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Volunteer sign up for the 2017 Annual Conference has ended. Thank you for your interest, please check back next year!
Volunteering at the Annual Conference
Volunteers get free admission to the annual UXPA Boston’s User Experience conference.
During the day you will have the opportunity to work the registration table and/or serve as a session monitor. Below are instructions for each role.
Registration
Overview
Registration performs 2 key functions: hospitality and coordination.
The registration volunteers are usually the first point of contact for the day. Creating a positive and hospitable environment is an important part of the job. It is important to keep people moving through the registration table and onto the Executive Dining Room while maintaining a positive and welcoming attitude.
Registration volunteers check-in attendees and distribute conference materials (name badges, conference proceedings, etc.), help to direct traffic and are available to answer general questions about the day.
Tasks
Volunteers may perform some or all of the registration tasks depending on how busy the registration station is.
- Greet event participants as they arrive
- Direct participants to the appropriate registration station.
- Check off pre-registered people as they arrive.
- Assist walk-in registrants with registration station.
- Hand out participant materials (proceedings, evaluation and errata sheet)
- Direct participants to session rooms and dining room
- Help presenters move equipment/supplies to appropriate session room.
- Answer general questions about the day
Session Monitor
Overview
Session Monitors are the hosts for the presenters during their sessions. Tasks are intended to make the presenter feel welcome and to assure that room arrangements are conducive to the scheduled presentation. Types of things to monitor and manage for the session include AV equipment, presenter refreshment, session timing, room noise, and participant traffic.
Please note: Session Monitors are assigned to rooms in an effort to assure complete coverage over the course of the day. Session Monitors are welcome to swap rooms with each other if both parties are willing to make the change.
Tasks
The tasks listed here are examples of the types of things that the Session Monitor should do. The Session Monitor may adjust the list as necessary to meet the needs of the presenter.
- Arrive in room 10 minutes prior to session start.
- Introduce yourself to the presenter and offer your help for preparing and managing the session.
- Discuss timing and how the presenter would like you to signal them
- Get help if there are issues with AV equipment
- Hand out materials if needed for the presentation
- Get a rough headcount for the session. (Report back to Volunteer Coordinator at your convenience.)
- Be a timekeeper. Signal the presenter when they have 15 minutes left and again when they have 5 minutes left.
- Watch doors to room and minimize opening and closing once the session has started.
- Thank the presenter at the end of the session.
- Tidy the room before the next session.
- Toss out abandoned papers, cups, etc.
- Replace any chairs or tables that were moved during the session
Volunteer sign-up for this year’s conference has ended.
Feel free to email Jonathan Patrowicz at volunteer@uxpaboston.org if you have any questions/ concerns/ suggestions.
Other Volunteering Opportunities at UXPA Boston
UXPA Boston is an all-volunteer organization. If you’d like to get involved, we have something for you: event planning and management, website editing/curating, World Usability Day planning, the annual conference, and more.
We also have a mailing list for engaging with our volunteers on an ongoing basis. Please sign up here: