to network with the many organic sector personnel who come from all over Canada. This is also a place to experience the latest market trends in this growing field.

    Kerry Brookes
    Volunteer Co-ordinator
    29th Annual Guelph Organic Conference
    28-31 January, 2010

    Phone: 905-544-3587
    Fax: 905-544-7436

    kbok (at) sympatico.ca