Welcome Station

information  About this station

The Welcome Station is visitors’ introduction to the event. At this station, your primary responsibility is to guide visitors through the registration process for the event. However, this is more than a technical role. In addition to executing the registration process, it is also essential to make visitors feel welcomed and supported.

With this in mind, your goals at the Welcome Station are to:

  1. Welcome and greet visitors to the event
  2. Orient visitors to the overall event
  3. Register visitors by guiding them through the Registration Form
  4. Review the Registration Form to confirm that all fields are properly completed
  5. Assign a pre-numbered nametag to each person
  6. Usher contributors to the Information Station

materials Supplies

Supplies needed at the Welcome Station:

  How it works

Road Show volunteer at the Welcome Station

Let’s take a closer look at each of the Welcome Station goals!

Section 1 of 6: Welcome and greet visitors

Welcome and greet visitors to the event. This is visitors’ introduction to the event; because these events are meant to bring communities together, this role is essential.

Example: “Welcome to the Mass. Memories Road Show! We’re so glad you’re here!  Can I help you get started?”

Tips

You are the host. Be warm, proactively welcoming, and inviting.
Welcome all equally: those with photos and without, curious passers-by, etc.

 

Section 2 of 6: Orient visitors to the event

Orient visitors to the stages and stations of the event.

Example: “We’re organized in separate stations to gather visitors’ photos and memories. You’ll be guided the whole way. First, we’ll need to do a few things to get you registered.”

  1. Welcome Station: Contributors complete a Registration Form and receive a numbered nametag.
  1. Information Station: Contributors complete a Photo Form for each photo they bring. Volunteers and Staff assist in completing the forms.
  1. Scanning Station: Contributors’ photos are scanned and immediately returned to them. During scanning, photos are projected onto a screen for other attendees to view and enjoy. Contributions that are too large for a flatbed scanner are photographed.
  1. Keepsake Photo Station: A snapshot photo is taken of the contributor holding their photos. This Keepsake Photo is preserved in the archive and a copy is printed out for the contributor to take home as a souvenir.
  1. Video Station: Each contributor is invited to share a short 3-4 minute story about their photos. Professional videographer records “the story behind the photo” with seating arranged so that other contributors may listen and watch.
  1. Local History Station: Local historians provide information on the community’s history and assist in identifying local photos.
  1. Preservation Station: Professional archivists provide advice on caring for and preserving family photographs and documents.

Contributors are encouraged to visit each of these stations, but only the Welcome Station, the Information Station, and the Scanning Station are required for those contributing photographs to the collection.

Section 3 of 6: Register visitors

Explain the registration form to visitors and invite them to complete the form. The registration form includes legal permissions and is necessary for every single volunteer and contributor.

Explaining the registration form

  1. Contributor Name: Provides contributors with a choice for how they will be named in the collection and connects this name to a unique registration number.
  2. Contact information: Allows us to collect contact information for contributors in case we have questions about their contributions and to inform them when the collection will be available online. A contributor’s contact information will not be available online or publicly shared without their permission.
  3. Signature: Provides non-exclusive permission to include their materials (original photos, video interviews, and likeness) in the collection and put them online.
    1. Non-exclusive permission means we obtain rights to include in collection for research and education.
    2. Contributors can be any age, but if they are under 18 they need signature from parent or guardian to participate.
    3. Contributor maintains all their rights.
    4. We do not pass rights on to third parties.

Image of sample MMRS registration form

 

Review the registration form for completeness. Once the visitor has completed the registration form, be sure to sign your initials in the “Reviewer initials” field of the form.

Section 4 of 6: Review the Registration Form

1. Verify that the form is…

a. Complete, with all fields at the top filled out. In addition to their address, contributors should provide an email address, phone number, or both. Optional fields: your connection to the community and how you heard about the event

b. Legible.

c. Signed.

2. Sign your initials on the bottom line of the Registration Form to confirm that you have completed 1(a)-(c) above.

Common contributor questions

Am I signing away rights to my photos?

No. You are granting us permission to add your materials to the digital collection and to make them available online to the world for education and research.

Do I need to fill out the registration form if I don’t have any photos?

Yes. We would like to be able to identify you in any keepsake photos or videos that you choose to participate in, and to have your permission to distribute those materials online as well. We would also like permission to use your likeness in any event photos that you might intentionally or unintentionally appear in.

Why do you need my contact information and what will you do with it?

Having your contact information allows us to contact you if we have questions about your contributions and to inform you when the collection will be available online. Your contact information will not be available online or publicly shared without your permission.

I’m here with my spouse. Can we fill out a single registration form together?

No. Our preference is for each individual contributor to fill out their own form.

I’m here representing my institution. Can I fill out a registration form on behalf of my institution?

No. You may indicate on your form that you are here representing your institution, but you must register as an individual.

Section 5 of 6: Assign a nametag

Assign a pre-numbered nametag to each person and record their number in the “NAMETAG #” field at the top of the registration form. Ask the person to display the nametag somewhere visible.

Nametags explained

The numbered nametags are the only way to ensure that contributors have filled in the registration form and that their photos and stories are identified as theirs. For example, when they show up at the Video Station and decide to sit for an interview, we confirm that they have a nametag indicating they are registered and we have their name, permission, etc. The nametag will also include their name.

Section 6 of 6: Usher contributors to the Information Station

Usher contributors to the Information Station.

Example: “Thank you for completing registration! You can now proceed to the Information Station. Just head straight this way.”

  Congratulations!

You’ve completed the Welcome Station module. Click here to start Module 2a: Information Station: The Basics, or return to the full list of instructional modules.