The Visit of Pope Benedict the XVI to Washington, DC
and the Papal Mass at Nationals Stadium.

Date: Thursday, April 17, 2008.

Client's Needs:
Working with the Archdiocese of Washington (ADW), WM was asked to coordinate over 350 volunteers for the historic visit of Pope Benedict to Washington and his Mass at Nationals Stadium which was attended by 47,000 guests.

Approach and Solution:
Considering the security issues generated by a Papal visit, it was first necessary to register and track exactly who was volunteering. Once the registration form was drafted and sent out, relevant information was collected that enabled the ADW to communicate information, deadlines and expectations to all volunteers. A volunteer orientation day was planned and executed to thoroughly educate volunteers about their responsibilities, time of arrival and job location within Nationals stadium, as well as answer a multitude of questions. WM drafted organization flow charts that outlined tasks, how many volunteers were needed and the director of each area. This enabled us to assign jobs and match names with tasks and make sure everyone and every job was covered. Finally, after a walk through of the stadium the day before the mass, volunteers arrived at 4:00 am on Thursday April 17, received their jackets and hats identifying them and got to work insuring the safe execution of a memorable day.

Lessons Learned:
Throughout the eight week planning process it was critical to stay focused on the big picture and not get bogged down on details that would eventually be out of your control. While it was important to have a large number of volunteers to cover this historic event, it was even more critical to make sure they were educated on the specifics of their job and empowered to solve problems and proactively help the 47,000 guests who attended the Papal Mass.