Ski for Light Event Planning Manual

June 2011

33. Transportation Coordinator

The Transportation Coordinator is responsible for all details of moving people and luggage; i.e., transporting people to and from the airport at the beginning and end of the week, bussing people to and from ski site (if necessary), as well as helping with registration and coordination of people and luggage to their rooms.

Pre-Event

June 1

• Review the information that is to be included on the SFL website about travel options to attend the upcoming event. While specific details about the transportation plans for the event will not be made until later in the year, applicants will want and need to know the basics before submitting an event application. At a minimum this will need to include the airport and/or airports from which SFL will be providing transportation to the event hotel.
• Identify local bus company(ies) that can provide suitable service for transportation to and from airport and to and from ski area (if necessary).
• Provide information to Event Chair.
• For transportation from airport, typical numbers have been:
  · Thursday: 1 small bus (25 passenger)
  · Friday: 1 small bus (25 passenger)
  · Saturday: 1 or 2 large buses (47 passenger)
  · Sunday 3 or 4 large buses (47 passenger)
  
• In determining number of buses needed, remember that people bring lots of luggage plus skis so a 47-passenger bus will generally hold about 40 people plus luggage.

Planning Meeting

• Depending on travel distance, time and budget constraints, you may be asked to attend the planning meeting. If you do not attend, please ensure your responsibilities are carried out by someone who does.
• Work with Registration and Housing Coordinator and hotel people to establish registration, arrival of buses, unloading and processing of luggage and people procedures.
• With the advice of people knowledgeable about air travel into the area, formulate arrival and departure time windows to be used.
• Consult with MIP Coordinator to determine if accessible buses will be needed.

October 1

• Inform VIP, MIP, Instructor/Guide Applications, Other Attendee, and Registration and Housing Coordinators of the window for arrival and departure times that will be used. This will vary somewhat from year to year depending on the time zone of the event and its distance from a major airport. This information will be communicated to attendees in the acceptance process.
• Revise Travel Information and Travel Form and arrange for posting on SFL web site.
• View the Travel Information for a recent event
• View the Travel Form for a recent event

December 1

• Check with the Evening Programs Coordinator to see if any evening program activities will require the transport of people.
• Arrange with Local Volunteer Recruitment and Orientation Coordinator to have local people (Sons of Norway lodge) be greeters at the airport and to help with luggage and movement of people.
• If vans will be used for early arrivals, ensure that there will be several drivers on hand to sign for the van and show their driver's licenses. No one will be permitted to drive vans during the week without their signature on file with the rental company.

January 1

• Continue to receive travel information via e-mail forms and from MIP, VIP, Instructor/Guide Applications, Other Attendee, and Registration and Housing Coordinators and begin scheduling bussing arrangements.
• Investigate local bussing capabilities in case alternative sites must be used for skiing.
• Arrange for transportation to ski site if it is not at the hotel.
• Communicate with airport management to determine the best way for bus pick-up and drop-off.
• If you will not personally be at the airport to supervise the loading of buses, do one of the following:
  
  • (1) identify an Assistant Coordinator for each day of arrivals (Thursday-Sunday) who can be at the airport with a cell phone and all arrival information in hand; or
  • (2) identify one person for each bus who can verify that all scheduled individuals are accounted for.
• You may wish to use a combination of these two approaches.

January 15

• Arrange for a hospitality room at the airport. This can be done, usually at no charge, by contacting the Airport Director's office.
• Confirm with Local Volunteer Coordinator the volunteers that are meeting people at the airport and the luggage taggers and handlers. From this point on, you will communicate with them directly.
• Also arrange with airport Director's Office for permission to put up signs about SFL hospitality room and for a place to store luggage before it can be loaded onto buses.
• Finalize bus schedules. Establish pick-up location and method of loading. Check with any airport security and police services for clearance during boarding.
• Compile a list of individuals arriving on each day arranged according to arrival time and including time of arrival, airline flight number, city of origin, and connecting flight information, if any.
• Notify SFL President, MIP, VIP and Instructor/Guide Applications Coordinators of how SFL Board and Guide Trainers will be transported to the event. Let them know the time and meeting place for each group.
• Notify Registration and Housing Coordinator of the estimated time of bus arrivals.
• If assistants are to be at the airport, confirm once again with each of them and request that they call the hotel when each bus departs from the airport.

International Week

Thursday

• Useful materials to bring to the airport:
  · Markers (for labeling luggage tags)
  · Tape
  · Note paper for names & flight info for volunteers
  · Several inexpensive pens/highlighters
  · Extra VIP luggage tags (string)
  · Room list
  · Original travel forms for backup
  · Extra sets of driving directions to hotel from airport (for bus drivers and others)
  

Saturday

• Attend all morning "sunrise" meetings.
• Confirm with Registration and Housing Coordinator the exact plan for arrival of people and buses.
• Be sure that bus drivers are told that SFL person will board bus to make announcements before people disembark.

Sunday

• Coordinate the departure and arrival of buses.
• Coordinate the local volunteers who greet people at the airport and hotel, and who help to tag and move luggage at the hotel.
• Again, call an agreed-upon person at the hotel as each bus leaves the airport.

Wednesday

• Confirm departure buses and times.
• Through Information Room, confirm with people their departure plans.
• If it is a complex airport with more than one terminal, plan on tagging luggage so that it can be unloaded at the correct terminal. To do this, you'll need: tags (3-4 per person), markers, a list of airlines and terminals.

Saturday

• Notify people where luggage should be brought and by what time.
• Arrange for volunteers to help move and load luggage onto the buses.

Sunday

• Coordinate the loading of luggage and the departure of everyone.
• Monitor the departure of buses and coordinate with Registration and Housing Coordinator to be sure that bus passes are collected from everyone before boarding.