Volksmarch Event Coordinator

Roles and Responsibilities

As an Event Coordinator you may organize an Event by yourself, with a friend or a group of friends. Your club executive is available to assist you in learning how to organize an event. The club executive with the input of the Trail Director schedules all club events by July/August of the prior year. (i.e., the 2013 walk events and YREs will be scheduled by early August 2012 and forwarded to the Provincial or Regional CVF Director for review prior to being submitted to the CVF National Office.)

1. START POINT CONFIRMATION

Once the Event has been scheduled and the date is confirmed the Event Coordinator is responsible for selecting a start point and getting permission from the owners/operators.

If your start point is from a restaurant/pub initial contact should be made in August/September (of the prior year) to confirm permission to start the walk from this location. Usually a phone call (if this is an established event location), but it is best if you meet with the establishment manager/owner.

Explain that you are a member of a walking club and that you would like to schedule a walk starting from their establishment (give the date and time). Explain the process, that a number of walkers will arrive at the establishment between x and y. Walkers will register with our volunteers then they will head out on a planned route returning to the establishment between 1 and 2 ½ hours for refreshments. All that we ask of the establishment is to reserve a registration table for 2 to 3 people to sit at to register walkers and then to receive the walkers at the end of the walk.

There is no need to make a large reservation for all the walkers as they will return at various times and will sit were room is available.

2. PLAN ROUTES

The event coordinator plans the routes or finds someone to assist them plan routes. If the walk has been in existence for a number of years the Trail Director may have existing routes from past walks that can be reused. If you are reusing a previous route, it is advisable to make some modifications were possible to change it up for the walks. Walkers do like to “explore” other parts of the same areas rather than do the same route year after year.

There are some online tools for designing or laying out routes. Google maps allow you to choose to map a “walk” from any start point and mark the route on the online Google map. As the route is being designed Google populates a table with the instructions including distances which enable you to create a route that is any distance required. Once the route is mapped you can print the directions and a large map to a .pdf file. From this file you create your route handouts, which can include a map. There are lots of club members/volunteers who can assist/or teach you how to create routes and maps.

Once the route has been mapped it is advisable to have someone walk the route for or with you to confirm the instructions match the map created and that the distances are correct.

The Trail Director and other members of the Trails Committee will help you with checking your route. Once final adjustments have been made to the route you should submit it to the Trail Director for the club records. The Trail Director will advise you as to how many copies of each route you should have copied for the event.

3. CONFIRMATION 2 TO 3 WEEKS PRIOR TO THE EVENT

Planning for walks starts so early it is advisable to reconfirm that the club will be walking from the selected venue by phoning the establishment about 3 to 2 ½ weeks prior to the event date to confirm the timings, the need for a reserved table for registration. At this point you should have some idea as to how many people might be out (using long range forecasts from the weather channel or internet) and you can let the establishment know there may be between 30 to 40 walkers. This allows the establishment to adjust how many servers they may require that event.

4. VOLUNTEERS TO WORK REGISTRATION / STAMPING

It is not compulsory but it is nice if the event coordinator can be at the event to assist with registration (The coordinator can point out interesting things about the routes to the walkers prior to their departure and get feedback on how the walkers like the routes when they return).

Registration volunteers need to be at the start point 30 minutes prior to the scheduled start time to set up the table with the registration book and to layout the routes/maps. Registration volunteers usually work the table between 1 to 2 hours depending on the event. I.e., for an evening map walk registration is usually open for an hour so the registration volunteers would work between 1 ½ to 2 hours, then the “Stamp” volunteers would take over for the next 1 ½ to 2 + hours or shorter, but must ensure all walkers have returned by checking them off as returned in the registration log.

5. Event Coordinator Timeline Check List

Responsibility Timelines
Club Exec / Trail Director
1. Set event dates July/August for the preceding year
Responsibility Timelines
Event Coordinator and/or committee
1. Contact start point establishment Initially confirm 1 year - reconfirm 1 month prior
2. Set route 6 to 3 month prior
3. Physically check the route within the month/prior to printing routes/maps
4. Photocopy routes the week prior
5. Confirm Volunteers 2 weeks prior
6. Obtain Registration Box the week of
7. Arrive at the event 1/2 hour prior to the start time
8. Following the event handover the Registration box to the Trail Director or designate
9. Thank the establishment send a thank you note