Volunteers turn out to assist conference guests
Volunteering is a regular part of Sherri Justice’s life.
The 60-year-old from Columbus reads books to students at Georgian Heights Elementary School on the West Side, hands out food to those in need in the community through her church, and volunteers for the American Heart Association and American Red Cross.
And on Monday night, Justice greeted people as they made their way to Nationwide Arena for the American Society of Association Executives’ annual fundraiser, The Classic, featuring singer John Legend.
“I want to make sure people feel warm and welcome,” said Justice, who works in the construction department at American Electric Power Ohio. “Columbus is friendly, open and inviting. We have a lot to offer.”
Justice was one of about 600 volunteers stationed around Columbus during the 2019 ASAE Annual Meeting & Exposition, which started Saturday and Volunteer Annie Langley helps Vanessa Colon of B Resort & Spa near Orlando, Fla., get her bearings Sunday at the Greater Columbus Convention Center during the annual meeting of the American Society of Association Executives.
ended Tuesday night. They filled the Greater Columbus Convention Center, hotels, the airport and various venues hosting evening entertainment events, handling tasks such as greeting attendees and answering questions.
Many of the volunteers came from the more than 50 central Ohio business and organizations that partnered to help host ASAE’S annual meeting, said Alexis Perrone, visitors services manager for Experience Columbus, which helped
coordinate volunteers for the event.
Ohiohealth, for instance, sent a team of volunteers promptly at 5:45 a.m. Sunday to help out with the ASAE 5K at North Bank Park, and a group from the Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens worked Monday night at The Classic, Perrone said.
Perrone said she usually plans for a volunteer attrition rate of between 40% and 50%. But only about 15% of volunteers didn’t show up for the ASAE conference events, she said.
And Perrone said she had no problem getting people to pick up extra volunteer shifts whenever a gap needed to be filled,
“Everyone loves Columbus, and they’re tired of keeping it a secret,” she said. “Some people are just built with a heart for service.”
Susan Robertson, interim CEO and president of ASAE, said the group had never had more than 400 volunteers assisting attendees before this year’s event.
Bev Babbert, 62, of Grove City, answered questions and directed conference attendees Tuesdayfrom her station at theentrance of the Drury Inn & Suites Columbus.
Babbert said she hopes the strong volunteer presence helped bring positive exposure to Columbus.
“I think we have that ‘cow town’ nickname, and we’re not a ‘cow town’ anymore,” said Babbert, who is board president of Visit Grove City. “I’m hoping we show it off, that they’d want to come back for pleasure, not just for business.”