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As campus arenas prepare for the
upcoming intercollegiate basketball and hockey seasons, we thought it the
perfect time to discuss event staff training programs. At the Ryan Center
and Boss Ice Arena we rely on college students to fill several event staff
positions, not only for sporting events, but also for concerts, family shows
and community programs.
We are proud to be one of the largest employers of student help on campus.
That being said, there is a lot of employee turnover every year. Due to the
inherent turnover rate when hiring students, it is critical to devise a
comprehensive employee training program that conveys our mission, “to
provide a safe and secure facility for patrons and staff, work with people
in a customer friendly environment and enjoy your work.”
In addition to the many college students we employ, we are fortunate to have
several retirees assist us as event supervisors. Their many years of work
experience offer excellent guidance to our younger employees.
It is very important to demonstrate to part-time employees how the full-time
staff works as a team. To that end, all Ryan Center full-time staff are
required to assist in the development of the training sessions and are
actively involved in the training program. Full-timers’ responsibilities are
explained to the event staff and short job descriptions are included in the
information packet given to each employee. Most people are amazed with the
amount of time and energy involved in the pre-planning of an event. By
sharing this information, the staff gains a sense of respect for the
planning and execution of a game and how vital their responsibility is to
the success of the event.
Staff Training Program
The training incorporates rotating the staff through three
30-minute stations: 1) Human Resources; 2) Tour / Emergency Planning; 3)
Customer Service.
• The Human Resources section is a group
that includes the Business Office and Box Office staff, as well as the Event
Coordinator. This section focuses on payroll, building policies and
event-day procedures. First, employees are educated with payroll
information, including pay dates, payroll coverage, and all other HR-related
issues. Next we review personnel rules and regulations, which cover accepted
etiquette and staff behavior towards fellow employees, and customers. This
area includes but is not limited to, our “zero tolerance” policy regarding
drug use, harassment and disciplinary standards. These areas are sometimes
overlooked during the initial hiring of employees and by offering this
information verbally (as well as in the employee packet) we make the
employees accountable for their own actions.
Finally, in the Human Resource section, event-day policies and procedures
are identified which cover subjects from basic protocols (staff entrance and
check–in), dress attire, reporting to assigned location, and specific show
information. We introduce the event data sheet, which has specific
information concerning the event, including arena layout, intermission
times, and future events. It also includes a reminder to check for the
nearest exits and other pertinent emergency procedures. • As Event Manager
and General Manager, we present the Tour /
Emergency Planning section. First, a general tour of the facility
is given to point out areas that many event employees might not see, such as
artist dressing rooms, suites and the catering kitchen. More importantly, we
point out the various safety aspects of the facility including fire
extinguishers, pull stations and emergency exits. The discussion of safety
covers exact protocol for employees in an emergency situation. It is
imperative to make this conversation as straightforward as possible to
verify their understanding of this critical aspect of their position. We
have dedicated countless hours discussing our safety plans with the local
Fire Departments, University Police and Department of Safety & Risk
Management, all done to emphasize our most important mantra in an emergency:
COMMUNICATION.
• Finally, the Director of Marketing and Sales and the Group Sales Manager
present our Customer Service program.
Appropriate customer service techniques are reviewed and discussed. Since we
host other types of events in addition to basketball, our customers change –
from kids coming to see “The Wiggles” to a mature audience for “The Boston
Pops.” How we handle various patrons on event nights needs to be
highlighted.
Being a Global Spectrum managed facility, last year we incorporated the
company wide customer service program - How You
Doin’? The simple question of How You
Doin’? to all patrons is a way to deliver our customer service
philosophy. The How You Doin’? program
encourages everyone to go out of their way to greet patrons, assist them as
needed, and also to provide feedback on how we can make their visit to the
Ryan Center or Boss Ice Arena more enjoyable.
At the conclusion of the training stations, both event and full-time staff
meet in the arena bowl to discuss the program, outline the season’s upcoming
events (a good idea is to save a concert announcement for the session) and
participate in a Q & A session.
So what are the keys to a successful training program? Use the time wisely,
prepare and rehearse your presentations. Be brief but clear with the
information presented. Express the importance of a team-oriented full-time
staff and relay the message that to create a successful event, all staff
must work as a team. By utilizing these basic techniques you are guaranteed
a hardworking, well-trained and enthusiastic staff. Good luck this season!
Leah Becki is event manager
and Terry Butler is general manager of the Ryan Center at the University of
Rhode Island in Kingston, Rhode Island. The Ryan Center and Boss Ice Arena
are managed by Global Spectrum. |
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