General Volunteer Information

Thank you for your service! We hope you enjoy your volunteering, and that you feel proud to have contributed to making the Sundance Stompede a success!

It is helpful for our volunteers to read about their shift duties in advance. This will make things go so much smoother on the day of the event.

Whether you are on the front lines or behind-the-scenes, you are the face of the Sundance Stompede. We want to be welcoming to everyone, and to understand concerns when they arise. To this end, please be mindful of using correct pronouns. We have a pronoun buttons for folks to wear that might be helpful. If you are not sure what pronoun to use, it's best to ask, or to use a gender-neutral pronoun. Here's more information about our pronoun stickers, and some background information on correct pronoun use.

Have fun!

Covid Policies for Volunteers

What a difference a year makes! We will have no Covid-related requirements in place for the Stompede this year. There will be some attendees who wish to remain cautious. We will have high-quality masks available for anyone who wants one, for use at the event. However, we do not want folks taking fistfuls of masks for later use!

Set-up and Tear-down

SAFETY FIRST! There have been some injuries in past years, usually small, but occasionally significant. We do not want ANY injuries to our volunteers.

• Do not thing heavy by yourself. It's so easy to get help.
• Wear gloves when handling the dance floor, or heavy decorations like barrels and fences, or anything that's wood.
• Look before you step. During set-up and tear-down materials appear out of nowhere.
• You can move slowly and still be efficient. This is not a race.

WAIT FOR INSTRUCTIONS. This applies to set-up and to tear-down. There is a method to the madness, and there may be particular ways of putting things together or taking things apart that are not obvious.

BE PATIENT! There are many volunteers for one supervisor. There may be times when you are standing around with nothing to do. Make it known that you are available, and then wait until the supervisor has a chance to find something for you to do.

FOR SET-UP

PUT SUPPLIES BACK WHERE YOU FOUND THEM. This applies especially to basic common supplies like tape, scissors, and so forth. There will be a central supply box that is our ground zero.

BLUE PAINTER'S TAPE ONLY ON THE WALLS. Never cellophane tape or gaffers or duct tape!

FOR TEAR-DOWN

REMOVE GAFFER'S TAPE CAREFULLY. When this tape is used to hold down wires and cables, pull the tape off from the cables first. If you lift the tape and cables off together, the tape will become unmanageable. If the tape sticks to itself it is impossible to unstick it.  When pulling gaffer's tape off a hardwood floor, be gentle enough so it doesn't strip the finish.

PUTTING AWAY XLR SPEAKER CABLES. We have cord-winder buckets that wind speaker cables onto a spool. Do not coil the cables! Instead leave them stretched out so they can be wound into the bucket.

FOR ALL: WHERE TO MEET

Sometimes it's not clear where you should report to for set-up or tear-down, especially if your shift starts after the process has begun.  In general you'll try to find the supervisor.  If you don't know who Ingu or Randy is, just ask around.  Someone will know. Here are some hints:

Hotel set-up Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday – look for Ingu. On Wednesday we'll probably start in downstairs in the Gold Rush Room and work our way up. On Thursday and Friday we'll probably start in the ballroom and work our way down.

Regency set-up Saturday afternoon – look for Ingu. We'll start outside with the truck, move to the ballroom, and then we could be anywhere, including downstairs. The 4:00 pm shift will probably meet in the ballroom and quickly head to the hotel to gather more supplies to bring to the Regency.

Regency tear-down Saturday night –
• 12:30 am tear-down volunteers – FIRST get your coats from the coat-check early BEFORE 12:30. Meet Ingu at the front in the entry rotunda. Please watch the time and don’t be late. We have a lot to do.
• 1:00 am tear-down volunteers – FIRST get your coats from the coat-check early well BEFORE the end-of-night rush and prior to 1:00. Meet Ingu at the front of the stage in the ballroom at 1:00 sharp.

Hotel tear-down Sunday afternoon – Find Randy Pocius. At 1:00 plan to meet him at the Stompede registration desk. 4:00 volunteers should check in at the Stompede registration desk any time prior to 4:00, and then meet as a group in the ballroom. Please be prompt!

Sundance Saloon

Our procedures are complicated, we're expecting a lot of people, and we've warned them about potential long lines and waits. Don't get flustered, and just work as effeciently as you can.

The following instructions are broken down by volunteer, but as the night wears on, one volunteer may end up handling multiple roles.

FRONT DOOR & BADGECHECKER

THURSDAY NIGHT

On Thursday night there are completely separate entry doors for Stompede registrants and non-registered attendees.

VOLUNTEER #1 - FRONT DOOR ADMISSIONS. This position will be handled by a regular Sundance Saloon volunteer. This primary front door volunteer will handle things pretty much as usual for walk-up attendees, accepting payment, handling comps the same way (with our usual comp list). The major difference is that admission is $15, and we do not accept Sundance Saloon comp passes.

If someone is registered for the full weekend, they should NOT mark themselves off on the comp list, but instead go through the registrants' entry line.

If someone wants to purchase a full weekend pass, they should pay $15 for entry on Thursday. They can then register at the hotel on Friday, and we'll deduct $15 from their registration fee. We offer this $15 discount to everyone registering on Friday, so no documentation is needed.

Everyone entering will be issued a numbered ticket. This is to help us keep count. Folks should use this ticket for re-entry.

VOLUNTEER #2 - REGISTRANTS' ENTRY. On Thursday, a volunteer will be stationed to check in full-weekend registrants. Some will have their badge already. If no badge, the name will be checked off from a list on an iPad. Everyone entering will be given a numbered ticket that should be used for re-entry. (The tickets are to allow us to count admission numbers.) During peak times (like the arrival of a bus) it will be all hands on deck to get everyone processed quickly.

VOLUNTEER #3 - ISSUE TICKETS / GO WHERE NEEDED. Early in the evening we have a third volunteer. This volunteer can help at the front by issuing tickets after folks pay. When the registrant's entry gets busy, this volunteer can run over there to issue tickets. IMPORTANT: The registrants entry and the front door entry have different sets of tickets with different colors.

SUNDAY NIGHT

On Sunday night the main entry is split into two lines. One line is our regular paying entry. The other line is for registrants with badges and for re-entry.

VOLUNTEER #1 - FRONT DOOR ADMISSIONS. This position will be handled by a regular Sundance Saloon volunteer. This primary front door volunteer will handle things pretty much as usual for walk-up attendees, accepting payment, handling comps the same way (with our usual comp list). The major difference is that admission is $15, and we do not accept Sundance Saloon comp passes.

All unregistered paying and comp attendees - anyone without a badge - will be issued a wristband.

If someone is registered for the full weekend, they should NOT mark themselves off on the comp list, but instead go through the registrants' entry line.

VOLUNTEER #2 - SUNDAY - FRONT DOOR WRISTBANDS. Early in the evening a second volunteer should be stationed at the front desk to handle wristbands. Wristbands are numbered. Give them out sequentially, please! Badge-holders should not get a wristband, but go to the badge entry line.

VOLUNTEER #3 - SUNDAY - BADGE-CHECKER. This volunteer will just check badges for quick entry and make sure that everyone re-entering has a badge or a wristband. Only badges with a color band across the top are accepted. (White badges are day passes.) You will put an adhesive sticker on every incoming badge, and we'll use this to maintain a count of the number of badge entries. If someone entering already has a sticker on the badge, this is a re-entry -- do not place a second sticker on the badge.

SUNDANCE SALOON COAT-CHECK

The coat check is essentially no different from our usual Sundance Saloon process. We'll have an iPad to record every transaction, whether it's cash or credit card (and we highly encourage credit cards). Notably the coat check will be a LOT busier than usual, which is why we have two volunteers per shift. Expect to check a lot of bags, including luggage that folks bring on their way to or from the airport. 

We will probably have two different colors of tags - one for hanging coats, and one for non-hanging bags. MAKE SURE EVERYTHING STAYS IN NUMERICAL ORDER!!! Attach tags to bags with a twist-tie SECURELY enough that it can't fall off.

Coat-check will be free for everyone at Sundance Saloon on Thursday and Sunday nights, to encourage folks not to bring their stuff into the ballroom. Tips are welcome – and are considered donations to Sundance.

Regency Front Door

The front door volunteers sell tickets, accept previously bought tickets, and manage volunteer check-in and comp lists.  Everyone entering must have a badge or a wristband.

Please note that it can get extremely cold at the front so bring a jacket. We will keep the front doors open for ventilation and to keep the interior of the Regency cool.

Please be careful using the correct pronouns when addressing guests. If you are not sure whether to use “he” or “she,” it is better to use a gender-neutral term; e.g. “Hi, folks” instead of “Hi, ladies.” This year we have color-coded buttons folks can wear to indicate what pronoun they use. Please read the following resources:
- Pronoun stickers
- Background info: using correct pronouns

WRISTBANDS AND BADGES:

EVERYONE entering past the front entry must have a rainbow rubber wristband. This is new this year. We're using these wristbands to keep count of attendance. The bags each have 25 wristbands. Do not throw the used bags away! Everyone should wear their wristband at all times. This is how security will know folks belong in the facility. Folks with badges may be able to get away without wearing the wristband but should be prepared to show it at any time.   

Full-weekend Stompede registrants will present a badge with a color stripe across the top. (White badges are day pass only.) They should be issued a rainbow wristband upon entry, and it is the wristband that gets them in, not the badge. (This will be the job of the badge-checkers.)

PAYING AT THE DOOR

• Cashiers take cash or credit cards for people who are paying for Saturday night only. We strongly prefer credit cards.
• Everyone who pays receives a rainbow wristband from the specific pay-at-the-door stock.
• Managers will show the cashiers how to process a credit card (don’t worry – it’s easy). Or view the instructions on this page.

Credit Card Processing Instructions Instructions are a few years old, but close!

ADVANCE TICKETS (print-at-home tickets).

• We'll use an iPhone app that can scan the QR code on the ticket for entry. We'll also have a paper list of names, just in case.
• Everyone with an advance ticket receives a rainbow wristband from the advance ticket stock.

COMP ADMISSIONS.

Comp admissions will generally be:

• Volunteers (both from that evening and afternoon setup)
• Registrants for the full weekend who never picked up their badge
• You may encounter some legitimate comps not on the lists. Ask the manager for assistance.
• NOTE: Dance exhibition performers are required to pay, with a few exceptions for individuals who have made prior arrangements not to pay. These folks shouild have been processed earlier in the evening and should already have their wristband.

Each comp admission receives a rainbow wristband from the comp ticket stock.

Regency Badge-Checker

The badge checkers make sure each person coming through the entrance has a Stompede rainbow rubber wristband.

The badge-checkers will issue wristbands to folks with badges.

BADGES: GREEN, GOLD or RED (think traffic light):

• Issue a rainbow wristband from the badge-holder stock.
• Explain that the wristband is being used for entry and exit.
• We prefer the attendee wears the wristband throughout the night. .
• Note that we don't want to issue two wristbands to the same person. If someone is entering for the second time, they should present the wristband they already have.
• We are using the wristbands to count. Do not throw away used bags, so we can account for everything later.

PRIOR TO OPENING:

Before the doors open, we need to go through the building and make sure that

• everyone inside who has a badge receives a rainbow wristband.
• anyone without a wristband must clear the building.

Prior to opening it is also helpful to go through the line out front to issue wristbands to badge-holders who are waiting. It might also be possible to scan advance tickets and issue wristbands.

Coat Check - Hotel & Regency

$3 per item. Use your judgment in calling something a separate item. A jacket and a backpack are two separate items.

Anyone with a GOLD BADGE gets free coat check. Also, no charge to check items from the silent auction.

Keep everything in numerical order! (Hanging items will have a different sequence from bags on the floor.)

Use a twist-tie or tape to *securely* fasten tags to non-hanging items.

LOST TAGS. Our official policy is to wait until the end of the evening after all other items are claimed. However, we can leave it at your discretion to work out a solution. Take special precautions if an item is valuable (e.g. ID check, get contact info).

Don't panic if there's a long line. Just work steadily and calmly, and, most importantly, accurately.

Silent Auction Monitor and Processing

=== SILENT AUCTION MONITOR ===

You'll help watch over the silent auction area for security purposes, and help answer questions folks will have about bidding on items.

NEW! We will also have some BUY-IT-NOW items that will have their prices adjusted as the evening wears on, starting with a higher price early in the evening, and gradually lowering the price. Folks can bring these items to you at any time. You'll accept payment for them and they can be taken away. We recommend that they be checked at the coat check for no charge.

=== SILENT AUCTION PROCESSING ===

Silent auction claims is such an important part of the Sundance Stompede. We often take in over $4000. We have up to six volunteers to assist with this task. It's important to remember that accuracy takes precedence over speed.

MEET AT 11:00

The volunteers should meet near the entrance of the silent auction room with the supervisor(s) promptly at 11:00.

AUCTION CLOSES AT 11:00

The Silent Auction closes at 11:00 sharp. All volunteers should participate in a rapid sweep of the area to clear it of everyone. Snatch pens away if you have to. It's OK to put evil hexes on any resistors.

AUCTION PROCESSING SET-UP

Up to six volunteers with decent handwriting will then quickly (but legibly) fill out the display claim sheets with the names of the winners and the winning bid. Bring these to the posterboard for mounting as soon as you finish each sheet.

The remaining volunteers will assist in setting up the front area with tables, barricades, and claim materials including claim forms, pens, cash drawer, credit card processing terminal, and claim instruction manila envelopes (more on that later).

PROCESS CLAIMS AT 11:15

STEP 1. Winners check to see if their names appear on the posterboard. They fill out an "Auction Claim Form" with their name, contact info, and prize info.

One volunteer should be stationed in this area to help orient the winners, get them in line, hand them forms and pens, and explain the process. Best for winners to line up in the hallway pointing to the main entrance foyer.

STEP 2. Winners hand their claim form to a volunteer who checks the prize info against the posterboard info. The volunteer initials that the form is correct and hands it back to the winner.

We can place up to two volunteers here. For each item on the winner’s claim form, check it carefully against the name and bid amount on the board. If they agree, cross off the line on the board with a marking pen. Initial where the form says “Confirmed” and hand the form back to the winner.

STEP 3. The winner takes the form to the auction cashier and pays. The cashier stamps the form PAID.

The cashier checks the form and makes sure the total amount is correct. The winner can pay by cash or credit card only – no checks. We strongly prefer credit cards. (We use Square. We have separate instructions on how to accept credit card payments.) Once paid, stamp the form PAID, and hand the form back to the winner.

Credit Card Processing Instructions

STEP 4. The winner hands the PAID claim form to a runner. The runner retrieves the item(s) according to the directions provided.

The runner takes the form and checks that it has been confirmed and is PAID. There is a stack of numbered manila envelopes, one for each auction item. On the front of the envelope are instructions about what to retrieve for the winner. Read the instructions carefully!

Many times the instructions will say "Contents of envelope."  In this case carefully search the inside of the envelope for *all* contents.  In some cases there may be more than one certificate in the envelope, and some may be small and hiding.

Other times the instructions will describe a physical object. In this case you'll go to that prize and bring it to the front for the winner. Note that some prizes have dedicated boxes for them. There will also be a supply of generic bags available.

We keep the manila envelopes, the winner's auction claim form, and the bid sheets. The winner receives no documentation.

We may set up a holding area for those wishing to pick up their items later. Try to keep this to a minimum, and explain to folks that they must pick their item up by 12:45 am.

Towards the end of the night we need to pack up things in different categories:

• Unclaimed items. Keep the bid sheet and manila envelope with the items. These need to go back to the hotel.
• No-bid items. Keep the bid sheet and manila envelope with the items. Include in this category any unbought buy-it-now items. These will stay in the truck, unless perishable.
• Items of value or importance. Square iPad and credit card reader, cash box, cash, all processed manila envelopes and claim forms. These need to go back to the hotel.
• Auction set-up materials. Wood blocks, pens, display items, etc. These will stay in the truck.
• Empty boxes. Break down and flatten. These will stay in the truck.