Wrapping Up Experts Live Denmark

Reflections from an Organizer

I’m writing this for one simple reason: to share what I learned.

Organizing Experts Live Denmark gave me insights I did not have before — and I believe experiences are more valuable when they are shared. This is not a post about what went wrong. It is not a post about pointing fingers. It is a reflection on what I learned, what worked, and what I believe can be improved next time.

Because no matter how well something is executed, it can always be refined.

Before diving into the details, I also want to make something very clear: the volunteer team this year was exceptional. Truly. The level of ownership, professionalism, flexibility, and energy was impressive. You didn’t just “help out” — you delivered. And you made the event stronger.

To dive more into who it actually was, you can find all the volunteers here: 
Volunteers ELDK26 – Experts Live Denmark

With that said, my reflections are about structure, planning, communication, and leadership decisions — the things I was responsible for.

My Story — From Volunteer to Organizer

I have always wanted to be part of the IT pro community. Sharing is caring — that has been my mindset for as long as I can remember. So when the opportunity arose to move from being a volunteer to becoming an organizer, I joined in without any hesitation.

I had no expectations. I had a lot of energy. And I had absolutely no idea what hit me.

The jump from volunteering to organizing is bigger than it looks from the outside. As a volunteer, you show up, you help, you contribute — and that is incredibly valuable. As an organizer, you carry the weight of decisions, logistics, communication, and the wellbeing of everyone involved. It is a different kind of responsibility, and it stretched me in ways I did not anticipate.

But that is exactly why it was worth it. I learned more about leadership, communication, and community in this experience than I could have learned from any course or certification. And that learning — earned through real situations, real pressure, and real people — is something I will carry with me going forward.

This year, many of my responsibilities were outside my usual area of expertise. I’m a Modern Workplace professional, but at Experts Live Denmark I was responsible for:

• All volunteers
• The check-in experience
• Social media prior to the event

Each area came with its own challenges — especially volunteer management.

Volunteer Management – A Bigger Task Than It Sounds

Handling volunteers may sound simple. It is not.

Volunteers are the face of the event. They are often the first and last people attendees interact with. If they don’t present themselves professionally and confidently, it reflects on the entire conference.

That responsibility mattered to me — and I wanted to get it right. And as I said — the team delivered.

Volunteer Sign-Up

We used Microsoft Forms for volunteer sign-up. At the time, it seemed sufficient — but in hindsight, we missed some important details.

• I forgot to collect T-shirt sizes.
• I didn’t structure the information as clearly as I could have.
• We ended up using two forms, which created unnecessary administrative work.

Having two forms meant consolidating data manually and ensuring everyone received correct communication. It cost time that could have been spent elsewhere.

What I would do differently next time:

• Get all necessary information in the first form
• Think through logistics before publishing the sign-up
• Ensure the data structure supports later communication

Simplicity early saves complexity later. But I also want to make sure I address the package a volunteer gets, to begin with.

All volunteers receive the same package:

• An appreciation gift
• Invitation to the appreciation dinner
• Volunteer T-shirt
• Hotel accommodation if needed
• Limited shifts to allow networking

Everyone is treated equally and receives the same level of appreciation and support.

What I should have done better from the beginning was creating stronger ownership around the role — already in the sign-up form. I wanted to ensure that volunteering was not perceived as simply a “free ticket,” but as a responsibility and a commitment to something bigger.

The vast majority of volunteers absolutely understood this — and showed up with exactly the right mindset.

We did, however, experience last-minute cancellations. And while unforeseen circumstances can always happen, I don’t think it was fully understood how much impact that has behind the scenes.

When someone withdraws at the last moment:

• Tasks have already been distributed
• Schedules are aligned
• Hotel rooms are booked
• T-shirts are ordered
• Awards and appreciation gifts are prepared
• Budgets are committed

It affects planning, finances, and the workload of the remaining team.

I mention this not to assign blame — but because it is worth understanding for anyone considering volunteering.

Next year, I will:

• Set clearer expectations around commitment
• Communicate the responsibility aspect more explicitly
• Make sure volunteers understand the full impact of last-minute changes

Because volunteering at an event of this scale is not just participation — it is ownership.

Volunteer Selection Process

We used a simple “first come, first served” approach. In hindsight, we were fortunate — we ended up with the right people.

However, we lacked a structured selection and confirmation process.

Next year, I will:

• Send short, clear confirmations:
  • “You are selected”
  • “You are not selected”
• Ask volunteers to lock the dates in their calendars immediately
• Clearly communicate who to contact if circumstances change

Clarity early prevents confusion later.

Task Distribution

With 42 volunteers, this was one of the trickier parts. I needed to ensure everyone knew exactly what their tasks were — and I could not keep 42 individual schedules in my head.

We chose to do it in Excel. It worked well: once tasks and volunteer assignments were mapped, the sheet could be exported to CSV and used for mail merge. That allowed me to send personalized emails to each volunteer with their individual schedule — no mass emails, just direct 1-to-1 communication.

The process:

• Create a full overview of all tasks
• Define how many volunteers were needed per task
• Assign names to each task

We used Copilot to help with assignments instead of doing everything manually. It sped up the process while still giving us control. I also wanted to automate Outlook calendar invitations for shift blocks, but time did not allow for that this year.

This approach worked — but it was centralized around me. Next year, I want to change that.

Instead of assigning everyone from one sheet, I want to structure the work around defined task areas — each with a designated leader who coordinates their own team. The structure would cover three phases: pre-event setup (venue prep, sponsor materials, attendee bags), event day operations (wardrobe, speaker support, badge scan, check-in, general operations, and guards), and post-event teardown. Each area gets one leader and a dedicated team of volunteers.

The key difference next year will not be the tool — Excel still works — but the ownership model. Responsibility should be distributed, not centralized.

If you want our Excel template for task distribution and mail merge, reach out and I will share it.

Communication

Communication balance is difficult. Some people want all the details. Others want only what is essential.

Before the event, I aimed for a middle ground. In hindsight, we should have made additional information available for those who wanted more depth, without overwhelming everyone. Next year: core information will be mandatory, extended information will be optional and easily accessible.

On event day, we used Signal. It worked — but it was not optimal. We had one channel for AV issues and one for all volunteers, and it sometimes became too chatty. During a live event, communication needs to be clear, direct, and operational. Next year, I will split it into three channels: AV, operations, and social — so volunteers can engage without disturbing operational flow.

Volunteer Introduction Session

We hosted an introduction session at 14:00 the day before the event.

Next year, I would:

• Schedule it earlier
• Walk the venue physically
• Review task areas in person
• Align expectations face-to-face

Some volunteers need that walkthrough. Others don’t. But it creates confidence and clarity.

Trust Over Micromanagement

With 1,400 attendees and 42 volunteers, there is no room for micromanagement. Each volunteer needs to own their area, feel empowered to make decisions, and know when to escalate. Minor issues should be solved on the spot. Major ones should go up the chain. Trust creates momentum — and that trust has to be established before event day, not during it.

Final Thoughts

You cannot anticipate everything in a large-scale event. There will always be blind spots — and that is okay. What matters is that you set expectations, empower people, reflect honestly, and keep improving.

With that in mind, after the dust settled I sat down and asked myself three honest questions.

Will I do it again?

Yes. Without hesitation, yes. Anytime. Organizing Experts Live Denmark was one of the most demanding things I have done — but also one of the most rewarding. The energy you get from seeing an event come together, from watching volunteers step up, from hearing attendees say they had a great experience — that is something you cannot replicate anywhere else. So yes, I will absolutely do it again.

Is the time well spent?

It takes a significant amount of time. Evenings, weekends, early mornings — the hours add up. But when I look at what I gained — the skills, the relationships, the perspective — I would not trade it. The time is not just spent. It is invested. In the community, in the event, and in yourself.

Would I recommend it to others?

Absolutely. If you have ever considered stepping up — whether as a volunteer or as an organizer — I encourage you to do it. It is hard work. It will challenge you. But the people you meet and the things you learn will make it more than worth it. The community needs people who care, and if you are reading this, you are probably one of them.

So join in. Step up. You will not regret it.

If you have questions about how we handled any of this, I am happy to share details. The more we share, the stronger our events — and our community — become.