What Would be worthwhile???

[nigelhicks]

Hey Guys and Girls

 

We (The World Cup Committee) are busy trying to organise marshalls etc for the World Cup and World Champs that are taking place here in PMB over the next two years and I wanted to get your opinions on some things.

 

At Fort William you can apply as a volunteer on their website and you get the following ......... (taken off their website)

UCI Mountain Bike World Cup 2010: Volunteer Applications

In return you will receive:

 

•Volunteer 'goody bag' including several items of branded clothing - your uniform

•Packed lunches/food vouchers

•Daily expenses allowance

•Our eternal gratitude!

..........

 

Now My question to you guys is ... Hypothetically speaking ... if you were to come to the World Cup or World Champs here in PMB and we had a similar system in place where you get a Volunteer (Marshall) bag with some cool SPECIFIC MARSHALL ONLY kit - that no one else will ever have plus some other stuff etc ... you'd get free entry to the event (ALTHOUGH YOU HAVE TO MARSHALL AND CANT JUST WANDER AROUND ALL DAY) ... and probably like lunch vouchers or something ...

 

Which of the following would you say is important to you as part of your goodie bag?

 

1: Free Entry to the event

2: Marshall "uniform" (shirt, cap, socks ... other ideas??)

3: Lunch

4: Money

5: Free bike stuff?

6: Anything else you can think of .....

 

Give me some ideas and let me know ...

WOULD YOU DO IT???

 

What would you guys say is necessary (from a riding enthusiasts point of view) to get people to apply for marshalling posts? ... I ask as we would much rather have people who know something about riding and are interested than just hire staff who dont care and dont know what the basic rules of cycling are.

 

Your answers and comments are greatly apprecaited!

Thanks

Nige!!

Edited December 6, 2011 by nigelhicks

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

I'd be in - if I were in Debben!

 

As for Goodies!

 

Official looking Official's hat - so people know we're, like, official, and stuff...

Socks that can be ruined by that wicked PMB clay & mud

A jacket, for if it rains. With the word OFFICIAL on it, of course. The more official, the better.

 

 

But those are just extras - I'd be prepared to do it for the hell of it, and 'cos it's a good day out where I can watch all the riding and get a good spot, whilst looking official.

 

Awesome idea, bro...

[reteid]

i volunteer as a marshal from time to time as i feel it my duty to make some fellow cyclists day a bit better every now and then even if just to show him/her where to ride.

[reteid]

ok forgot something even a bib to show that you are a marshal

[kosmonooit]

Yea maybe ... nice to make one's self useful and I love the sport ... providing one can see the action as well. Would old tjops be welcome?

[nigelhicks]

Yea maybe ... nice to make one's self useful and I love the sport ... providing one can see the action as well. Would old tjops be welcome?

 

anyone is ALWAYS welcome to come and help marshall ... BUT i need to know what you would EXPECT to get in your goodie bag etc as "payment" for helping marshall ...

[Nickzta]

Dude,

 

You need to understand the Psych make-up of a Marshall...

 

I've been in various Marshalling capacities over the years. Most of us would do it for zip/zero/free... Just to be close to the action and a part of the event...

 

Having a goodie bag is nice and a T-shirt is cool... but it's not gonna be bait to entice a good volunteer(and for a World class event, you need great Marshall). The best bait is to gain the opportunity to give back to the sport you love and to get closer to the action.

 

I think you are pretty bang on the money, on this one:

The best Marshall is an "Enthusiast"

[kosmonooit]

I wouldn't really expect anything .. except being close to the action. But perhaps to others in more material need, some shopping vouchers or something of meaningful value?

[nigelhicks]

Dude,

 

You need to understand the Psych make-up of a Marshall...

 

I've been in various Marshalling capacities over the years. Most of us would do it for zip/zero/free... Just to be close to the action and a part of the event...

 

Having a goodie bag is nice and a T-shirt is cool... but it's not gonna be bait to entice a good volunteer(and for a World class event, you need great Marshall). The best bait is to gain the opportunity to give back to the sport you love and to get closer to the action.

 

I think you are pretty bang on the money, on this one:

The best Marshall is an "Enthusiast"

 

Thats all good and well that guys would do it for free as you say ... but for the last 2 events we advertised Marshall posts ... and had about 5 people respond ... Im not in charge of the marshall side of things but im just trying to rack brains to see how we can maybe get guys in who know what they are doing ... cus last year i had to tell the DH marshalls about a hundred times to stop playing with their yellow and red danger flags as they were confusing the riders!

[rob_mtb]

I'd be in - if I were in Debben!

 

As for Goodies!

 

Official looking Official's hat - so people know we're, like, official, and stuff...

Socks that can be ruined by that wicked PMB clay & mud

A jacket, for if it rains. With the word OFFICIAL on it, of course. The more official, the better.

 

 

But those are just extras - I'd be prepared to do it for the hell of it, and 'cos it's a good day out where I can watch all the riding and get a good spot, whilst looking official.

 

Awesome idea, bro...

Me too! I'd do it just for the hell of it. Maybe chuck in a boerie roll and a cold one at the end of it and a t-shirt so I can clean my chain.

[reteid]

socks/tshirt/cap with logo to identify with the race.kind of been there done that shirt and not happy honeymoon couple t shirts.Boerie roll and something to drink would also be appreciated.as to where to find marshalls i would think the local bike clubs could be a good starting point.shout if you need help in CT.also perhaps a sort of certificate like a bike board which you can then proudly place to the effect of marshall at world cup event?

[TiBones]

How about access to cheap accom?

[Redline]

ditto ! plenty of volunteers in GP ...

 

 

gauteng suck at DH, really can't see why every one else uses their mountains but we don't The coolest thing ever that disappeared into the ether was the rumours about trail / dh track at harties

[Nickzta]

Thats all good and well that guys would do it for free as you say ... but for the last 2 events we advertised Marshall posts ... and had about 5 people respond ... Im not in charge of the marshall side of things but im just trying to rack brains to see how we can maybe get guys in who know what they are doing ... cus last year i had to tell the DH marshalls about a hundred times to stop playing with their yellow and red danger flags as they were confusing the riders!

 

Yup, I'm feeling that... Nothing makes you happier than when your Marshall, is an egghead...

 

Best bet is to find 3-5 "Captains" and let them find 20 people each.

You've got to get people of influence to reccomend people. So try approach the local cycling club's, the rotary clubs, the gym's (spinning studio's) Local Bike shops

[Try-Tri]

Hey Guys and Girls

 

We (The World Cup Committee) are busy trying to organise marshalls etc for the World Cup and World Champs that are taking place here in PMB over the next two years and I wanted to get your opinions on some things.

 

At Fort William you can apply as a volunteer on their website and you get the following ......... (taken off their website)

UCI Mountain Bike World Cup 2010: Volunteer Applications

In return you will receive:

 

•Volunteer 'goody bag' including several items of branded clothing - your uniform

•Packed lunches/food vouchers

•Daily expenses allowance

•Our eternal gratitude!

..........

 

Now My question to you guys is ... Hypothetically speaking ... if you were to come to the World Cup or World Champs here in PMB and we had a similar system in place where you get a Volunteer (Marshall) bag with some cool SPECIFIC MARSHALL ONLY kit - that no one else will ever have plus some other stuff etc ... you'd get free entry to the event (ALTHOUGH YOU HAVE TO MARSHALL AND CANT JUST WANDER AROUND ALL DAY) ... and probably like lunch vouchers or something ...

 

Which of the following would you say is important to you as part of your goodie bag?

 

1: Free Entry to the event

2: Marshall "uniform" (shirt, cap, socks ... other ideas??)

3: Lunch

4: Money

5: Free bike stuff?

6: Anything else you can think of .....

 

Give me some ideas and let me know ...

WOULD YOU DO IT???

 

What would you guys say is necessary (from a riding enthusiasts point of view) to get people to apply for marshalling posts? ... I ask as we would much rather have people who know something about riding and are interested than just hire staff who dont care and dont know what the basic rules of cycling are.

 

Your answers and comments are greatly apprecaited!

Thanks

Nige!!

 

If you can get the Pro Riders to mingle with the marshals it should be enough for most cycle fanatics.

[Dragu]

Just to be close to the action would be payment enough. Agreed, speak to local clubs, cycle shops and some special deal for guys and gals from out of town on accommodation.... If you can manage to arrange for them to mingle with the pro's, you should have more applications than you can handle.

 

Goody bag would be great but a 'Official' t-shirt, jacket... should be a given for such an event. They all need to look the same...

 

Ask the pro's and/or their teams/sponsors to put something in and each marshal gets something. cap, t-shirt, saddle, bike(ok maybe i'm dreaming on this one but hey...) Get Greg or a couple of the riders to present gifts and thank the marshalls. You soon would have true fanatics knocking hard to be a part of this

 

My 5 cents....