As CONvergence 2018: Natural Twenty draws ever more present, you’re no doubt starting to think about the awesome ways you can volunteer to help make this year’s convention a smooth ride for everyone, not to mention earn yourself some exclusive volunteer thank you gifts. Fortunately, there are many options for lending a hand! Here are just a few.
This year, many departments are staffing shifts during the convention using SignUp Genius. Head over to the Signing Up for Volunteer Shifts page for a very simple SignUp Genius tutorial.
Registration Needs You!
Starting Wednesday, July 4, 2018 going all the way through Sunday, Registration needs volunteers to help with membership check-in, badge pick-up, and more. Whether you’re technologically-inclined or simply prefer to be a helpful and friendly force for good, there is something for you to do in CONvergence Registration!
You’ll have to complete a short training and orientation session before you can start your volunteer shift. Contact CONvergence Registration to learn more, or sign-up for shifts on SignUp Genius.
Help Herd those Nerfs!
Interested in helping with badging, elevator monitoring, or managing lines at CONvergence? Sign-ups are now open for Nerf Herder Crowd Management volunteer shifts. It’s one of the most fun, exciting, and easy ways to volunteer during the convention, often right in the middle of all the action. Whether you can spend an entire shift on your feet managing a line, or you need to do your volunteering sitting down, Nerf Herders has a volunteer position for you!
To sign up for Nerf Herding shifts during the convention, head over to SignUp Genius.
But wait, there’s more! Before you arrive for your volunteer shift with CONvergence 2018 Nerf Herders, you must first complete a short training session at The Bridge. That way, you will be prepared for all the different scenarios you might encounter while volunteering.
At-Con Trainings
- Wednesday 10:00am, 1:00pm, 4:00pm
- Thursday 10:00am, 1:00pm, more as needed
- Friday as-needed
- Saturday as-needed
To attend a training, simply go to the Nerf Herder table at The Bridge and say you’re there for a Nerf Herder Training. Please try to complete the short training as early as possible!
Join the Wandering Hosts
Do you like to have your finger on the pulse of the convention? Do you like to be the smiling face that provides help and solves problems? Do you like to jump right in and be in the middle of the action?
Wandering Hosts, seen all over the convention wearing purple smocks and radios, the visible staff presence and, in many ways, the white blood cells of CONvergence. As a Wandering Host, you will roam convention space as a representative of the convention and be available to assist CONvergence members in answering questions, following policies, ensuring safety, and providing support and help.
If this sounds like the sort of job for you, please contact CONvergence Operations or sign up for Wandering Host shifts on SignUp Genius!
Feeding The Hungry Members
Both Volunteers Den and ConSuite have shifts available throughout the convention to help with food prep, serving, restocking, and more. These are easy jobs that keep you in the middle of the social hub as members stop in for snacks, and they’re a lot of fun! Sign up for ConSuite and VolDen shifts on SignUp Genius.
Panels Can’t Run Without You
CONvergence Programming is looking for General Hosts, at-con volunteers who help with panel staging and quality control, and A/V Specialists, who are available during panels to support the microphones, mixers, projectors, and similar equipment in panel rooms should panelists need assistance.
To learn more about how you can help ensure the quality of CONvergence’s panels, visit the Panelist & Host Info page or sign-up for shifts on SignUp Genius.
Be an Accessibility Ambassador
If you enjoy being friendly, helpful, and have a passion for making sure everyone can be included, then this might be the volunteer position for you!
Staff is needed for CONvergence’s Accessibility Table (located opposite the DoubleTree by Hilton’s front desk) to answer questions and help provide accessibility resources for CONvergence members. Previous experience with ADA issues and diverse communities would be helpful, but is not necessary.
If you are interested in helping at the Accessibility table, please contact CONvergence Accessibility & Inclusion or sign up for a shift on SignUp Genius.
Put those ASL Skills to Use
Did you learn American Sign Language in college? Can you keep up a decent conversation, but maybe aren’t interpreter level? Help with managing CONvergence’s ASL interpreters!
As an ASL assistant, you will help to manage interpreter schedules and respond to the needs of deaf and hard-of-hearing attendees. While being fluent in ASL is helpful, you can also use this as an opportunity to improve your fluency while earning volunteer hours.
If you are interested in helping manage ASL at CONvergence, please contact CONvergence ASL!
Staff the Sensory Break Room
Do you have public interface (customer service) skills? Do you prefer, or need, to do your volunteering in a quiet or sensory-friendly space? CONvergence’s Sensory Break Room may be the place for you!
As Sensory Break Room staff, you will simply be present monitor room facilities and activities. As needed, you will ensure rules minimizing distracting stimuli, including visuals, sounds, and smells are followed. This is a sedentary volunteer position, so be prepared to sit during your shift, and it is probably a good idea to bring a quiet activity for yourself.
If you are interested in helping staff the Sensory Break Room, please contact contact CONvergence Accessibility & Inclusion or sign up for a shift on SignUp Genius.
Harmonic CONvergence Needs Crew
Love music, bringing people music, managing a stage, or being part of a crew putting on a show? Harmonic CONvergence, CONvergence’s dedicated music and live performance venue, may offer the perfect volunteer opportunity for you! These positions are a great way to earn lots of hours if you’re a night owl or an early bird!
Harmonic CONvergence volunteer positions are:
- Room Management/Stage Management – Aid our performers by moving gear on and off the stage and into and out of storage. Help audience members locate and access appropriate seating. Run minor errands around the con, and assist with other tasks as needed to support HarmCon’s performers and tech crew.
- Guard – Are you a sharp-eyed, trust worthy sort who can ensure the safety and security of our performer’s equipment? If so, you may be just the person to help keep an eye on the Gibson room overnight and ensure that no one enters after hours. This is a sedentary position and a chair and table will be provided; bring friends and/or activities to entertain yourself during your shift while earning double hours!
- Roadie – Roadies make the show happen! Earn double hours by helping load and unload HarmCon technical crew’s van and trailer and assisting in take down of sound and lighting equipment before and after HarmCon performances. Roadies should be able to get on and off a low stage without difficulty, and to lift and carry moderately heavy objects.
Grab a shift on SignUp Genius to become part of the HarmCon crew!
Teen Room Needs Teens
Are you age 13 – 20? Are you the parent of a teenager? Then you should know that CONvergence Teen Room is looking for volunteers! The Teen Room is run by teens, for teens, and that means it needs teens to step up and help make it awesome.
Teen room volunteer positions are:
- Housekeeper – Clean up messes and converse with members and make them feel welcome.
- Greeter – Greet people when they enter or leave the Teen Room, and check badges to make sure they are allowed inside.
Please don’t sign up for more than two shifts in a row without a break. Members must be age 13 – 20 to volunteer in CONvergence Teen Room. This is a good way to get involved with the convention and meet other members in your age group!
Sign up as a Teen Room volunteer on SignUp genius.
Connie’s Quantum Sandbox
Do you love arts, crafts, or science activities? Then Connie’s Quantum Sandbox is the place for you!
Connie’s Quantum Sandbox is the CONvergence Art, Craft, and Science Activity room. Volunteers assist the Head-On-Duty or Activity Leaders with setup, operation, and cleanup of activities (may be art, craft, or science-related).
Volunteers may also assist fellow CONvergence members with activities, and may be asked to do some basic crowd control (such as lining up guests, assisting children, etc.) No special skills are required, but we may take advantage of any art, craft, or science skills you choose to offer!
Help out in Connie’s Quantum Sandbox by signing up for a shift on SignUp Genius.
Staff Masquerade to See The Costumes Up Close And Personal!
Do you like seeing the costumes in the Masquerade? How would you like a chance to see them up close? Masquerade needs volunteers for registration and during the show.
Volunteers are needed Thursday afternoon and Friday morning and afternoon to aid with Masquerade and Art of the Dress registration. These volunteers should be familiar with the basic production concepts behind Art of the Dress Runway Show and Masquerade.
During the Masquerade show, Saturday 5:00pm to about 9:00pm, Den Mothers/Costume Assistants are needed to help Masquerade participants line up for their presentations and assist with whatever else they may need, be it a safety pin, a band-aid, or just keeping cool.
Contact Masquerade to help out!
CVG-TV
CVG-TV needs volunteers to help with recording panels and general video production support. No previous technical skill is required but you will certainly learn a few things as you help record the official CONvergence 2018 media!
To volunteer, please contact CVG-TV.
Hang CONvergence Posters and Signage
CONvergence has hundreds of official posters and signage to hang all around the convention with blue tape. There is a Facebook Event set up to rally volunteers who want to help hang posters. Check it out for more information!
Help with Move-In
CONvergence starts moving into the DoubleTree by Hilton Bloomington as early as Tuesday, July 3, 2018 and there will be a need for volunteers to help all the way through Thursday. Almost every department does some sort of set up, so now is your chance to see how your favorite department comes together.
In particular,
- Volunteers Den and ConSuite will need volunteers to help with load-in on Wednesday, July 4, 2018.
- Connie’s Quantum Sandbox move-in times are 10:00am – 7:00pm on Wednesday, July 4, 2018.
But there is plenty to do to help with move-in all over the convention, so if you turn up at the DoubleTree by Hilton on Tuesday or Wednesday, you won’t have any trouble finding somewhere to help! Sign up for a move-in shift on SignUp Genius or just stop by the Volunteers Table.
More Information about Volunteer Positions
If you are curious about any of the volunteer positions above, or would like to see what else you could do to help out at CONvergence, check out the Volunteer Positions Page or contact CONvergence Volunteers and ask how you can help.
Sign Up for Shifts!
If you are ready to sign up for volunteer shifts during the convention, head over to the Signing Up for Volunteer Shifts page for tutorials, or go directly to CONvergence Volunteers SignUp Genius. Volunteering is so easy, and fun!
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