GLITCH’s biggest annual event of the year is only made possible thanks to help from our community. We are looking for volunteers to help with everything from badge check, to information desk duties, to set-up and take-down. All NPCs will receive a complimentary badge for the festival, a GLITCH tshirt to identify you as an NPC, and snacks throughout the weekend in the NPC Lounge. You’ll also have the opportunity to meet an amazing group of fellow NPCs who are just as passionate about games and our community as you are!
Every NPC will work for three shifts totaling six hours over the weekend. There will also be a mandatory informational meeting for all GlitchCon staff and volunteers on May 3rd, from 6-9pm to go over details of the festival, individual duties, and overview the staff schedule. Dinner will be served! Position descriptions are as follows:
Captains
Veteran NPCs who are constantly on the move. When floating, your job is to patrol your designated territory and check to make sure that everything is running smoothly. You also check with the other NPCs on duty in your area to see if they need any help. You are responsible for temporarily filling in for missing NPCs and making sure every job in your area is appropriately staffed. It is your job as captain to discover problems and call in so Office Assistants can come to fill any vacancies. When necessary, you’ll act as radio relay to the NPC Lounge. Besides all that, you answer guests’ and speakers’ questions, and generally handle anything else that arises.
A/V Technician
Assist Session Associates and Session Coordinators with A/V Tech issues. A/V Technicians are also responsible for managing technology relations with special guests or panelists for their assigned session.
MinneCade Associate
A collection of independent developers showing the latest and greatest indie games. Associates assigned to this task are to encourage people to engage Attendees, offer coins for voting, and answer any questions guests have.
Registration Desk / Information Center
You should be ready and willing to answer all sorts of questions and giving attendees their badges at registration. Be prepared for irate, anxious, curious, dumbfounded, and clueless Attendees — they’re counting on you to know the answer, even if they don’t know the question! You’ll also be handing out swag bags and door prizes for attendees who have completed their quest cards.
When the desk is slow, the one NPC can get up and walk around the lobby assisting the Lobby Greeters in looking for lost Attendees to help. But keep an eye on the information counter to see if you’re needed back there. As part of this job, you maintain and update an online knowledge base that is built upon by each set of Associates manning the Information Counter. The computer on which the knowledge base resides will have Internet access so you can better look up answers to Attendee questions.
Office Assistants
Are on duty in the lounge during festival hours. These people fill in for anything that needs to be done. If someone doesn’t show up for their work assignment, or an errand needs to be run, or a new job suddenly pops up, Office Assistants are the first ones who will be asked to handle the situation.
Office Assistants are to police the lounge to help make sure they stay tidy. Polite delegation to the tidiness-challenged is encouraged.
Session Associate (also known as “lectures”, “talks”, “classes”, and “workshops”)
Are the main reason why people attend this event. Sessions are probably also why you originally signed up to be an Associate. One way to increase your chances of seeing a Session is to sign up to work it. That way, you’ll be in attendance even if the room fills. Associate duties for Sessions are among the most visible and crucial to do well.
When you are scheduled to work a Session, you will have several duties:
Make sure you check in to the NPC Lounge or before the time listed on your schedule. The earlier you are, the easier your job will be. Earlier is better — especially for the bigger lecture rooms.
Remember:
Times up. Offer 5, 10, and/or 15 minute warnings toward the end of the session, if they desire. There are signs available to help you in this task.
Repeat questions. Remind speakers to repeat any questions not spoken into a microphone for the audio recordings
A/V. See if the speakers have any A/V needs. Speak with A/V or call a floater if they aren’t present.
Introduce yourself. The speakers need to know who to ask for help. DO THIS FIRST.
Noise makers. Remind speakers to ask attendees to turn off their noise makers.
De-frag. Before packed sessions start, ask people to move towards middle. After they start, point to new attendees entering where open seats are so as not to disturb others attending the talk.
After the Session, assist with traffic flow out and collect any personal gear left behind to take to Lost & Found.
Photographers
Photographers are assigned specific territories and sessions to be taking photographs. We’re looking for at least 200 shots for each shift and also a person who has a history and portfolio to show their previous work.
Videographers
Videographers are responsible for taking b-roll throughout the event that will later be used in promotional videos.
If you have any questions about volunteering, please don’t hesitate to send Alex Chang an email at [email protected].