By Carla A. Owens

“Whatever you are volunteering to do-- study, ask questions and make sure that the buck stops with you,” said Gary Boyd, Event Planner for the 48^th Quadrennial Session of the AME General Conference. Boyd presented a workshop on providing the importance of hospitality to have an outstanding successful Conference in St. Louis.

 

Over 30,000 people are expected to attend the weeklong Conference. In order to have a successful event, it is necessary for people in the Missouri Conference to take the lead in making guests feel welcome, happy, safe and spirit-filled.

 

Boyd stressed that from the moment the guests step off of the plane (and sometimes before), will determine if that individual’s experience will be a good or a bad one. It is important to have volunteers at the airport manning the guest booths at all times, staying in contact with the persons providing transportation, being on time, having good and clear information on the Conference activities and establishments in St. Louis, and getting back with the person if they have a particular question that you cannot answer at that particular moment.

 

Here are some of Gary’s tips:

 

An individual’s Conference experience begins when they step off of the plane or arrive at the hotel. It is important to know your colleagues that you are working with, particularly those working transportation. Arrive to your designated spot on time. Know key locations, such as restrooms, the ATM, retailers, where to meet their designated transportation, where to catch a cab (and approximate price) and how to get to the Metro stop. Wear comfortable shoes and clothing. Always have someone at the information booth. If you need to take a break, have someone to stay at the table until you return. Know how to get in touch with someone if you have an issue or need some assistance. Help seniors (or others that may need assistance) with their luggage. Have a warm smile and a “Welcome to St. Louis!” attitude.

 

The important tip of working transportation is to make people feel comfortable when going to their destination. Make sure that you know the specified area of the airport to pick up individuals. Have a clean vehicle (inside and out) with plenty of room in the trunk for luggage, luggage and more luggage. Watch the radio station and volume, and avoid “hot button” topics for conversation (stick to weather, Cardinals and the positive attractions of St. Louis). Run all personal errands before driving someone to their destination. Avoid having extra people (your children and/or friends) in your vehicle. Know how to get to the destination of your guests. Determine in advance potential issues, such as rush hour, road construction, Cardinals games, Fair St. Louis and car accidents that cause a long back-up. Make sure that your air conditioner is in tip top running order. Know how many people that your vehicle can reasonably hold, considering luggage and leg room. Have contact numbers of persons that can assist you if you have an issue.

 

Smile, smile, smile! Greet all persons with a welcoming handshake. Know the key locations in the hotel—restrooms, ATM, restaurants, business center, elevators/escalators, and other designated rooms for the Conference. Make sure that someone is at the welcome desk at all times. Have contact numbers on hand that you can call (in case you receive a question that you don’t know the answer). Have a list of attractions and directions (for the mall, Metro stop, beauty shops, soul food restaurants, etc.) that will be assembled by the event planning committee. Know when registration opens and closes for each day. Have specific directions on how to get to the America’s Center from the hotel. Know where to catch the shuttle (if one) and approximate times that it runs between the hotel and the America’s Center. Have water, snacks, and other small items that you may need during your service at the information desk. Since you can only control your own behavior (and not someone else’s), remain calm and

Christ-like if someone acts inappropriately. All 13 conference hotels are designated by AME districts (although there may be some overlap), so know what district is in your hotel. Anticipate questions and find the answers.

 

Welcome each guest to the Center. Know the key locations that people will need, such as restrooms, registration, exhibit hall (and entrance for people bringing in displays), conference hall, elevator/escalator, ATM, etc. Have a listing of designated meeting rooms for districts and special meetings. Wear comfortable shoes. Have someone cover your area when you take a break. Have contact numbers for people that can assist you if you have a special situation or a question that you cannot answer. Help people depart the America’s Center on or before 10:00 PM after the Fifth District Banquet on Thursday, July 3 (very important)!

The Wayman booth is number 11 in the exhibit hall. We will set up on Thursday, July 3^rd at Noon. Please enter the America’s Center at the 9^th Street entrance (33B). We are planning on shooting video and taking pictures of people that come to our booth and displaying it on the web. Volunteers will be responsible for maintaining the laptop and LCD projector. Volunteers will also distribute the Wayman Watch newsletter and be prepared to answer questions about directions to the church and other information.

 

Booth hours are as follows:

 

July 4^th – 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.

July 5^th – 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

July 6^th – 1 p.m. to 9 p.m.

July 7^th – 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

July 8^th – 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

July 9^th – 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

July 10 – 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

 

*Please commit to volunteer for 2 hours or more. If you are interested in volunteering, contact the church at 314-361-4123 with your schedule.

 

If you see someone that needs help, try to assist them—we are all representing St. Louis! If you are stuffing kits, helping with displays, or assembling booklets, know exactly what YOU can do and do that well (with a positive demeanor and comfortable shoes). Encourage others to volunteer so that we have a good showing of people that can help!

 

In order for this to be a successful General Conference, everyone has to understand that they are under the umbrella of hospitality. It is our job to make our guests have the best possible stay while they are in St. Louis. This is where we put into practice “loving your neighbor as yourself.” It is up to us to put God in everything that we do. People need to leave feeling as good as when they came to St. Louis. It is up to all of us to make that happen!