BUS FPX 3011 Assessment 1 Managing a Specific Event or Project

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This management approach provided the lead with clear boundaries and continuous support while granting the freedom to execute their role creatively. This year, the lead renamed the space “Directors Lounge,” receiving high praise on our experience survey from guest directors, who specifically highlighted the variety of food options and the availability of comfort items. Furthermore, this lead expressed satisfaction with their experience and has committed to leading for the next three years until both of their children graduate. While a potluck with a few extra phone chargers for 21 individuals might seem trivial, these small gestures significantly impact our county, influencing bands to return and choose our event over competing events held on the same weekend.

As for managing difficult volunteers during this event, I must acknowledge that our group has been incredibly fortunate. Since we do not mandate parent involvement beyond the required annual parent-share fees, we have seen volunteers who genuinely want to contribute and are receptive to support without feeling threatened, collaborating toward a common goal. However, it is essential to note that challenging conversations arise annually, especially as the regulatory landscape changes based on directives from the state, county school board, and the school, which can affect our operations and guest expectations. For instance, this year, the Boosters began accepting credit card payments via Square; however, this requires internet access, and the school has been designed as a dead zone for internet and cell service. To implement this system, we needed several personal hotspots in areas handling card transactions, including concessions, event merchandise, ticket booths, and the bake sale. The Interior Co-Lead advocated for a hotspot in the press box to enhance the functionality of the band evaluation software. Given the financial constraints, we opted to borrow the hotspots from our local libraries, but we still fell short of our needs, resulting in challenging discussions about prioritization between myself, the Booster president, and the Interior Co-Lead. Ultimately, I agreed to keep the bake sale cash-only, prioritizing the press box needs. While this decision posed a minor setback for the bake sale, it ensured that the judges’ experience was a primary concern, leading to their satisfaction—two of the three judges in the press box have already committed to returning next year.

Overcoming Challenges in Managing Volunteers for this Event – Engagement

Engaging volunteers poses a third challenge for managing this event. Given that marching band is a school activity reliant on a combination of district funding, sponsorships, and parent contributions, it can be challenging to secure enough volunteers for basic operations, let alone for a significant regional event. Consequently, we do not maintain a permanent Volunteer Lead position within the Boosters, which is generally recommended for nonprofit organizations (Mobileserve, 2017). Our Communications Lead promotes events and manages an online app, SignUp Genius, which outlines specific volunteer needs. However, volunteer participation remains low; among this year’s 95 student performers across 88 families, our regular volunteers for football games and competitions primarily come from the Band Boosters board, accounting for less than 17% of families.

In light of past experiences, we recognized the need to adopt a different event management strategy to secure volunteers for the competition. We designated an event Volunteer Coordinator who collaborates with each of the co-leads and section leads to understand the requirements for each area, subsequently inputting this information into SignUp Genius. This coordinator also collaborates with the high school’s community coordinator to recruit student volunteers seeking service hours for scholarships and service club obligations to assist on event day, as this is the only occasion during the year when student volunteers are engaged. On the event day, the Volunteer Coordinator checks in volunteers for their shifts and assigns them to areas based on current needs, skills, and mandatory requirements for specific sections. For instance, county regulations stipulate that volunteers performing certain tasks—like handling cash and credit card transactions, driving, or chaperoning—must be certified as Level 2 Volunteers, requiring individuals to be 18 years or older and undergo law enforcement fingerprinting and a background check valid for five years. A database verifies volunteer status, and each Level 2 volunteer receives a photo ID indicating their certification expiration date to display while volunteering. Some of my section leads and I are

also certified Level 2 Volunteers, allowing us to assist as needed. This Coordinator remains active until all