European inventory of
societal values of culture

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Smith, K. A., & Lockstone, L. (2009). Involving and keeping event volunteers: management insights from cultural festivals. In: T. Baum, M. Deery, C. Hanlon, L. Lockstone,  K. Smith (eds.) People and work in events and conventions: A research perspective (pp. 154-167). Wallingford UK: Cabi.

This chapter focuses on the recruitment and retention of episodic event volunteers. Interviews were carried out in late 2006 with [an unspecified number of] volunteer managers representing 12 annual cultural festivals in Victoria, Australia. This research gives weight to the observation that event volunteering is not just one-off; rather, episodic volunteering can incorporate bounce-back. The reality for recurring events is they come to rely on a returning cohort of volunteers, so recruitment is as much about retention: satisfying volunteers by offering them a rewarding experience and acknowledging their input, in an effort to encourage their return. Future research should explore, from the volunteers' perspective, what encourages them to bounce back, and include a more overt consideration of repeat volunteering in the areas of volunteer motivation, satisfaction, commitment and turnover.