Volunteer at Social Media Marketing World 2023
Our team of volunteers are the heart and soul behind the networking, fun, and service-centric energy at Social Media Marketing World.
Thank you for your interest in supporting Social Media Marketing World 2023 (#SMMW23). This year’s event takes place in sunny San Diego, California from Monday, March 13th to Wednesday, March 15th, 2023.
We are thrilled to have your time and talent on our team, whether this is your first time volunteering with us or you have supported the event previously.
Below you will find descriptions of the volunteer roles. When you apply to volunteer, you will be invited to select your preferred role(s). We will do our best to assign everyone their preferred role(s). Note that you can sign up for more than one role!
Volunteer Commitment
during the event
Volunteers commit to being available from Sunday, March 12th – Wednesday, March 15th, 2023.
Our standard volunteer time commitment is 15-20 hours across the event. Most volunteers will serve multiple shifts, each averaging 3-4 hours. Volunteers are encouraged to take breaks between shifts. And, volunteers who pledge to fulfill the standard time commitment will have access to the event content when it DOES NOT conflict with their assigned shifts.
Leadership Role Commitment: In addition to the standard time commitment, leader roles will have some additional training and coordination. Leaders also have the responsibility of communicating with and supporting their volunteer team in fulfilling duties during the event.
All SMMW volunteers bring a few key qualities and skill sets to support the event that may include:
- Comfort with high visibility and attendee interaction
- Excellent communication and customer service skills
- Event experience
- Flexibility
- Professionalism and emotional maturity
before the event
Volunteers agree to fulfill the following requirements before the event:
- Agree to Social Media Examiner's Volunteer Agreement
- Agree to Social Media Examiner's Code of Conduct and Terms of Service
- Attend required volunteer training
- Virtual pre-event training (self-paced) February – March 2023
- In-person event kick-off at San Diego Convention Center Sunday, March 12, 2023
Timeline
Volunteer Application Opens – October 26, 2022
Volunteers Notified of Application Status – Within 4 weeks of submission
Volunteer Application Deadline – December 20, 2022
Volunteer Roles Announced – by January 23, 2023
Volunteer Shifts Announced – by February 17, 2023
Pre-Event Online Training – Mid-February 2023, due March 3, 2023
Volunteer Onsite Training and Kickoff – March 12, 2023
Social Media Marketing World 2022 – March 13 – 15, 2023
Post-Event Volunteer Celebration – March 15, 2023
Post-Event Feedback Collected via Survey – late March 2023
NOTE: If you are unable to meet these requirements and save the above dates, we suggest you purchase a ticket and enjoy the event as an attendee.
Apply to Volunteer Today!
- Click here to submit your volunteer application today! Deadline to apply is December 20, 2022.
- Set up your account (or renew a previous account) within our volunteer platform InitLive.
- Watch this brief video tutorial for help in setting up an account or accessing the application.
- Reach out to [email protected] with any questions.
Our COVID-19 Policy
Social Media Examiner is following COVID-19 community health guidelines to protect our staff, event attendees, and you – our volunteers. As of now we do not require any testing or proof of vaccination to volunteer at this event, but that is subject to change.
We will provide additional updates as the event nears. Thank you for your understanding.
Hotel Accommodations
Social Media Examiner does not provide hotel accommodations for volunteers, however we do offer discounted rates at our partner hotel: Manchester Grand Hyatt. We encourage volunteers to book a room using our room block.
Volunteer Roles
Connections Crew Team – help attendees create meaningful connections by serving as a facilitator and model of effective connection building.
- Connections Crew: positioned strategically throughout the event and at all activities to promote connection building among attendees, your responsibilities may include:
- Connecting event attendees to other with similar interests and backgrounds
- Maintaining a working knowledge of the event activities, schedule, and speakers
- Modeling warm and effective connection building behavior
- Promoting networking opportunities upcoming sessions to attendees
- Supporting the execution of Table Talks and other networking events (potentially in evenings)
- Connections Crew Online**: helping to manage the online attendee community and experience leading up to, during, and after the main event, your responsibilities may include:
- Engaging the online attendee community in discussions (via Facebook groups) leading up to the event, during the event, and after the event
- Facilitating online conversations and Q&A during sessions
- Connections Crew Team Lead*: serving as main point of contact for all volunteers assigned to the Connections Crew Team, your responsibilities may include:
- Assisting with pre-event training
- Assisting with Facebook group conversation facilitation of your team pre-event
- Communicating important shift and role details to members of your team throughout the event, both in-person and through our in-phone app
- Helping staff and Volunteer Coordinator to recognize standout performance
- Maintaining a working knowledge of the event activities, schedule, and speakers
- Monitoring shifts and event needs – communicating needs to Volunteer Coordinator so that we can reallocate volunteer support
- Representing the event and Social Media Examiner with integrity, respect, kindness, and professionalism
Content Team – supports event speakers and all sessions to ensure delivery of exceptional content and the best attendee experience.
- Room Hosts: assigned to a specific Convention Center room to facilitate the best possible session in that room, your responsibilities may include:
- Assisting attendees in finding a seat
- Directing attendees to an alternate session if the room reaches maximum capacity
- Monitoring room capacity and attendance
- Placing session material and giveaways on chairs prior to sessions
- Preparing the room for each session
- Room Host Lead*: supporting a team of Room Hosts in facilitating seamless sessions throughout the day in an assigned Convention Center Room, your responsibilities may include:
- Assisting with pre-event training
- Assisting with Facebook group conversation facilitation of your team pre-event
- Communicating important shift and role details to members of your team throughout the event, both in-person and through our in-phone app
- Coordinates with Room Host Team and Attendance Agent to ensure attendance taken at each session
- Encouraging your team to take breaks
- Helping staff and Volunteer Coordinator to recognize standout performance
- Leading team of Room Hosts through successful session execution
- Maintaining a working knowledge of the event activities and schedule
- Monitoring shifts and event needs – communicating needs to Volunteer Coordinator so that we can reallocate volunteer support
- Representing the event and Social Media Examiner with integrity, respect, kindness, and professionalism
- Speaker Lead*: serving as right-hand to the Social Media Examiner Speaker Team, your responsibilities may include:
- Assisting to pass out session material from speakers to attendees
- Escorting speakers to their sessions, activities of interest, networking opportunities, and generally around the event
- Greeting and receiving speakers with warmth and professionalism
- Helping to provide the best possible experience for speakers from accommodations to session execution to evening events
- Interacting comfortably and professionally with high profile VIP guests
Experience Team – creating and facilitating the best possible experience from start to finish for SMMW attendees.
- Greeter: positioned strategically throughout the event – from registration to session doors – your responsibilities may include:
- Answering event and direction-related questions
- Fostering meaningful moments throughout the event for attendees
- Interacting authentically with attendees
- Warmly welcoming attendees
- Info Booth: positioned strategically at the event entrance on the second floor of the Convention Center, the info booth serves as a one-stop shop for attendees. Your responsibilities may include:
- Answering all event, San Diego, session, speaker, and direction-related questions (you are the event experts)
- Interacting with attendees warmly and with a customer service focus
- Maintaining a working knowledge of the event activities and schedule
- Welcoming attendees, speakers, sponsors, vendors, and all who enter SMMW
- Representing the event and Social Media Examiner with integrity, respect, kindness, and professionalism
- Experience Team Lead*: serving as main point of contact for all volunteers assigned to the Experience Team, your responsibilities may include:
- Assisting with pre-event training
- Assisting with Facebook group conversation facilitation of your team pre-event
- Communicating important shift and role details to members of your team throughout the event, both in-person and through our in-phone app
- Encouraging your team to take breaks
- Helping staff and Volunteer Coordinator to recognize standout performance
- Maintaining a working knowledge of the event activities and schedule
- Monitoring shifts and event needs – communicating needs to Volunteer Coordinator so that we can reallocate volunteer support
- Representing the event and Social Media Examiner with integrity, respect, kindness, and professionalism
Operations Team – smoothly executes the behind-the-scenes magic that makes SMMW a success and allows our attendees to fully immerse themselves in the content and environment.
- Can-Do Squad: acting as behind-the-scenes ninjas to execute the smallest AND largest details with professionalism and promptness. Your responsibilities may include:
- Being available to handle anything and everything during and in between sessions (ex: last minute sign change or handout drop before a session)
- Filling in for volunteer shifts across various roles – acting as a Jack/Jill of all trades
- Floating to support, and prop up all parts of this fast-moving event
- Handling emergencies with problem-solving, grace, and kindness
- Running supplies between Convention Center rooms and activities
- Registration Support: providing both light technical and customer service support to attendee registration on days one and two, your responsibilities may include:
- Assembling printed attendee badges to lanyards
- Assisting attendees with badge inquiries and technical registration questions
- Distributing badge and event map to attendees
- Supporting onsite badge printing vendor with light technical and customer facing support
- Sponsor Support: serving as right-hand to the Social Media Examiner Sponsorship Team, your responsibilities may include:
- Assisting with placing sponsor-branded signage and collateral throughout the event
- Coordinating last minute booth and lounge details with the Sponsorship Team (lighting, wifi, supplies needed)
- Helping to provide the best possible experience for sponsors from setup to cleanup and all the attendee interaction in between
- Receiving the sponsors with warmth and professionalism
- Supporting the Sponsorship Team in building rapport and relationships with sponsors
- Operations Team Lead*: serving as main point of contact for all volunteers assigned to the Operations Team, your responsibilities may include:
- Assisting with pre-event training
- Assisting with Facebook group conversation facilitation of your team pre-event
- Communicating important shift and role details to members of your team throughout the event, both in-person and through our in-phone app
- Encouraging your team to take breaks
- Helping staff and Volunteer Coordinator to recognize standout performance
- Maintaining a working knowledge of the event activities and schedule
- Monitoring shifts and event needs – communicating needs to Volunteer Coordinator so that we can reallocate volunteer support
- Representing the event and Social Media Examiner with integrity, respect, kindness, and professionalism
*Lead roles are only available to alumni volunteers at this time*
**Virtual volunteer opportunity designed to support this year’s live-stream event experience**
APPLY TO VOLUNTEER
We thank ALL of our volunteers – past, present, and future – for their help and enthusiasm in making Social Media Marketing World a great experiences for all!