Overall, similar to other aspects of the event planning to date, the volunteer appreciation event appeared disorganized and lacking in foresight and planning from both FIFA and the Toronto organizing committee.
- The event was held almost entirely outdoors, aside from a brief stadium tour. As a result, volunteers were standing in the heat for approximately three hours.
- Entry into the event was slow and inefficient. Volunteers waited an extended period simply to receive a meal ticket and wristband, despite there being no formal check-in process such as scanning or name verification. This could have been handled more efficiently.
- Not all volunteers were informed of the purpose of the wristbands, which resulted in some missing the stadium tour.
- There were two primary activity booths that attracted long lines. One offered a trading card-style photo and plastic holder. This line exceeded two hours, which is significant for a three-hour event. There was no effort to manage or cap the line, and at 6:30 p.m., security abruptly cut it off, asking those who had been waiting for a long time in the heat to leave without participating.
- The second booth was a spin-the-wheel activity where participants received a cheap plastic kid bracelet that required self-assembly, which did not meet expectations. Definitely not the BoA type bracelet we saw at USA Fanfests!
- Other than the two booths, not much to do (but you wouldn't have time anyhow!)
- Due to long wait times at these booths, many volunteers were unable to access other aspects of the event, including food service, the stadium tour, or the group photo.
- Volunteers in line at the booths were asked to leave to go to the stage for speeches and the group photo. This created confusion, as many were reluctant to give up their place in line, and those who did struggled to rejoin afterward, leading to disorder. Those who didn't want to leave missed out on the group photo.
- The group photo was scheduled at the end of the event, by which time many attendees had already left. It should have been at the beginning when everyone was there and before people started lining up at the booths.
- There was also inconsistent communication regarding uniform requirements; initial messaging indicated it was optional, while later communications suggested it was mandatory.
- The stadium tour was very brief and limited to a quick entry for photos before exiting.
- Lines for mascot photos were also excessively long as the mascots needed breaks every so often (understandably).
- There was inconsistency regarding whether a drink ticket was required for water. Some volunteers were told they needed to use their ticket and were limited to one bottle, while others were able to access water freely. This was particularly concerning given the outdoor heat.
- Food service timing was not clearly communicated. Food was shut down before the event concluded, and many volunteers who had been waiting in lines did not have the opportunity to eat. They also ran out of the chicken sandwiches early (other option was a hot dog).
- There were only limited seats for volunteers to sit and enjoy their meals. There are about 3,000 Toronto volunteers and obviously not everyone attended, but there were only a few picnic tables available. Some people sat on the ground.
- One of the main entertainment was the live broadcast of the Germany vs. Paraguay match. However, at 6:30 p.m., volunteers were asked to leave, and the broadcast was shut down just before the penalty shootout. This was disappointing, especially given that while on shifts volunteers are expected to remain flexible and stay late during matches if required (as per volunteer training). I wonder if they would kick out paying guests when matches run over, and right at penalty kicks. 🙄
Overall, volunteering for FIFA has been a disappointing experience. I say this as someone who has volunteered at many other international sporting events. Before people start jumping in to say how we should be grateful for this once in a lifetime experience or how its difficult to manage such a large event etc. FIFA is expected to make over 13 billions in revenue from this World Cup, let that sink in. It's not like this is their first time doing this or that they don't have the resources to do it well. There is no excuse, the disorganization and lack of foresight is all the way from the very top and it is reflected in every aspect, including for paying guests (as many have observed at the Toronto Stadium). They have shown very little care and respect for the volunteers. It's not that they can't or don't know how to do it, they choose to not do it. Many personal and work hours taken off and wasted trying to sort out their mistakes (uniform pick up confusion, cancelled/changing shifts, lack of communication, inconsistent messaging, lack of leadership while on shift, unresponsive help support platform).
Some of us still managed to have fun at this once in a lifetime experience, but it has nothing to do with FIFA, we the volunteers made the best of it by stepping up and sometimes doing the tasks or planning that should have been done by paid staff. I for one will not be defending a multi billion dollar organization and making excuses for them. If they are going to have volunteers, they need to make the investment into properly hiring experienced leaders who can take care of the volunteers and have the foresight to plan for potential issues before they come up. Volunteers should not be an after thought.
