Working with the National Teams

 Most of the advice I am about to despence is probably worthy to use with all teams but especially with National Teams.

What is your focus?

I think it is important to have a focus if not a look at the big picture itself.  There are a couple of important things to remember The National Team Program is the future.  If you do not have a team from one of these companies (see Part 5 for a full list of this years teams) get one.  If you do not have a company on the national team list in your area, that won't last for much longer.  Another thing to remember is all the benefits that are going to come from a happy national team.  (These benefits have been discussed in earlier parts of this series.)

Put your focus on making sure that the national teams have a great first year experience.  The more they feel they get out of the experience of Relay the more they will be willing to do in future years. 

Sit down with the national team team captains by themselves address there unique needs.  Listen to them, keep communication open between you and them.  And when I say you, I mean both Team Development and Event Chairs.  Don't assume anything.  Every national team is unique in some manner.

Needs

The national team captains are going to have certain things they are looking for in your event.  Remember they are not ultimately in charge.  Yes ,they are in charge of their team, but they also are getting dirrections from a corporate level.  So national teams are going to be more finicky about exposure for their company.  They may come in with their own shirts, their own banners, their own signage.  They may want to do handouts or have a booth or some other material expressing the aims of their company.  None of this is bad.  This will certainly add flavor to their sites.  Great the more the merrier.  They may need a bigger spot, if you have the room don't be stingy. 

Their biggest concern is going to be recognition.  Recognition of them being there, recognition of their company, recognition that they are a national team. 

Sit down with them early in the process, identify with them their needs and how you and them will go about fulfilling them. 

Here is a situation that illustrates my point.  This really happened when I was event chair for my realy with a new National Team.  I am not going to name the national team but the situation is true none the less.  This national team informed me that they were going to have 100 people on their team.  I said wonderful.  They did not want to split up into several small teams.  They wanted to be a TEAM one large Team.  I told them that was a great idea.  I also told them that I could provide for their team fifteen free t-shirts but after that each t-shirt would be $10 dollars.  This was something that both of us could agree we could live with.  They also needed a bigger spot.  Absolutely, and I gave them a site triple the size of a normal spot, after asking them how much stuff they were going to set up and how many people they thought would be there at any one time.  We only had them pay the initial standard team fee.

 Understand that alot of these national teams are going to compete nationally against each other.  Like the Portland team is seeing if they can out raise the Atlanta team.  So many national teams if they are large, may not want to be split up into smaller teams for this reason.  They don't have too. 

In the end, they had a great experience, they raised 10K and said they would be back next year with 200 people.  I smiled and said wonderful.

No problem is insurmountable.  Make it work.  Realize that as Event Chair you are in charge of your relay, you have the final say on most things.  If you feel it best to wave a few rules or guidelines to make everyone happy than do it.

Acknowledgements and Praise

Up to and during the event continually check in with your National teams or send someone by to check in.  A different chair everytime does not hurt.  Make sure their needs are addressed that they are having a good time.  Mention them at minimum during opening and closing ceremonies.  Educate the rest of your teams on what it is to be a national team.  Annouce statistics for the national team at the ceremonies for example:  National Team ABC  has 400 teams this year.  Last year nation wide they raised 1.7 million dollars.  This really makes everyone feel good.

The national teams want to be recognized.  So recognize them.  Let them come up on stage and tell a little about their company and what they do for Relay for Life.  It gets them involved, and the more they are involved positively, the more they will want to be in the future.

 Finally

I hope this information helps.  I certainly can't address every situation that may come up, and that wasn't my goal with this series of blogs.  I wanted to educate.  I will adding one more part to this series a listing of the 2008 national teams for part 5.

Feel free to contact me via my inbox with any questions or further discussion.

 Thanks for reading