Event Staffing: A Typology

Like every other Hill staffer, everything I did was in the name of my member: the ranking Democrat on the committee, John Conyers (D-MI). Yet the one part of my job that was perhaps the most stressful and exhausting was staffing the member at various events both in D.C. and back in his home district of Detroit. Like most members of Congress, Mr. Conyers works extremely long hours each day and night—usually outlasting his far younger staffers. I can remember numerous events that went past midnight only to have Mr. Conyers tell me about another non-scheduled event that we would be attending that night, or should I say early morning!

My duties at these events varied depending on the function and audience, but at base entailed three roles: valet, go-between, and bad-cop. Each one involves skill and tact. Yet it is the ability to meld the three that makes for a seasoned event-staffer. Though there is some overlap, I discuss each role in turn, before turning to my latest staffing “assignment.”

First, the role of valet consists of driving the member to and from the event, including securing parking and retrieving the car and generally taking care of any personal needs of the member at the event such as procuring food and drink, finding an available chair if need be, and looking for the closest restroom. Of course, being the official photographer for those with cameras goes without saying. For those without cameras, the staffer who has mastered the valet role always carries a camera.

The second role, that of go-between, is the most substantive part of staffing an event. One must be able to converse with constituents and others who have policy concerns, personal issues, and other political business with the member. This role entails careful listening, note-taking, and the ability to refer constituents to another staffer, member, or agency while keeping in order the business cards and notes from each conversation with each constituent. Oftentimes the member says, “Talk to my staffer about that,” or “Give your card to my staffer” as constituents pepper him with questions or concerns.

Finally, the “bad-cop” or “protector” role is essential and is not for those with weak stomachs. Essentially, it is the staffer's job to interrupt conversations to check in with the member, make sure no one person monopolizes the member's time, and ultimately usher the member through and out of the event when the time comes. While this is sometimes explicitly worked out in advance, the good-cop/bad-cop relationship between the member and the staffer is a natural part of the relationship and should be understood without having to be discussed.

2006 APSA Annual Meeting

When I first looked at the Saturday night events in the Annual Meeting program, I was completely shocked to see my former boss listed as the keynote speaker for a section plenary session and subsequent reception from 8:30pm–midnight. Because I suspected that there might not be anyone staffing this somewhat late event for Mr. Conyers, which was both outside of D.C. and his home district and state of Michigan, I decided to attend. And just as I guessed, I was the only staffer there. I immediately conferred with my boss and went to work—just as I had regularly done three years prior. I immediately shifted from my identity as a conference-going political scientist to the Hill staffer I used to be. I acted the valet, go-between, and, ultimately, the bad cop. And though it had been three years, I seamlessly slipped back into my old position: meeting and greeting, going and getting, and interrupting and ushering.

When APSA Executive Director Michael Brintnall stopped by the reception to meet Mr. Conyers, I did the introductions and took the photos. I retrieved drinks and snacks, passed out the member's cards, discussed issues with those in attendance, and played the bad-cop when it was time for Mr. Conyers to depart. And though it had been over three years since I staffed my last event, I stepped right into my old job as if no time had passed. Talk about déjà vu all over again!

At some point during the evening, it dawned on me that staffing this event was only the latest episode in my continuing service to the program. Jeff Biggs and all those associated with the CFP have done an amazing job keeping former fellows a continuing part of the experience. Whether it is returning to the CFP training sessions to talk to new fellows, attending annual receptions both on the Hill and at the APSA Annual Meeting, or reaching out to others to promote the program, former fellows are an integral part of the CFP's mission. In this sense, the Fellowship in not merely a one-year affair, but a life-long opportunity. While not all former staffers will find themselves working events years later as I did, opportunities abound for former fellows to continue to be a part of an excellent program.