Collaborator Portal 2025

Get prepared for the Weekend with these handy tips.

Do a test run through of your program

• If you’re doing building tours, test the time it takes to move through the space (with a group). Is there space for your tour group size at each ‘stop’ to gather? Anticipate questions from the participants. Have you allowed for some time for this?
• If you’re delivering a walking tour, head out and do it! Take your colleagues, family or friends along with you. Check your planned route is clear and adjust if necessary. Think about how it will work with the group size you’ve indicated. A group of 20 tour participants moves slower than one or two people. Be considerate of different participants abilities. If you’re in the city or another busy/noisy area, where will the group stand when you stop to share information? Is there somewhere sheltered from noise or weather?
• If you’re site is open access, ensure you have clearly marked the areas that are accessible to the public and where they may not be able to go. Think about where is best to form a queue safely, if required. Where is the best place to position your allocated signage so it can be seen. If you have volunteers, they are a great wayfinding tool as they walk and talk!

Think about the logistics of the day

Risk Management

• Do you know what happens if an emergency situation arises?
• • Have you got quick and easy access to the EOC contact number and your Precinct Manager number?
  • What is your site’s Emergency Management Plan?
• Where is the best place for signage (if applicable)? Ensure entry, exit and queue thoroughfares are clear of hazards.

Staffing

• How will you use your volunteers (if applicable)? Have you briefed them clearly?
• Have you got enough of your team available to support? Where will each person be stationed and what is their role?

Site access + visitor management

• Will it be clear for visitors what areas they can and can’t access? Will they know where to go for a tour meeting point?
• If your event is ticketed, who will be checking attendees off using the Humanitix for Hosts? Ensure you have this downloaded and ready to go, and that you have access to your specific event.
• If your space is open access, who is recording visitor numbers? Do they have a clicker and are they in the best position to capture these numbers accurately?

End-0f-day

• Allow time at the end of the day/your event to complete the necessary end-of-day report.

If you are allocated volunteers, they are instructed to arrive 30 minutes prior to your program open/start time. Please be prepared to answer the following questions:

• Where is the Open House flag/a-frame or any other material for the building (if applicable)
  • Where is the best location for the Open House signage?
• What are the operations and logistics for the Building or Program?
  • Where is the best place to form a queue?
  • How many people are expected to attend?
  • How frequent are tours?
  • Are there any special requirements? (age, close shoes, etc.)
• What is the building’s Emergency or Evacuation Plan?
  • Who are the wardens on site?
  • Where is the emergency assembly point?
• What are the amenities and where are they?
  • Where are the nearest bathrooms?
  • Is there somewhere nearby to get coffee or food?
• Are there any accessible entries or accessible routes for attendees?
  • This may include ramps, step free pathways, etc.

Please review the Volunteer Day on Page for more.

It’s also great to know what else is happening in your area as part of the Open House Melbourne Weekend. Encourage your visitors to explore other sites nearby! Always direct visitors to the Open House Melbourne website for up-to-date program information.

Arrive on site and ready to go at least 30 minutes before your program open/start time.

• If you have been allocated volunteers, they have been instructed to arrive 30 minutes prior to the program open/start time. If your volunteer hasn’t showed up, contact your Precinct Manager.
• Get your signage ready and staff/volunteers in place.

Attendees for ticketed events are reminded to arrive 15 minutes prior to the event/program start time so your program can run to time. Ensure you are prepared to scan tickets and attendees understand where to wait until the tour/program begins.

Run through the below checklist to ensure you’re prepared to welcome visitors!

Review this list before you get started for the day to ensure you’re prepared to welcome visitors!

• Where is the Open House flag/a-frame or any other material for the building (if applicable)
  • Where is the best location for the Open House signage?
• What are the operations and logistics for the Building or Program?
  • Where is the best place to form a queue?
  • How many people are expected to attend?
  • How frequent are tours?
  • Are there any special requirements? (age, close shoes, etc.)
• What is the building’s Emergency or Evacuation Plan?
  • Who are the wardens on site?
  • Where is the emergency assembly point?
• What are the amenities and where are they?
  • Where are the nearest bathrooms?
  • Is there somewhere nearby to get coffee or food?
• Are there any accessible entries or accessible routes for attendees? This may include ramps, step free pathways, etc.

• Welcome visitors and tour attendees with a smile!
• Ensure tickets are being scanned and visitor numbers are being counted
• Ensure your staff and volunteers are in the best position to assist with sharing information, addressing visitor queries, supporting with tour group management or wayfinding.
• Deliver your tours and programs to time while also meeting the needs of attendees – answer their questions but keep things moving. On tours, use a big voice to ensure everyone can hear you. Be accommodating and assertive at the same time!
• Always be aware of your surroundings and the safety of your staff, volunteers and visitors.
• In the case of incident or emergency, contact 000, the EOC and your Precinct Manager as appropriate.
  • Complete an incident report form and submit this to Open House Melbourne via the form provided.

Be prepared for walk-ups on the day

People who have missed out on a ticket to a pre-booked program or event may try their luck on the day in case of no shows.

In 2025, we are trialling a Lucky Last Minute Ticket. This will allow walk-ups to book in using a generic ticket link if there are no-shows and/or can accomodate extras and ensures all attendees to pre-booked programs are captured in our records. We will provide this link to you and volunteers will also have the ability to support this process.

Accepting Lucky Last Minute attendees is at the discretion of the Collaborator/Building Manager. You are not required to accomodate Last Minute walk ups and are entitled to turn people away if your program is pre-booked and they do not have a valid ticket. Please only use this if you have capacity to manage it smoothly on the day.

Please be mindful pre-booked attendees will have booked in advance and paid the $7 booking fee. The Lucky Last Minute ticket ensures equity of access and that all attending have contributed to that cost and that we have that record of who is in attendance.
At the end of the day, we want to ensure you, your staff/volunteers and visitors or tour participants have a great time over the Weekend so you are encouraged and trusted to manage this as you see fit.

• Pack down signage if you don’t need it again. Ensure each piece that you received is there. Volunteers can support with this.
  • If you’ll be using it again tomorrow, store it somewhere safe and secure, out of the weather.
• Debrief with your volunteers (if applicable)
  • Hear their feedback, ensure you’re aware of any visitor numbers they collected and that it aligns with your understanding of the day’s visitation.
  • Thank them for their support and send them on their way – the Open House Weekend could not go ahead without the support of our wonderful volunteers!
• Complete the end of day report to submit visitor numbers, any outstanding experiences or stories, record incidents if required.
• Prepare for the next day (if applicable)
  • What have you learned from today that you could improve for tomorrow?
• Head off to another Open House activity or have a well-deserved break after a fun and enriching program!

Precinct Managers (and Assistant Precinct Managers)

On the Weekend, your main contact is the Precinct Manager (PM) assigned to your area. Precinct Managers, with the support of Assistant Precinct Managers, oversee the volunteers in your area and are best placed to assist with troubleshooting any issues or incidents.

• If your allocated volunteer doesn’t show up, call your PM.
• If something isn’t right with your signage, call your PM.
• If you have another question, call your PM.

Contact details for PMs will be provided in mid-July. Please refrain from contacting them until the Weekend.

Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) 

The EOC located at Collingwood Yards and is a direct line to the Open House Melbourne core team in case of incidents or emergency. The EOC can activate an emergency or communication response or operational support.

The EOC contact number is:  0494 139 815.  This number is only active over the Weekend.

In case of emergency, always contact emergency services – call 000. As soon as practicable, notify the EOC and your PM. 

In the lead up to the Weekend, your first point of contact is the Open House team via info@ohm.org.au

Whether you’re in individual or an organisation, you’ll become a Collaborator when your submission is accepted into the program. We’ll then support you to supply the required information for the print and digital program and ensure you’re prepared to deliver your event successfully during the Weekend.

For successful participation on the Open House Melbourne Weekend we expect all Collaborators to:

+ Hold necessary permissions and insurances to undertake the proposed program/event during the Weekend (26 + 27 July 2025) and agree to the Collaborator Terms + Conditions
+ Open their building space for a minimum of six hours across the weekend and/or accommodate a minimum capacity of 50 people for events/tours
+ Have a knowledgeable, responsible person/s (on-site or online) to oversee the delivery of the program/event and engage with the public during the Weekend;
+ Submit all required content/information about the planned experience to meet Open House Melbourne deadlines for print and digital program and logistical planning;
+ Where required, host Open House Melbourne Volunteers during their allocated 3-4 hour shift to provide event support and collect visitor data;
+ Promote their participation in the Weekend across platforms including website and social media and will where applicable, display Open House Melbourne signage onsite during the event.

The Open House Melbourne Weekend 2025 will take place across Saturday 26 + Sunday 27 July 2025.

Open House Melbourne programming including Designing with Country, Modern Melbourne, This is Public and the Heritage Address will take place in the evenings surrounding the Weekend.

We’ll send the program live on Wednesday 25 June. The program is under embargo until then so please keep your involvement under wraps until then.

You will be notified about your volunteer allocation in late June.

In 2025, all ticketing for pre-booked programs will be managed by Open House Melbourne via Humanitix. We will work with you to understand your capacity for oversubscription to account for attrition.

A small fee of $7 will apply to all tickets to contribute to the ticketing administration costs.

Open House Melbourne will create a ticketing link for your program to include in the digital program and for you to share with your networks.

Tickets are released to the public across two dates—2 + 5 July. This allows time for people to review the program and effectively plan their Weekend.  Two releases of tickets are scheduled to increase equity of access.

When your program becomes fully booked, a waitlist will be activated. Offers of available tickets due to cancellations will be processed automatically as an offer to the next person on the list.

Reminder emails for ticketed programs will be sent 72 hours prior to your event.

You will be given access to your event via the Humanitix app which shows up-to-date registration numbers and provides scanning permission.

On the Weekend, your team (with the support of Open House Melbourne volunteers) will be responsible for checking in attendees by scanning the QR on their ticket.

If you have any questions about ticketing, please contact us via info@ohm.org.au.

Open House Melbourne undertakes comprehensive marketing and PR activities in the lead up to and during the Weekend. We have an established database of 48,000+ email subscribers, 600,000+ annual website visits and an audience of over 58,000 across social media channels. Learn more in our 2024 Event Report here.

You will be provided a marketing kit including branding guidelines and digital and print assets to share with your networks to promote the Weekend.

For tailored benefits and services, please enquire about Partner and Sponsorship packages with Katie Evans, Partnerships + Communications Manager via katie.evans@ohm.org.au or +61 3 8648 8612.

Collaborator registration fees ensure we can continue to deliver the much-loved Open House Melbourne Weekend into the future. Registration fees contribute to administration costs, insurance, accessibility services, event management, volunteer recruitment and signage.

The fee structure is as follows:

• $65 (Individual)
• $120 (not-for-profit or community group)
• $260 (school, for-profit, local government)
• $440 (higher education, State government)

To discuss a payment plan or any other aspect relating to fees, please contact us via info@ohm.org.au or +61 3 8648 8612.

The Open House Melbourne Weekend celebrates good design by opening up buildings, places and spaces, inspiring public engagement in conversations about the future of our city.

Open House Melbourne is the largest and longest-running Open House program in Australia. The Weekend provides you the opportunity to:

• take an active role in advocating for the value of good design in our built environment
• contribute to broad public discussion around the role of design in creating better futures
• reach a broad cross-section of the community
• gain access to new audiences.