Staff a society fair stall with a clear volunteer rota

Define the jobs across the whole fair

List the practical work before assigning names: collecting approved materials, setting up the table, greeting visitors, explaining activities, handling detailed questions, keeping the area clear and packing away. Some jobs can be combined during quiet periods, while a busy stall may need separate greeters and conversation space. Check whether organisers require a named lead or continuous attendance. Include the time before visitors arrive and after they leave. A rota covering only public opening hours can leave the first volunteer without equipment and the last volunteer carrying everything alone. Confirm who has authority to resolve a problem with the fair organiser.

Build shifts from actual availability

Ask volunteers for the periods they can genuinely cover, including the time needed to reach the venue from other commitments. Assign a beginning and end to each shift and allow a short overlap where the stall's key information can be passed on. Name a backup contact for gaps rather than relying on a general group message. Make breaks explicit so volunteers can leave the stall without wondering whether they are abandoning it. Keep the rota readable on one sheet or in the society's usual approved system. A borrowed clipboard can hold a paper copy; elaborate scheduling equipment is unnecessary.

Give everyone the same current facts

Prepare a short briefing with the society's purpose, next suitable activity, membership route and the person to contact for questions. Include what volunteers should say when they do not know an answer. For example, they can explain where current event details are published instead of inventing a date or promising that materials are included. Agree how interested visitors can request information through the approved process. Do not place a public list of personal contact details where everyone can read it. Check any printed material against the current programme so successive shifts are not distributing different versions of the same invitation.

Use the handover to keep the stall working

At each change, the outgoing volunteer should explain what has run out, which common questions are arising and whether the organiser has issued new instructions. Check the table, available space and any equipment before the next person begins. If a shift becomes unexpectedly busy, use the backup plan rather than leaving one volunteer to improvise indefinitely. Welcome visitors without blocking the aisle or drawing people away from another stall. The objective is a useful conversation about participation, not collecting the highest possible number of names. Keep any unresolved enquiry for the person who can answer it accurately.

Close with a complete return of materials

Name who will remove signage, return borrowed equipment and check that nothing personal is left behind. Follow the organiser's instructions about waste and the condition of the stall space. Count reusable materials so the society knows what remains for another event. Afterward, ask volunteers which questions were difficult and whether the shift lengths worked. Use that information to improve the next briefing and rota. Keep the operational notes separate from visitors' contact information and handle the latter through the union's process. A successful staffing plan leaves both volunteers and potential members with clear next steps.

Your next steps

• List setup, public-facing and closing jobs before assigning shifts.
• Give each shift a named start, finish and backup contact.
• Brief volunteers with the same current society information.
• Include equipment return and stall clearance in the final shift.

Keep planning

• Plan coursework around a changing placement rota
• Brief student event volunteers before their shift begins
• Shortlist employers before a campus careers fair
• Ask useful questions at a careers fair stand