BMTC20: Events: Volunteers in the Beer World

Volunteers are often the key to major events, including beer festivals. But they can also be used by individual breweries for tap room events, by brewery guilds for their annual conferences, or even by tour operators or DMOs. Carol Dekkers, who runs the 500-strong VolunBEER community, will tell us a little about her organization and provide details on using volunteers you can use at home including recruitment, insurance, benefits, documentation, legal issues, and more.

Transcript

1. © Carol Dekkers caroldekkers@gmail.com +1 813 816 1329
2. © Carol Dekkers caroldekkers@gmail.com +1 813 816 1329 Lawyer or Ins Agentà I do know about state ABT laws (vary) Certified Event Plannerà I have coordinated 100’s of beer events Alcohol Compliance Officer à I can train TIPS nationally Brewery ownerà I am knowledgeable & passionate about craft beverages Who am I?
3. © Carol Dekkers caroldekkers@gmail.com +1 813 816 1329 Who am I? • 450+ Tampa Bay area adults (all drinking age +) • 100+ local events (5-300 volunBEERs) Founder Carol’s VolunBEERs (2014), Co-owner Curated Craft Experiences Speaker/Instructor, Cicerone Level 1, Beer Blogger (www.MicrobrewsUSA.wordpress.com) Certified TIPS trainer, NFL/MLB bartender, Bay Area Barley’s Angel, Pink Boots Society In my other life – speaker/instructor/writer software project management & ISO standards
4. © Carol Dekkers caroldekkers@gmail.com +1 813 816 1329 AGENDA • The perfect BEER volunteer • VolunBEERs.com • Legal/insurance Definition of “Volunteer” • Project Management Approach • Checklist for your events
5. © Carol Dekkers caroldekkers@gmail.com +1 813 816 1329 OPTIONAL RELATED TOPICS… • How many volunteers (and when, where, doing what coordination & shifts/slots) • Logistics (documentation, job descriptions, waivers, who showed up) – advance and day of • Taking care of your peeps (water, food, respect, chairs) • Going beyond friends and family à Recruitment • Charity (millennials sustainability) à good for business • Outside the box – peripheral – FOMO, Influencers, t-shirts, friends tell two friends,
6. © Carol Dekkers caroldekkers@gmail.com +1 813 816 1329 QUESTION FOR YOU: ARE BEER EVENT VOLUNTEERS IMPORTANT? DOES IT MATTER IF THEY LIKE BEER? Quality Plus Technologies, Inc. www.qualityplustech.com
7. © Carol Dekkers caroldekkers@gmail.com +1 813 816 1329 Avg ~ 16 hours per volunteer
8. © Carol Dekkers caroldekkers@gmail.com +1 813 816 1329 PROFILE OF THE PERFECT BEER EVENT VOLUNTEER • Punctual and professional • Reliable (RSVP, shows up) • Passionate about craft industry • Follows directions (& can guide others) • Friendly and happy to serve • Honest, responsible, flexible • Enthusiastic about brand(s) • Mature (minimum 21) • Knowledgeable home brewer • Cicerone level 1 • Others ? ______________________________
9. © Carol Dekkers caroldekkers@gmail.com +1 813 816 1329 ELEVATOR PITCH CAROL’S VOLUNBEERS • (Carol’s) VolunBEERs is an organic community of 500 Tampa Bay (and CT) empassioned, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic beer lovers who willingly trade heartbeats (time and energy) for craft beer experiences. • Services include streamlined (turnkey) volunteer coordination (pre, during, and post), onsite event support, recruiting, sign- ups, communication, training, logistics, and optionally, publicity and social media. • VolunBEERs are available for (and to supplement) charity and (craft) beer industry events, locally, and on short notice. • According to brewers at Shelton Brothers The Festival “VolunBEERs are the BEST beerfest volunteers ever.” 9
10. © Carol Dekkers caroldekkers@gmail.com +1 813 816 1329 VOLUNBEERS.COM DEMOGRAPHICS • 90% Tampa Bay area residents, 5% snowbirds, 5% seasonal • Age range 23-75 à average 38 • 50/50 split male / female • Passionate about craft beer • Software developers, engineers, insurance, lawyers, business owners, paramedics, homebrewers & partners, retirees, inspectors… happy people
11. © Carol Dekkers caroldekkers@gmail.com +1 813 816 1329 VOLUNBEERS.COM • Started (2014) à 35 friends, family, homebrew clubs, TBBW • Grow organically one event at a time à 500 people • All aspects of festivals (registration/scanning, draft pouring, security, keg ice/water, VIP, volunteer check-in, merchandise, brewer relations, pre- & post- fest, stewards) • Primary communication is email and Facebook (Carol’s VolunBEERs page, beer groups)
12. © Carol Dekkers caroldekkers@gmail.com +1 813 816 1329 BENEFITS OF VOLUNBEERS • Responsible and passionate • Community • Creates FOMO • Event publicity • Influencers • T-shirt marketing • But… aren’t volunteers free?
13. © Carol Dekkers caroldekkers@gmail.com +1 813 816 1329 CHARITY VOLUNTEERS Knowledgeable & passionate about the CHARITY Diligent, upstanding, mature Often corporate groups Work full shifts (6+ hours) Don’t care about craft beer Don’t know difference between beer, wine, cider, malt beverages Solid people, but… THERE for the cause 13
14. © Carol Dekkers caroldekkers@gmail.com +1 813 816 1329 WHAT IS A VOLUNTEER? FEDERAL LAW, INSURANCE
15. © Carol Dekkers caroldekkers@gmail.com +1 813 816 1329 Volunteers The term “volunteer” is not defined by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which instead takes the approach of outlining specific conditions when an unpaid volunteer may be used. Under the FLSA, unpaid volunteers can only be used if three conditions are met: • First, the unpaid volunteer must be performing work for a public agency for civic, charitable or humanitarian reasons, without the promise, expectation or receipt of compensation. This specifically excludes the use of volunteers for for- profit businesses, and permits payment only in the form of a nominal fee or reimbursement for expenses. • Second, the unpaid volunteer must choose to give his or her time and services freely and without pressure or coercion from an employer. • Third, the unpaid volunteer must not be employed by the same public agency or non-profit business to perform the same type of services as being donated by the unpaid volunteer.
16. © Carol Dekkers caroldekkers@gmail.com +1 813 816 1329 Volunteers This rule is very rigid, and penalties levied for violating these rules can be high. For example, in 2014, Westover Winery in California was forced out of business as a result of a $115,000.00 fine for using volunteers to help produce wine, even though many of those volunteers willingly wanted the opportunity to learn about winemaking. Accepting the assistance of volunteers outside of limited, one-time demonstrations is going to be generally prohibited for craft brewing operations.
17. © Carol Dekkers caroldekkers@gmail.com +1 813 816 1329 NO compensation = Volunteer (not covered) ANY compensation (beer, lunch, tickets…) = Employee (covered by WC) Less than 4 Employees in FL = can opt out of WC However… General Liability policies: - EXCLUDE AUTO (separate policy) - EXCLUDE AIRCRAFT (separate policy) - EXCLUDE employee injury (covered by WC) “TRUE” VOLUNTEER VS EMPLOYEE WORKERS COMP (WC) INSURANCE
18. © Carol Dekkers caroldekkers@gmail.com +1 813 816 1329
19. © Carol Dekkers caroldekkers@gmail.com +1 813 816 1329
20. © Carol Dekkers caroldekkers@gmail.com +1 813 816 1329 RISKS • While there are federal protections for citizens engaged in volunteering for nonprofits, the same laws don’t pertain to for-profit breweries. And aside from issues surrounding payment, there are real concerns about using volunteers in an industrial workplace with a variety of potential hazards. • “There’s definitely a long-term liability [with] volunteers, especially if it’s the same person that volunteers and they’re not being compensated over many hours,” says Candace L. Moon, a San Diego-based attorney who specializes in issues related to the beer industry. “At some point, it may become in that person’s best interest to potentially sue for unpaid wages.” • And that doesn’t cover the most serious threat. • “Healthcare being the cost that it is, even if your best friend gets injured volunteering for you, they may have to sue you to cover their medical costs,” Moon adds. “It’s not even a case of ‘I blame you.’ it’s ‘I have no choice because I have to pay these medical bills I can’t afford.’” • In 2014, she notes, Westover Winery in Castro Valley, Calif., was fined $115,000 by the state’s Department of Industrial Relations for using volunteer workers, an illegal practice for for-profit businesses in the state.
21. © Carol Dekkers caroldekkers@gmail.com +1 813 816 1329 FLORIDA – WHO CAN POUR
22. © Carol Dekkers caroldekkers@gmail.com +1 813 816 1329 INDIANA
23. © Carol Dekkers caroldekkers@gmail.com +1 813 816 1329 NORTH CAROLINA
24. © Carol Dekkers caroldekkers@gmail.com +1 813 816 1329 OHIO RULES Individuals holding beer tastings (i.e., at beer festivals or other non-profit tastings) must obtain the proper permit from the State of Ohio. For purposes of Ohio law, a brewer is a "manufacturer," and as a manufacturer, a brewer cannot assist the holder of any permit for sale at retail by gift, loan of money or property or "other valuable thing.“ A brewer assisting a permit holder in pouring beer constitutes some "other valuable thing." As such, it is against the law for brewers to serve their suds at beer festivals and non-profit tastings.
25. © Carol Dekkers caroldekkers@gmail.com +1 813 816 1329 STATE LAWS VARY WIDELY Who can pour, responsibility/liabilities of volunteer pourers, drinking during/before shifts …
26. © Carol Dekkers caroldekkers@gmail.com +1 813 816 1329 PROJECT MANAGEMENT APPROACH TO VOLUNTEER COORDINATION 2 plan 3 execute 5 close 1 initiate 4 monitor & control
27. © Carol Dekkers caroldekkers@gmail.com +1 813 816 1329 PROJECT MANAGEMENT APPROACH TO VOLUNTEER COORDINATION • Initiate à Set scope of volunteer involvement, formal agreement • Plan à roles, responsibilities, shifts, benefits, set up sign-up • Execute à invite/recruit volunteers, monitor sign-up, communicate logistics, reminders, plan/do orientation, close- in reminder emails, parking, last minute details, print lists, onsite check-in, t-shirts, assign/reassign coverage,”do” event • Monitor & control à checkins/no shows/coverage, call backups/noshows, check progress, food/drinks/breaks, shift 2 • Close à follow-up thank yous/party, document retro, eval
28. © Carol Dekkers caroldekkers@gmail.com +1 813 816 1329 PROJECT MANAGEMENT APPROACH TO VOLUNTEER COORDINATION • Initiate à Set scope of volunteer involvement, formal agreement • Plan à roles, responsibilities, shifts, benefits, set up sign-up • Execute à invite/recruit volunteers, monitor sign-up, communicate logistics, reminders, plan/do orientation, close- in reminder emails, parking, last minute details, print lists, onsite check-in, t-shirts, assign/reassign coverage,”do” event • Monitor & control à checkins/no shows/coverage, call backups/noshows, check progress, food/drinks/breaks, shift 2 • Close à follow-up thank yous/party, document retro, eval
29. © Carol Dekkers caroldekkers@gmail.com +1 813 816 1329 INITIATE • Set scope of volunteer involvement, formal event agreement • Identify goals for event • Identify key stakeholders
30. © Carol Dekkers caroldekkers@gmail.com +1 813 816 1329 PLAN – START WITH GOALS/2 - Start with goals (what image does brewery/planner want to project – extension of brewery or charity or <image> … ?) - Is it a charity fundraiser (and does charity have enough “qualified” bodies)? Volun- teers Free entry, work 1 shift, contribute Charity Visibility, $$$ Onsite donations Event +ve image, breakeven, increase beer sales
31. © Carol Dekkers caroldekkers@gmail.com +1 813 816 1329 - Need for Volunteers à attendee demographics (beginners, charity supporters, beer nerds, general public, tourists, others) - Exceeding expectations à know the customer (‘proper glassware’) - Roles and responsibilities needed (vary by state) - Charity involvement? PLAN – START WITH GOALS
32. © Carol Dekkers caroldekkers@gmail.com +1 813 816 1329 PLAN • Event description (specifically for volunteers) • Identify roles, responsibilities, shifts (with overlap), benefits • Create sign-up • Job descriptions • Plan & Schedule orientations • Single point of contact • Follow up with client/brewery /charity
33. © Carol Dekkers caroldekkers@gmail.com +1 813 816 1329 EXECUTE • Recruit volunteers & communicate initial logistics • Monitor sign-up levels • Social media outreach • Conduct orientation(s) à Meet and greet; rules of event; expectations; legal • Reminder emails (parking, last minute details) • Print check in lists, prep F&D • Day of event – coordinate check-in, t-shirts, assignments • Assign/reassign coverage à”do” event
34. © Carol Dekkers caroldekkers@gmail.com +1 813 816 1329 VOLUNTEER LOGISTICS AND TOOLS • Spreadsheets – volunteer demographics • Labor intensive with changes • MS Excel okay for <40 volunteers • Emails for sign-up & changes
35. © Carol Dekkers caroldekkers@gmail.com +1 813 816 1329 • Subscription – free (limited) • Silver Gold • Limitations of # logos, # messages, custom layouts, • Can collect $ • Promos $99/year
36. © Carol Dekkers caroldekkers@gmail.com +1 813 816 1329 • Easy to set up events • Hands-off sign-ups (link) • Volunteers manage changes • Mandatory / optional demographics • Reminders (2-3 days prior) • Free version (limited)
37. © Carol Dekkers caroldekkers@gmail.com +1 813 816 1329 Sample Job Descriptions
38. © Carol Dekkers caroldekkers@gmail.com +1 813 816 1329 VOLUNTEER RECRUITMENT • Friends and family (>21) • Homebrew clubs • Customers and their friends • Emails (your constant contact list) • Charities • College fraternities (clean-up crew in exchange for $) • Pink Boots Society chapter, Barley’s Angels, Girls Pint Out • Meet-up groups • Facebook Craft Beer groups
39. © Carol Dekkers caroldekkers@gmail.com +1 813 816 1329 Info from Ross Appel (lawyer): Volunteer and/or participant waivers may not stop or prevent lawsuits (waivers can be challenged in court), however… they help to educate and increase diligence … a good idea Volunteer Waivers
40. © Carol Dekkers caroldekkers@gmail.com +1 813 816 1329 CLOSE • Follow-up thank you posts on FB and email • Thank you party (for large events or annually) • Retrospective: lessons learned, no show list, • Distribute volunteer evaluation 40
41. © Carol Dekkers caroldekkers@gmail.com +1 813 816 1329 VOLUNTEER MANAGEMENT – DO’S • Upfront list of benefits in sign-up • Choice of duties (overlap shifts by 15 min) • Team leads for larger fests (>30 volunteers) • (Semi-)mandatory orientations with two date choices • Coordinated check-in • Event T-shirts and name tags (worn only during shift) • Upbeat, friendly, thankful • Respect for time (even if short shift) • Food, drink, breaks, half-fest enjoyment • Group photos • Follow-up thank you posts on Facebook
42. © Carol Dekkers caroldekkers@gmail.com +1 813 816 1329 VOLUNTEER MANAGEMENT – DON’TS • Outdated sign-in (missing names) • Disorganized check-in • Conflicting instructions: • Who’s in charge • What to do • Where to go • Lack of appreciation • Lack of communication (pre) • Long shifts, few benefits (no t-shirt, food, drinks) • Anti-social
43. © Carol Dekkers caroldekkers@gmail.com +1 813 816 1329 OTHER CONSIDERATIONS ABOUT VOLUNTEERS • Influencers – t-shirt branding, prophets • Social outreach – friends tell friends to buy tix • Creates community FOMO • Call for VolunBEERs increases event visibility (and ticket sales) • Ticketing link inside Volunteer sign-up increases sales • Social listening à volunteers hear from your potential customers, likes/dislikes • Customers à fans
44. © Carol Dekkers caroldekkers@gmail.com +1 813 816 1329 VOLUNTEER MANAGEMENT – LESSONS LEARNED • Count on 20-30% no shows • Self-assignment of duties/tasks • Use automated tools • Send reminders (include onsite contact name & cell #) • Encourage people to call/text/email with questions • Respect volunteer time. Thank them often. • Poor behavior typically addresses itself
45. © Carol Dekkers caroldekkers@gmail.com +1 813 816 1329 FORMAL VOLUNTEER COORDINATION • Joins silos • Reduces rework • Volunteers with knowledge/passion • Higher customer satisfaction • Reduces chaos à single point of contact
46. © Carol Dekkers caroldekkers@gmail.com +1 813 816 1329 √ Item √ Item √ Item Event Goals Monitor & send reminders Monitor festival/event operation – ensure food, drink, breaks Needs for volunteers (specific) Plan & conduct orientation Check-in second shift (and subsequent ones) Charity provided volunteers (#)? Name tags, t-shirts, sign-in, food & drink for day of Distribute t-shirts, name tags, introduce teams State Legal restrictions Organized check-in Ensure smooth overlap turnover between shifts Event description including benefits (for vols) with contact # Assign/reassign to fill shift gaps, call/text no- shows Monitor remaining event and volunteer assignments Set up sign-up shifts, slots, job descriptions (plan in 20% for no-shows) Distribute t-shirts, name tags, introduce teams Ensure food and drink and breaks provided Announce/recruit volunteers – email, social, Facebook, constant contact Check shift 1 in place and working, revisit sign-in Post-event retrospective, thank you’s, posts, party, lessons learned VOLUNTEER CHECKLIST
47. © Carol Dekkers caroldekkers@gmail.com +1 813 816 1329
48. © Carol Dekkers caroldekkers@gmail.com +1 813 816 1329