Talking Volunteer Management with Woodford Folk Festival

Talking Regional Events (with Linda Tillman)

Today we are talking with the inspiring and bubbly Karen McBride, the Citizenship Manager (aka volunteer manager) of the amazing Woodfordia - organizers of the Woodford Folk Festival, The Planting Festival and Festival of Small Halls. The annual Woodford Folk Festival is the largest of the three events, which requires a small army of over 2,700 volunteers (including 150 department heads and an org structure that will blow your mind!). The Woodford programme features concerts, dances, street theatre, writers' panels, film festival, comedy sessions, acoustic jams, social dialogue and debate, folk medicine, an entire children's festival, an environmental programme featuring talks, debates and films, art and craft workshops, circus performances and workshops, late night cabarets, parades and special events including a spectacular fire event. Karen talks to us about the Woodfordia philosophy of empowerment and gratitude, the innovative volunteer software they've created called 'Venus' and how she ensures supreme efficiencies in everything they do by having robust systems and good tools. Karen's number one tip in recruiting and retaining volunteers is MAKE THEM LOVE YOU.