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Welcome to the 2025 Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association Conference at the Vancouver Island Conference Centre, located at 101 Gordon Street, Nanaimo, British Columbia, V9R 5J8. The conference will run from October 23 - 25, with symposiums being held October 21, 22, and the morning of October 23.
We invite you to contribute to this event's success by volunteering your time. Please indicate the days and times you are available for volunteering. You may sign up for multiple time slots as your schedule allows. We can also work with students looking for volunteer hours!
In appreciation of your time, individuals who volunteer for a half-day time slot can attend sessions free of charge for the remainder of the day on which they volunteer*. Please note: We need volunteers on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday for pre-session symposiums; however, the conference officially starts on Thursday afternoon. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday volunteers may attend another half day in lieu.
*Can't make the other half day on the day you volunteer? Talk to us about options to attend sessions on an alternative half day.
Volunteer job descriptions are as described below:
CONFERENCE REGISTRATION AND INFORMATION TEAM (2 to 4 required at all times)
Join our dynamic team at the Registration Desk and General Conference Assistance! We're looking for individuals who thrive in a bustling environment where teamwork and organization are key. This role involves working with 2 to 4 other volunteers at a time and assisting with various tasks to ensure our conference runs smoothly.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
• Registration Confirmation: Verify registrations in our database and check attendees off the list, ensuring a seamless start to their conference experience.
• Materials Distribution: Hand out personalized name badges, syllabi, and exciting promotional materials that enhance the conference experience.
• Guest Assistance: Be the friendly face attendees turn to with questions or concerns, directing them to the needed information.
• Location Guidance: Provide valuable information about room locations, washroom facilities, and other important event details to keep everyone on track.
• Tourist Information: Share local tourist information, helping attendees make the most of their visit beyond the conference.
FIT:
Are you the right fit for this role? We're looking for individuals who:
• Enjoy working with groups of people and can easily handle periods of high activity followed by calmer moments.
• Excel in organizational tasks, making busy periods more efficient by completing tasks such as alphabetizing name badges and ensuring syllabus inserts are in order.
• Thrive on answering questions and assisting attendees with directions to rooms, finding food/break areas, locating washrooms, and addressing any logistical or practical queries that may arise.
Join us at the Registration Desk and General Conference Assistance to be part of a team vital to creating a memorable and seamless conference experience for all attendees!
ROOM MODERATOR/MONITOR (Up to 7 Concurrent Session Rooms)
We're seeking enthusiastic individuals to join our Room Moderator/Monitor team, responsible for ensuring the smooth operation of concurrent sessions and symposiums at our conference. If you enjoy playing a pivotal role in delivering successful content, are comfortable doing a small amount of speaking in front of others (conference only, not required for symposiums), and thrive in a dynamic environment, this role is for you.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
• Room Preparation: Set up the workshop/session room to ensure it's ready for the session. (No heavy lifting required but may include clearing tables and chairs of papers/debris if necessary, passing out handout, etc.)
• Presenter Management: Notify conference organizers if presenters are absent from the room and introduce session(s) and speaker(s) using provided information sheets.
• Technical Support: Alert conference organizers promptly if any technical issues arise with audiovisual equipment in the room. In larger rooms, pass around microphone for audience questions.
• Timekeeping: Keep track of session timing, providing time warnings to presenters as they approach the end of their allotted presentation time.
• Material Distribution: Hand out session-related handouts and materials to participants as needed.
• Room Cleanup: Tidy up the room after the session if necessary, ensuring it's ready for the next session.
• Participant Engagement: Thank the speaker(s) for their presentations and remind participants to complete the evaluation survey.
FIT:
Are you the right fit for this role? We're looking for individuals who:
• Feel comfortable speaking in front of others for brief periods, including reading session titles, introducing speakers, and providing time cues. This may include speaking into a microphone if the room setup requires it.
• Be mobile and able to move between the registration area and presentation rooms for moderator package pickup and drop-off.
• Enjoy actively listening to sessions while being ready to assist presenters by distributing handouts and ensuring a smooth session transition.
• Take pride in maintaining tidy rooms by clearing leftover handouts and materials for the next session, ensuring a welcoming environment. (No heavy lifting is required).
Join our Workshop Moderator/Monitor team to be an essential part of delivering an exceptional conference experience, where you'll play a pivotal role in the success of our concurrent sessions!
CONFERENCE CLEAN UP AND LOAD OUT HELP (1 to 2)
Are you ready to roll up your sleeves and be the hero we need for the final act of our conference? We're searching for someone with boundless energy, a sturdy physique, and a sense of adventure to assist with our loadout process. You're the perfect fit for this role if you're eager to tackle physical tasks, enjoy lifting and moving items, and relish hearing some entertaining conference wrap-up stories.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
• Pack-Up Assistance: Help us pack up materials, registration items, booths, and more as we wind down our event.
• Loading Expertise: Show off your strength and agility by efficiently moving items to the venue loading dock, ensuring they're ready for transport.
• Storytime Companion: While we work together, you'll have the opportunity to listen to fascinating conference wrap-up stories and contribute your own experiences.
FIT:
Qualities of an Ideal Team Member:
• Be physically fit and capable of lifting and moving various items during the loadout process.
• Thrive on an active, hands-on role, with a passion for making sure everything is packed up securely.
• Enjoy engaging with others and sharing in the camaraderie of conference wrap-up stories.
Join us in this dynamic role, and you'll be an integral part of our conference's grand finale. Get ready to flex your muscles, lend a hand, and enjoy the tales of our successful conference as we wrap things up in style!
We appreciate your willingness to support the conference and look forward to having you as part of our volunteer team. Please let us know your availability and preferred volunteer roles. Thank you!
Have any questions? Please reach out to cspencer@chpca.ca