I had been looking forward to working the 2009 Black & White Ball event the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce puts on annually. It is the longest black and white affair running in Arizona. It was held on Saturday, April 18th at the Sheraton. There were over 1,000 attendees arriving with their glamorous dresses and pressed suits.
For the past few days I had been helping the chamber with basic duties such as gathering silent auction items, numbering the silent auction items, creating a silent auction items list for reference, and compiling a volunteer list. It was a great experience, because I got to see what all goes on right before the big day. Everyone's focus was on executing the best event ever and feelings of excitement were everywhere.
On Saturday we had a pre-con meeting. We began to place the centerpieces on the table, arrange the silent auction items on the tables, and assemble floral decorations. My on-site supervisor went over the flow of the program with me. She reviewed with me my responsibilities as a Lead for the volunteers.
After getting dressed up for the event, I came back on-site to work the event. We gathered all the volunteers to discuss their assignments and shifts. My group consisted of 5 individuals who were all so pleasant to work with. It was my first time taking the lead of managing a diverse age group. I was nervous, but loved it. I took my group on a tour of the rooms and sections we'd be using. I briefed them on customer service, and gave them ideas such as opening the door, smiling, saying "Sir" or "Mam," etc. I'd check up on my volunteers by asking how they were doing, if they needed a potty break, and if I could them anything to drink.
Everything was running smooth. I did scare my on-site supervisor though. I called her to make her aware that the dance area was yet to be set up. This call was made about 30 minutes prior to the program ending, the dance was to follow. My on-site supervisor got scared and asked what room I was looking in. I told her and she stated it was the right room but a different section. I was embarrased.
At the end of the night my feet were killing me. It was a fabulous event. We greeted over 1,00
0 attendees, I managed a group of 5 volunteers and was part of an historical event. There were
carnival performers that led the guests from the 3rd floor to the second floor, where the dance
was taking place. My favorite part was learning how to organize a silent auction. I'd welc
ome the opportunity to work with the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce again. You can learn more about the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce by visiting http://azhcc.com/.
For the past few days I had been helping the chamber with basic duties such as gathering silent auction items, numbering the silent auction items, creating a silent auction items list for reference, and compiling a volunteer list. It was a great experience, because I got to see what all goes on right before the big day. Everyone's focus was on executing the best event ever and feelings of excitement were everywhere.
On Saturday we had a pre-con meeting. We began to place the centerpieces on the table, arrange the silent auction items on the tables, and assemble floral decorations. My on-site supervisor went over the flow of the program with me. She reviewed with me my responsibilities as a Lead for the volunteers.
After getting dressed up for the event, I came back on-site to work the event. We gathered all the volunteers to discuss their assignments and shifts. My group consisted of 5 individuals who were all so pleasant to work with. It was my first time taking the lead of managing a diverse age group. I was nervous, but loved it. I took my group on a tour of the rooms and sections we'd be using. I briefed them on customer service, and gave them ideas such as opening the door, smiling, saying "Sir" or "Mam," etc. I'd check up on my volunteers by asking how they were doing, if they needed a potty break, and if I could them anything to drink.
Everything was running smooth. I did scare my on-site supervisor though. I called her to make her aware that the dance area was yet to be set up. This call was made about 30 minutes prior to the program ending, the dance was to follow. My on-site supervisor got scared and asked what room I was looking in. I told her and she stated it was the right room but a different section. I was embarrased.
At the end of the night my feet were killing me. It was a fabulous event. We greeted over 1,00
0 attendees, I managed a group of 5 volunteers and was part of an historical event. There were
carnival performers that led the guests from the 3rd floor to the second floor, where the dance
was taking place. My favorite part was learning how to organize a silent auction. I'd welc
ome the opportunity to work with the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce again. You can learn more about the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce by visiting http://azhcc.com/.
No comments:
Post a Comment