Talking volunteer management with Woodford Folk Festival

Written By Cristy Houghton

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.

Cristy Houghton

Cristy's unique career has taken her from country NSW to the city lights of Clarendon Street South Melbourne and back again. With an early career in radio as a copywriter and creative strategist, she is now a Jill of all trades as a graphic designer, website builder, blog writer, video editor, social media manager, marketing strategist and more. 

In fact, give her any task and this chick will figure out how to do it! Go on, we dare you!

No, really, we DARE you!!

Cristy has won two Australian Commercial Radio Awards (ACRAs) for Best Ad and Best Sales Promotion, and even has an 'Employee of the Year' certificate with her name on it.

Cristy and her husband James have traveled extensively through Russia, China and South East Asia, and have two fur-babies, Sooty (cat) and Panda (puppy). Cristy loves drinking coffee, meeting people to drink coffee, coffee tasting and coffee flavoured cocktails. She also enjoys road trips, TED Talks and watching cat videos on youtube.

http://www.embarketing.com.au
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