Communication is more important than ever. This year is the Year of Volunteering, and what could be more natural than putting a good system in place – one that offers overview, ease of use and good communication options?
Events large and small depend entirely on volunteers. But it can be difficult to keep track of so many people, where they need to be and sudden changes – and to find a good way of communicating all this to each other.
- That is why it is important to have a good system with an overview of those who have taken part before and tools for recruiting new people. But perhaps most important of all: a system that makes it easy to communicate with each other. When several hundred volunteers need to be organised, it is important to have a user-friendly and efficient system.
Volunteering made simple and efficient
Rubic Funksjonær is one of many modules Rubic offers. The system is widely used at major events such as Norway Cup, ParaVM2022, Peergynt, World Cup Kvitfjell, and many other large and small events.
- Here you get a complete solution for managing volunteers, where you can plan the event from the planning stage right through to the final teardown. The system is constantly being developed to optimise areas such as recruitment, organisation, collaboration, accreditation and shift planning, based on feedback from users, explains Lisa-Marie Hovland, who works in sales and marketing at Rubic.
The module is integrated with the member register, with Rubic Medlem as its foundation. All event staff from previous years are stored in the system, with contact details and history. This makes it easy for event organisers to stay in touch with the volunteers before, during and after the event.
1,600 volunteers and 5,200 shifts
Norway Cup is known as one of the world's largest football tournaments. People from all over the world gather at Ekebergsletta in the first week of August. Around 1,600 volunteers and 5,200 shifts have to be coordinated across 17 different departments. That makes it important to have a well-functioning tool such as Rubic's volunteer management system, which makes it easy to communicate with and organise the volunteers. This was the feedback from Norway Cup:
- We are very happy with the service and with Rubic's willingness to keep developing the system and make changes to it along the way. We think that is absolutely crucial for further cooperation. We chose Rubic as our new partner because it is a simple system that we think can work together with our complex system. Both internally and externally.
Norway Cup has used the volunteer module for recruitment, registration and planning of volunteer shifts. Through the solution, it has been relatively easy to get enough volunteers in place for this year's event, unlike many other event organisers, who report that it has been challenging.
Companion app with attendance registration
An app for volunteers with a built-in communication platform, an overview of shifts, accreditation and communication – that is the new everyday reality with Rubic.
- The recently launched Rubic Connect app is actively used by both the event organisers and the volunteers. In the app, volunteers get an overview of their shifts with the related information. Those in charge can easily communicate via group messages and find the volunteers' contact details. There is also a news feed in the app, where you can easily post important messages and status updates and upload photos, continues Anders Retterås, Head of Development at Rubic.
As an event organiser, it is important to know who is due to turn up for volunteer work and, if necessary, to record absence if someone does not show up. Volunteers can also register their own attendance in Rubic Connect using the GPS coordinates in the app, if they are nearby. Rubic Connect gives you a full overview of the volunteers.
Accreditation
At larger events, there is also often a need to register people for access to specific areas. This has been taken into account, with the option of a digital or physical accreditation card that can include a photo of the person.
- Rubic's accreditation feature makes it easy to keep track of who is where and who should have access to the different areas of the venues. Rubic also has an integration with FIS's system for participants, support staff and other roles, continues Anders Retterås.
Recruitment
Many event organisers struggle to find volunteers. The recruitment process should be simple and easily accessible both for those who are interested and for the organisers. Rubic Funksjonær helps you move away from spreadsheets and sticky notes to a structured, simple and efficient everyday routine. Here, volunteers can sign up or be added from the membership system.
- With Rubic Funksjonær, you create a dedicated landing page with all the content for the event. The link to it can be emailed to last year's volunteers or other contact lists – or, perhaps best of all, you can use Rubic's member register. The module is integrated into Rubic Medlem. Once the landing page has been set up and distributed, all the keen enthusiasts let you know on the same page when they are available. As the event organiser, you get an overview and a simple way of communicating with the volunteers. The SMS and email tools are very effective aids before, during and after the event, concludes Lisa-Marie Hovland.
Remember: the Year of Volunteering 2022!
Our country has many great heroes in the voluntary sector, and they all deserve a big tribute. Without them, sports venues, cultural venues and other places that bring lots of people together would be a sorry sight. See how you can honour them on the “Year of Volunteering” website!
Read more about how to motivate volunteers here.
If you would like more information about Rubic Frivillighet, get in touch with us!
