PGConf.EU 2025 Volunteer Training
Volunteer Training
Website on PGConf.EU conference system
About
Conferences rely heavily on volunteer staff, most of whom are good at their jobs and want to do the right thing. That’s a great start, but it’s not enough. When you have 800 people from all over the world in one place, speaking multiple languages, and operating from different cultural frames, things happen, not all of them good.
An attendee may have special needs that no one knows how to accommodate. Another attendee may become agitated over an apparent small incident, or an attendee drinks too much at the social. An attendee may have unexpected situation to deal with on the spot (for example, receiving bad news in the break between sessions) that results in an emotional outburst next to the coffee station.
We’ll combine discussion and role playing (everyone gets a chance to be on stage if they wish!) to practice active listening, recognizing hidden bias, identifying underlying issues, finding workable solutions, and de-escalating conflicts.
Slides [1]
