PARTICIPANT HANDBOOK
The solution was to set up an Information Centre in the Games Centre as a primary source of information. It was staffed with volunteers, including volunteers from Edmonton Transit to help with transportation inquiries. This centre was also supported by the City of Edmonton’s Citizen Action Centre, a call centre that took any overflow phone calls when lines into the Information Centre were busy. The Information Centre was well accessed by participants and proved to be very busy throughout the Games.
Maps for all sport venues and directions to the venue were available in the participant handbook and the sport guides provided to all athletes. The participant handbook contained quick reference information on a variety of topics including event schedules, social program, transportation, security, visitor information, banking, Internet cafes, shopping, mall hours, and medical information.
TRANSLATION SERVICES An extensive information binder was developed for the Centre. Computers with Internet access were also available.
Translation Services were available through the Information Centre. Volunteers who spoke other languages staffed the Information Centre to assist with any language barriers and aid in translation as required. An on-call list of willing volunteers was kept in the Information Centre.
An information centre was also set up at the Edmonton International Airport to meet and greet arrivals. World Masters Games banners were put up at the airport and along major roadways, raising interest and excitement in advance of the Games.
The Games provided translation services in English, French, Spanish, German, Mandarin Chinese and Russian through volunteers at the Information Centre. Spanish and Russian were the most requested languages.
SPORT INFORMATION SERVICES Volunteers staffed the sport information tables in the Games Centre in the early days of accreditation but not consistently throughout Games Centre hours of operation. Volunteer hosts were also assigned to each venue during competition to handle information inquiries and an information kit was put together for each venue. Despite these efforts, many participants approached the Information Centre with very specific sport questions that volunteers could not answer.
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Edmonton 2005 World Masters Games — Final Report
9.3
Medical Reporting to the Participant Services Committee, a Medical Sub-Committee was established of volunteers with extensive experience in their area of practice. A medical plan was developed for all participants including athletes, volunteers, and spectators.