Training for TEDx volunteers and team members in their "welcoming, engagement" role to make UX participant experience world class. The audio doesn't work when exported from Powerpoint on Mac as a movie. The slides with audio are on Youtube here https://youtu.be/vruIDwpiQtI Other useful resources are here https://www.slideshare.net/upload Mark McKergow TEDxKazimierz talk on “Host Leadership” www.youtube.com/watch?v=hG23v5VzB-0 TED Rules for TEDx Audience experience Rules https://bit.ly/2GTp4HF Open Coffee Krakow FAQ www.meetup.com/opencoffekrakow Making Your Events Buzz by Richard Lucas https://bit.ly/2SxOdcm Let me know what you like/could be better about this, especially if you use it and it helps your event. best regards Richard richardlucas@richardlucas.com

1. Event Experience
Training for team/volunteers
Richard Lucas
02.01.2019
richardlucas@richardlucas.com

2. Training goals and content
• Context: Why audience “UX” matters
• Goals
• Rules
• Training role play exercises
• Tips and tricks
• Links further resources
• Feedback/questions

3. Context
TEDx-er and friend Kevin sends a message

4. Context: Why UX matters
• “Participants” not “attendees” are a key
part of the “product”
• It’s a TEDx rule
• Events have a culture, leaders define
event culture, volunteers/team are the
“face” of the event.
• Left alone participants behave normally
• Our events are “special” not “Normal”

5. Goals
• Make the event UX work for a shy person
who doesn’t know anyone, is not sure
they should have come - if it works for
them, the confident people will be fine
too.
• Make the event memorable for UX as
well as great content.
• Re-enforce the conten, ideas and
learning

6. Rules
• Welcoming/Facilitation is for all team
members, not just some.
• Team/Volunteers are working. It’s a job.
• Participants/Guests come first. Socialise
with each other later: Before & after.
• Event starts when the first guest arrives.
• No 2nd chance to make a 1st impression

7. Volunteer Training Role Play
Ask for two volunteers (or choose)
One acts “the shy participant”. The other is
the “welcomer/facilitator”.
Their instructions are to act in role, one
shy, the other has to welcome them make
them feel at home.
Other volunteers, are told to watch and
note what was good/Could be better.
Let the role play run about 30-60 seconds,
Then have a discussion

8. Learnings from the Role Play
Smile
Welcome
Open Questions
As it gets busy, introduce participants to
each other and get out for the way,
using a version of the script

9. Volunteer Script
V “hi, I’m <name>, and I’m a host/team member”
V Where are you from?
V Fantastic. Welcome.
V Have you been to one of these events before? – where are you
from? –– come and get registered, –do you know many people here.
Part of what we do is to build community among participant. Let me
introduce you to some people…
V (Approaches 2nd participant, possibly alone and says
“ This is X, he/she doesn’t know many people, could you introduce
yourself to and be friendly” (once they are talking, you retreat), turning
the participants into welcomers)

10. Role Play/2
Ask for three volunteers (or choose)
One acts “the shy participant”. The other another
participant alone.
The third uses the “welcomer/facilitator” script (can
be printed out if need be or on a screen) with the
goal of getting the two participants talking.
Other volunteers, are told to watch and note what
was good/Could be better.
Let the role play run about 30-60 seconds, then
discussion

11. Learnings from Role Play 2
Highlight, positivity, smiling, asking
open questions,
The introduction
The benefit of having the participants
talk to each other
The impact of new arrivals coming to a
room where people are talking, not
sitting on their smart phones.

12. Tips and tricks
Prior state of event (busy, quiet).
Common sense.
Identify sociable types
Ask participants for help in welcoming
Have “house keeping slides re-enforcing
the message
Have a pre event briefing to re enforce
message 15 before you expect first guests
to arrive

13. Links/resources
• Mark McKergow TEDxKazimierz talk on
“Host Leadership” www.youtube.com/watch?v=hG23v5VzB-0
• TED Rules for TEDx Audience experience
Rules https://bit.ly/2GTp4HF
• Open Coffee Krakow FAQ
www.meetup.com/opencoffekrakow
• Making Your Events Buzz by Richard Lucas
https://bit.ly/2SxOdcm

14. Questions/feedback
If you find this useful, are using it, or have
suggestions of how to improve it let me know.
If you are organising a TEDx, (and other non-profit events case by
case) let me know.
I may be able to join your training by Skype/Hangouts etc)
Richard Lucas
02.01.2019
richardlucas@richardlucas.com