Volunteers

It’s important to source reliable volunteers for your event to cover duties that the Techstars Startup Weekend organizing team might need help with. It’s a great opportunity for individuals who couldn’t commit to an organizer role to still be involved in some capacity in the event.

Your logistics lead is responsible for outreach to potential volunteers. They act as the main point of contact for volunteers, coordinating volunteer assignments and handling all communication to volunteers pre-, during, and post-event. 

Pre-event, you’ll share a volunteer sign-up sheet describing the different assignments available at your Startup Weekend, and the time commitment associated with each assignment. Send reminders to volunteers and show your gratitude by inviting volunteers to stay involved post-event. You can find a volunteer signup form template, a volunteer outreach email template, and a volunteer thank you email template at the bottom of this page. 

Volunteer assignments

Volunteer assignments include, but are not limited to:

Setup Support: Help set up the event — set out supplies, help the registration desk, put up posters and do anything else the organizing team needs support with.

Catering Support: Help with catering setup and breakdown for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Make sure snacks and drinks are accessible to all.

Social Media Coverage: Cover the event on social media before and/or during the event so that someone in the organizing team doesn’t have to be responsible for this during the event.

Tech Support / Runner: In this assignment, the volunteer(s) will be available to assist with any tasks that come up during the event. They will support the organizing team as well as the facilitator. 

Mentor Coordination: Meet and greet mentors and help them find teams who signed up to be mentored by them.

Registration Desk Support: Register participants as they arrive, giving them a name tag, answering any questions about the event, and showing them where to go. 

Volunteer outreach

For volunteer outreach, send out an email to potential volunteers to gather an initial sense of interest in volunteering around two months before your event.

Remember to communicate the following when reaching out to potential volunteers: 

• Techstars Startup Weekend is powered by volunteers and anyone can get involved, regardless of background, experience, gender, age, skills, or ability. 

• Give as much information about the event as possible including dates, venue, and possible assignments.

• Explain the mission and values of Startup Weekend to inspire and energize potential volunteers, so that they see the value of supporting this type of event in their local community.