7 Things to Plan Before Your Event

Depending on the type and size of your event, you will likely require volunteers for help on the event day. Volunteers who are giving their time deserve to be appreciated, so treat them well. Do what you can to make their jobs easy and to make them comfortable. Always be appreciative and always thank your volunteers in person at the event. Don't assume volunteers will be there for the event as promised, it's not uncommon for them to forget or for circumstances to change. For this reason, it's always better to have more volunteers than less. Be sure to remind them a few days or a week prior to the event about their commitment and confirm their attendance.

Provide volunteers with clear instructions and make sure they understand their jobs. If someone is volunteering for hours, they will most likely need a break at some point. Be prepared to move volunteers around to cover if necessary. Smaller events can have as few as 2 or 3 volunteers, while larger events require more. Areas where you might need volunteers for help are; welcome/greeter, registration, water/snacks distribution, t-shirt sales, first aid, crossing guards/course officials, “warm up” trainer/instructor, money manager, photographer/videographer, and music/DJ/band.

If your peer to peer event has a specified “start time” or even an “opening” time, you will likely experience a rush of people who all want to check in at the registration table at the same time. The key to handling registrations is to be prepared. It's a good idea to practice a few “mock registration” run-throughs before you open the registration table just to make sure your registration volunteers are clear on the procedure. You don't want to be figuring things out or making mistakes in the rush with a line-up of people waiting. Make sure the people who are registering and/or checking in participants are familiar and comfortable with the process.

MyEvent makes your check-in/registration easy. Simply download the spreadsheet of all registered participants and print or use online. As participants arrive, you verify they are registered on your spreadsheet, and make a note that they have checked in/registered. If you're distributing any T-shirts, samples, coupons, or give-aways, you can track that as well for each participant on the spreadsheet when you give them out.

Make a clear and visible start/finish line. This can be accomplished with chalk, balloons, ribbon, pilons, signage, etc. Try to make it as visible as possible. Decorating and enhancing your “start” line helps increase your visibility to the public.

Make sure to have water available for your participants and volunteers, especially if the weather is hot. De-hydration is a concern, particularly among the young and the elderly. Ideally, you should have water available every 1.5 miles or so on your course. At a very minimum, make sure there is a water fountain accessible. Consider using a large thermos with paper cups at your tables.

Snacks are not essential, however the more distance/work your participants are doing, they will need energy. If possible, get some fruits and/or other healthy snacks donated. Try to get some energy bars or energy drink companies to donate samples.

Depending on your chosen location, setting up your course can be time consuming. Consider appointing one volunteer to be responsible for managing the course including; start line, crossing guards, signage and course markings, pilons, chalk, maps, etc. If your course is long or complicated, consider distributing a map handout to participants.

If you will be accepting cash or checks for donations, registration fees, t-shirts, or anything else, it's a good idea to appoint one volunteer to hold and watch the money. You should have a proper box (preferably with a lock) where you can store all your money. Make sure that all money accepted gets recorded, so you can balance everything after. Things can get hectic so keep it in a safe place or with a person where it will be secure. In addition, someone may have to hold a large amount of money until it can be deposited to a bank.

Here's a quick list of items you may need for your event day: