What Does a Regional Competition Coordinator Do?

Q&A with Seven Regional Competition Coordinators

With regional competitions in full swing, you may notice a team of dedicated leaders and volunteers working to make regional competition weekends as stress-free and enjoyable as possible. The Regional Competition Coordinator (CC) plays a key role on that team. Though the specifics of the role vary by region, all CCs are in charge of keeping track of many details, communicating with many people, and making many decisions. It’s a big job, but because so much of it happens behind the scenes, not everyone knows what it entails. We spoke with seven former and current CCs from six regions to learn more about this important position and what you need to know if you want to take it on yourself someday: Val Clark, #25; Kathy Dow, #8; Judy Galloway, #13; Alice Mills, #31; Emma Riley, #31; Claire Takacs, #35; and Kellie Welsh, #10.

What are the main responsibilities of the Regional Competition Coordinator (CC)?

The CC responsibilities are outlined in SA’s guidelines for regional convention, but they vary depending on the needs of the region. Most echoed the description of the role given by Region #25’s Val Clark: “We plan and supervise the execution of all competition-related activities in cooperation with the Chair of the Regional Convention (CRC) and committee members for the regional competition and convention. That includes scheduling the competition pattern, briefings, performance facilities, stage, sound and lighting setup, supervision of transportation, audiovisuals (including the webcast for regions that have one), tech and backstage crew, and working with the Official Panel Liaison (OPL) to take care of all arrangements for the Official Judging Panel and Trial Scorers.” Dow (#8) and Galloway (#13) noted that in some regions, the CC focuses more on the competition while the CRC focuses on the convention details, but there is usually some overlap in the roles, and, of course, communication between all committees is imperative. Mills (#31) said quality control is also part of the job: “It’s my role to ensure that if you step out on the Region #31 stage, you get the same smooth experience on the day — and the same high quality of audio and visual recording— as you would at any other regional convention throughout the world.”

How do CCs interact with the panel chair, Regional Management Team (RMT), etc.?

Regional CCs usually meet with their team at least once, often to tour the venue and hotel where the competition/convention will be held. All CCs said that timely, accurate communication with the panel chair, Regional Management Team (RMT), Event Coordinator (EVC), Convention Assistance Chapter (the chapter that helps out with convention) and, of course, choruses and quartets is important both while preparing for competition and on the day of competition itself. Welsh (#10) said, “I hold a joint briefing for the choruses and quartets on Friday morning at 9. The panel chair comes down about half an hour early, and she and I begin to test the sound together before the briefing starts. I also make sure I have a way to communicate with the panel chair while she is in the pit so if I need to deal with something, I can get her attention without having to walk out there and be an interruption.”

What is your CC work calendar like leading up to competition?

“Believe it or not, work for the following year begins as soon as the previous convention ends!” said Mills (#31). “The convention team gets together on Sunday of convention to discuss what went

well and what could be improved for next year.” Most report that evaluation and planning begins almost immediately, followed by more conference calls and activity as paperwork is due and plans become solidified. All agree that the busiest time of year is the competition itself, when the CC seemingly needs to be everywhere at once. All CCs arrive early for setup and sound, but some have an extra layer of responsibility. “We hold our competition in Houston, Texas (USA), but there are no theater venues we can afford, so we have to hold it in a ballroom and build it from the stage up,” said Welsh (#10). “We hire a professional staging company, and they come in first, then the lighting and sound people, and then the risers…so I’ve got people coming and going all day in preparation.”

What is competition day like for the CC?

“There are a lot of moving parts, and they can change at the weirdest times,” said Galloway (#13). For a CC, competition day means being the point person for a multitude of details — often while being a competitor yourself. “When I first started being CC, I would wear the headset backstage,” said Welsh (#10). “I stayed back there 100% of the time, and I would have my costume and makeup on and my hair done. When it was time for my quartet to go on, I would take the headset off, walk onstage, perform, then come straight back and put the headset back on. People would say, ‘You’re going to go onstage with a headset on one of these days!’” From making sure the traffic pattern is flowing smoothly to keeping track of the webcast and recording to answering questions, the CC must be the calm point person for just about everything and everybody. “I’ve been a convention assistant at International too so have seen the backstage process there,” said Riley (#31). “It’s the same, just a different scale: Organise, communicate, stay calm and patient!” All the CCs value interacting with competitors. Mills (#31) said, “I aim to make eye contact with every competitor as they wait in the wings, wish them good luck and give them that final confidence boost before they step onstage. We’ve all experienced pounding hearts, jelly legs, and a dry mouth just before we step onstage, so hopefully a friendly face and some words of support in that moment help.” When competition is over, the CC supervises clean-up and makes sure scoresheets are copied and distributed, among other things. Then they begin thinking about next year’s competition.

How are new CCs mentored or prepared for the role?

Most CCs volunteer before becoming CC. All agree that good mentorship makes transitioning to the role much less daunting. “If there is a possibility of shadowing the outgoing CC, you will learn all you need to know!” said Takacs (#35). Most had shadowed the outgoing CC for at least a year. Dow (#8) said when she expressed interest, “the outgoing CC said, ‘I'm going to continue to be CC for a year, and you can be my shadow. I will keep you involved in every decision I make, every email that I get, every correspondence that I have with the judging panel.’ I was involved in all of those things for a year, but it wasn't my responsibility yet. The second year, I became the CC, and she shadowed me, and if I had questions, I could go to her for help (and I can still go to her, fortunately). By the third year, I was ready to go on my own.” What are some of the biggest challenges and rewards of being CC?

All said the many challenges of running a regional competition can also be the biggest rewards. “I really love the challenge of trying to make the contest run more smoothly each year,” said Takacs (#35). Clark (#25) said, “I love the challenge of putting on a high level competition, and I have a high-functioning team who knows the high standards we expect and an incredibly supportive RMT.” Mills (#31) said what she learns as CC helps her in other areas as well: “As CC, there are times when you need to take charge and make executive decisions, sometimes under time pressure. To quote the CC Handbook, ‘You are expected to be knowledgeable, decisive, unflappable, calm, steady, and pleasant at all times.’ If you can nail that for convention, it really does give you confidence and assertiveness in your everyday life!”

What skills are needed to be a successful CC?

All agree that a CC needs to be detail-oriented, organized, patient, decisive, skilled with computers, and good at communicating with a wide variety of people. Galloway (#13) points out that a CC also needs to be willing and able to mentor those who may one day become her successor. “They have to be a good team player, a good leader, and a good motivator,” she said. “They need to not just tell people what to do but illustrate it and explain it so they want to do it themselves.” They also need to be compassionate, said Dow (#8). “It can get frustrating to motivate people to get their paperwork in on time and things like that,” she said. “But you have to remember that they don’t know all the ups and downs of competition. Sometimes you end up holding hands, but that’s not a bad thing. Maybe they’ve never done this before. They need to be brought along. We’ve all been there.” Clark (#25) adds, “It’s an incredibly rewarding job, but it needs someone who can multitask and has solid time management along with strong project management skills. It requires innovation and constant process improvement. Plus, you just have to LOVE the job.”

What advice would you give to someone who wants to become a CC?

“It’s a big job,” said Welsh (#10). “If somebody wants to be CC, they have to know what they’re stepping into.” All agree that volunteering to help with regional competition is a good way to do that. They recommend taking on increasingly complex roles to find out how all aspects of competition function. Some regions have more formal succession plans, but in general, CCs recommend asking to shadow the CC, “even if it can only be for half a day at contest or for the month of February,” said Galloway (#13). Dow agrees. “Participate in the process,” she said. “The more competitions you go to, the more you observe how they are run. It’s great that our organization can give these roles to women who want to become leaders. We learn by doing, and boy, there's a lot to be done!”