parking attendant

ambassador

gate attendant

laborer

server

Calgary Stampede

We usually start the day with rather informal round-table gathering in the morning. Our chief and assistant chief will tell us what work should be done or what concerns they have or special requests they received from other departments or dispatch center. They would then ask each individual of us who is willing/volunteering to handle these tasks. After that, we will take care less urgent tasks such as keep preventative maintenance up to date or do the water tests. 

I have learned how to interact with guests, coworkers, and with various trade people. I have also acquired more interpersonal and better customer service skills. Exposing myself to myriad equipment in the park make me more humble as almost everyday I am facing new challenges.

Our department manager always lead us by the example as they all worked their way from the bottom. I wouldn't want to be them (our chief and assistant chiefs) as our department is constantly running under the budget, not protected by the union and our new staffs constantly being lured by other companies as our wage is a lot lower than the rest of companies in the industry. 

The hardest part of the job is probably a lot of building's HVAC design are done without HVAC/Refrigeration mechanics expertise opinions and lots of equipment are mix and matched (as air handler unit is Trane while AC and heating is Carrier) which make them aren't fully  compliant with control system. Sometimes we have to pay extra money to have these kinds of  issues rectified. The result of this is our department constantly operating under the budget. On top of that, all the other trades who work in the park are unionized but ours are not. Quite a lot of time the plumbers or electricians won't allow us to touch area that deals with piping or electricity on our own equipment which they have no previous training at all. Things can get frustrated if we have deadlines to meet.

The most enjoyable of this job is when we can resolve issues some contractors or engineer overlook or couldn't resolve; however, for this year it would be getting Stampede 2013 going after the entire park was ravaged by the flood despite having only 2 weeks to cleanup and setup. This not just proved together we are greatest, keeping the tradition going as well as keep the economy flowing as many business in the city and out of town all depend on this event.

Firstly, I'll describe my initial idea of the job before accepting it.
 
I had multiple choices, but signed up for Venue services because it honestly sounded like something fancy/ something that would give me a challenge (the good kind) and a leading role. Anyway... it turned out to be cleaning washrooms. 

Well... it certainly did give me a challenge-- physically and mentally. This includes cleaning up after people who purposely leave a mess (clogged toilets, feces, etc.), and also dealing with rude customers. 

That being said, I did try to make the most out of the job. I greeted people at the door, talked to people, and did the best cleaning I could. In turn, I got to meet many fascinating people and hear their stories. 

My effort and work were definitely appreciated by many of the people who came. I got to grow as an individual, as I am now more socially confident and am not as grossed out by... vomit for example. That being said, this is a job that just doesn't give the benefit and salary it should deserve because it is certainly tiring... and imagine being in a hot washroom with the scent of feces and urine for 6+ hours (without sitting for a lot of it). Cleaning up a flooded washroom from a clogged toilet is the worse, especially when some customers want to come in regardless of me telling them I'm cleaning...   

Now... for the management team. All I have to say is that they're not very organized. There are some individuals who go on breaks when they shouldn't, and some people who are just bad at dealing with certain scenarios. This job is definitely a team effort, and some people drag down the ship.    

So, in short... while I don't regret working here because I got a lot of it, it definitely isn't worth it for what you get (minimum wage, dirty environment, the loud and angry drunks that use the washroom, etc.). Other roles such as guest ambassador, and PERHAPS food services would have been better.

The job was alright. Not great, but not terrible. I was excited because of the Calgary Stampede’s reputation and had high hopes. Training was rushed and didn’t set me up to succeed. They need extra administrative support for the Stampede but expect new hires to get up to speed and be well-versed with minimal guidance. There’s a lot to get done before the event, and everyone feels the pressure. Earlier hiring and training would help seasonal staff better support permanent employees.

Most employees seemed friendly. Coming from smaller companies, adjusting to a large organization was a learning experience. HR’s role is to protect the organization first, so employees should manage expectations in conflicts as they often come second.

Feedback from the person I reported to often felt exaggerated on my shortcomings and lacked accountability. With HR largely siding with them, it felt like the odds were already stacked against me.

The organization does make an effort to show appreciation. Employee lunches, discounted food, and paid trolley tours of the park and facilities for new hires are nice perks. You also learn interesting history and hear unique stories from colleagues.

Putting personal experience aside, this role looks strong on a résumé. I would recommend any position here for the experience. 


Table tennis is a game in which two or four players hit a little, light ball back and forth across a table using a small paddle.A point is scored when a player fails to return the ball to the other player. Basically, you’re playing tiny tennis on a table.You can play anytime, anywhere – no table or paddles required! That’s an added bonus if you’re stuck at work and can’t use your colleague's desk to set up your own tournament. 

The sky is the limit. It is around the world, it is an experience the thrill and excitement and brings our friends group much bigger.where you move the virtual paddle and try to win the match.And if you’re looking for a fun twist on the classic table-tennis game, hit the ball with your paddle as many times as you possibly can. 

It is a good exercise that rejuvenates our body and mind. It is a family game that we can play on our terrace, gym 20 square feet space is required to fix a table & proper tennis court and a  tennis board. It can be easily folded and kept in the corner of the gym or terrace after the play.

It is much more like an indoor hockey game in the winter countries.  People will have much more exercises and better interest for indoor games in the winter season.  Young and old people can engage in this game. This game is available in many libraries and games center. It brings fantastic experience and everyone can join and enjoy the game.

Each day Is a mystery of what event is going to happen, its very exciting coming in and setting up the events before the guests come. Everybody works as a team and we can easily set up events with over 1500 people very quickly. Once the event is going I usually am a waiter, I've learned a lot of customer service, and how to carry a large amount of food or drinks. Also learned a lot of working with people as a team and looking at the big picture. The management is great, they are not afraid to get in their themselves and keep things very organized and on time. The workplace culture is very diverse, everyone gets along because of mutual respect as the work is usually very tiring and long. The hardest part of the job is carrying the ovals back with all the dirty glasses and plates on them, a full oval can easily carry 60 glasses and sometimes up to 30 plates. It takes a lot of balance and repetition to not drop them. The most enjoyable part is the satisfaction when an event goes well, especially important ones for example the goodbye retirement party for the University Of Calgary's president. Where Mayor Nenshi and many other influential people did speeches, watching everyone have a good night just feels amazing.

I loved the job and was such a proud Stampede employee but watching as prices rose, customer service levels fell and experienced, knowledgable staff were squeezed out became too much to bare. Management has proven unable to proactively plan and staff appropriately for annual events. Perpetual staff shortages mean staff are often over worked, undervalued and unappreciated. Leading to high turn over and the cycle repeats. Management is unwilling or unable to do anything to change this cycle.  Opportunities for advancement are reserved for favourites and not based on experience, knowledge or education. If you enjoy greeting people, providing information and directions and can work in an environment that does not value you and varies from crazy- cars everywhere, to ghost town- not a car to be seen, then working for parking might be for you. Ah ya, don't forget parking is outside so you need to be able to brave all weather conditions. The Stampede means a lot to me. It has potential to be a great place but at present I would recommend avoiding employment there especially in the parking department.

There are different job sites in the Calgary Stampede and different shifts within the village. 
I've learned a lot from the stampede board and the elder's what the Calgary stampede is all about?
We keep up with our duties in the village to keep it safe and welcome every visitor that comes in through that gate of the midway.
We always make sure our co-workers do make it to work on time so we don't get ducted from our pay. We try to keep things simple and easy for the rest of the group.
The hardest part of the job is keeping the drunk people out of the village and safe for visitors to take a look around in the village.
We go and enjoy the grandstand show after every shift we get off and try to ride every ride in midway and have a jolly good time. my most enjoyment of the Calgary Stampede is going to the coca cola stage to watch my favorite bands play.

What a roller coaster ride these last 15 years have been at the Calgary Stampede — a ton of ups and downs.

Pre-pandemic, Stampede felt like a large company with a strong family atmosphere.
Post-pandemic, it operates more like a corporation, which comes with both positives and negatives.

PROS
Direct managers and supervisors can be great in most departments.
The job itself can be enjoyable.
Post-pandemic, most departments are now more organized.

CONS
HR processes can feel very adversarial once a complaint is involved.
Workplace culture has shifted toward a more corporate and formal environment.
Employees may feel discouraged from casual conversation due to fear of potential HR complaints.
There is a stronger sense of being treated as a number rather than an individual.


a typical work day is making sure everything is stocked up and the counters the entire place is clean and sanitized. helped with cutting the pizza once the cook makes them. served clients as they liked and handled cash and gave change back to clients.
management was very easy and nice to work with as long as you did your work and followed procedure your fine.
work culture is a carnival culture . that just means they travel from city to city. I actually had the chance to travel with them to the next city to work with them. 
the hardest part is when work slows down and we have a lot of pizza just wasted because we can only have them out for a set of time before it starts to get dry and extra crispy and we lose a lot of money that way.
the most enjoyable times would be when we have a lot of sales and clients are coming to buy pizza and money is being made that day. management always treats us with food and drinks.

They tell us at orientation that we should also show the customer the best experience and we should polite and kind, yet the management at the parking office is anything but. I do not appreciate being constantly talked down to and disrespected. I honestly tried to be happy and welcoming when I walked into the big 4 every morning but it would not be reciprocated. The management believes that they are the only ones who can have a bad day and the employees are always having a great day. The management is horrible and the treatment of the employees is grotesque. 

The other attendants I worked with however, were great! We were all in the same boat with learning how to properly do our jobs and everyone was very friendly out on the roads. 

I would not recommend parking for anyone because it is a constant standing position, for 8 hours and you are in the sun constantly.  

Also the pay is not high enough considering people in cars don't care about us and neither does the management.

Top Job Titles	Average salary
Parking attendant 4 salaries reported	$15.75 per hour
Ambassador 4 salaries reported	$15.50 per hour
Gate attendant 5 salaries reported	$15.20 per hour
Laborer 6 salaries reported	$36,504 per year
Server 4 salaries reported	$15.00 per hour

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