Volunteer Staff Position Board

Responsibilities:

• Pre-Event: Work with Cosplay and Crafting Department Head to plan themed crafts.
• Set up and break down craft area each day.
• Understand the crafts and teach to others.
• Assist with cosplay repair where possible.

Qualifications:

• Experience with crafting skills (e.g. sewing, handling scissors, glueing, etc.)
• Organizational skills
• Cleanliness
• Experience working with children preferred.

Contact: stops@magwest.org

Responsibilities:

• Assist Cosplay Department Head in scheduling cosplay gatherings and events.
• Assisting at cosplay repair
• Answering any cosplay-related questions

Requirements:

• Experience with managing crowds/crowd control
• Experience with cosplay and cosplay gatherings
• Experience with managing a schedule

Contact: stops@magwest.org

Reports to: Guest Department Head/Programming Division Chair

Responsibilities:

• Research and identify potential guest talent based on their relevance to the event’s theme, audience interests, and budget constraints.
• Contact talent agents or representatives to inquire about availability, booking fees, and any specific requirements for appearances or performances.
• Negotiate contracts and agreements with talent representatives, outlining terms such as appearance fees, travel arrangements, accommodations, and promotional activities.
• Coordinate logistics for guest talent, including scheduling appearances, arranging transportation, accommodations, and providing on-site support during the event.
• Communicate effectively with talent, guest team, and programming division head to ensure smooth coordination and execution of guest appearances.

Qualifications: Requires adept communication, negotiation, and organizational understanding, alongside industry knowledge and a recruitment focus on diversity (areas of success, culture, gender, etc). Success hinges on efficiently liaising with talent agents, negotiating within budget constraints, and orchestrating seamless event logistics for a memorable attendee/guest talent experience.

Contact: stops@magwest.org

Reports to: Guest Department Head/Programming Division Chair

Responsibilities:

• Work with the Guest department to obtain necessary information about guest talent and assignments (travel plans, social media, special requests, etc).
• Be prepared to problem solve outside of shift hours, as needed.
• Assist guest talent at-event with navigating the facility and needs outside of their performance(s) or content.

Qualifications:

• Ability to remain calm in stressful situations and problem solve when appropriate.
• Ability to see past guests’ profile or status and treat them as people instead of celebrities.
• Experience with working with high-profile guests and/or contracts is helpful but not required.

Contact: stops@magwest.org

Staff for the Indie Games Expo aim to create a fun experience for both the Indie Game Developers/Exhibitors AND the attendees of MAGWest. Let’s build our community to be fun and welcoming and supportive; and let’s make wonderful memories together!

Responsibilities:

• Pre-Event:
  • Participate in Indie Games meetings
  • Promote the Indie Games Expo at MAGWest.
  • Assist in evaluating and curating the list of exhibited games
• During event:
  • Assist with set up, basic cleaning, and tear down
  • Assist exhibitors with checking in. This may involve carrying equipment to their table.
  • Answer any questions from the exhibitors or the attendees.
  • Assist exhibitors with general needs (borriwng tech supplies, etc.)
  • Familiarize yourself with the exhibitors’ games (either you would have tested the game during the pre-convention phase or by talking to the exhibitors/playing their game during the convention) so that you can speak knowledgably to attendees.
  • Stand in for devs at their booth if they need to step away.
  • Crowd-control and line control.
• After event: Participate in retrospective to discuss observations from the convention and discuss how we can improve our work.

Required Skills:

• Willingness to learn
• Teamwork
• Communication skills

Nice to haves (if not, we can teach you):

• Problem solving
• Attention to detail
• Time management
• Basic customer service skills
• Basic photography skills
• Familiarity with handling videogames and technology

Contact: stops@magwest.org

Responsibilities:

• Help set up and tear down the network
• Assist LAN Department Head in location management
• Help enforce rules (such as no food and beverage) at LAN stations

Requirements:

• Familiarity with PC Gaming and Windows OS
• Basic customer service skills
• Familiarity with networking software and hardware a plus, but not required.

Contact: lan@magwest.org

Reports to: Marketplace Department Head/Programming Division Chair

Responsibilities:

• Pre-Event:
  • Work with the Department Head to assist and obtain necessary information about vendors and tasks.
  • Attend West-Con (volunteer planning meeting) – optional
• At Event:
  • Provide exceptional customer support to 15-30 dealer groups.
  • Manage crowd flow to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all attendees and dealers.
  • Work at the information desk to assist attendees, volunteers and dealers with questions or concerns.
  • Convert event-specific currency into USD currency as requested by dealers.

Requirements:

• Excellent candor, communication and customer service skills.
• Able to work with a large group of people from diverse backgrounds
• Problem-solving skills with good judgment.
• Previous experience in customer service or event support is preferred but not required.

Contact: stops@magwest.org

The Mediatron department publishes the recorded video footage we produce for public benefit and consumption. Video editors help take the recordings and livestream footage taken during the event and turn them into refined edits of the many performances and live events and send them up on Youtube and into our archives!

Additionally we are also looking for social media savvy editors capable of taking our long format work as well as any dynamic video clips captured and editing them into digestible chunks for short form video to be posted onto Youtube, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter/X, or other sites. Video editing hours can be applied outside of the event and credited towards future MAGFest events.

Responsibilities:

• Use NLE software to edit, color correct, apply minor audio mixing/compression and integrate additional visual assets back into the video as needed.
• Editors will be expected to upload completed edits for review prior to being uploaded to Youtube.

Qualifications:

Experience with video editing software is required, particularly programs like Adobe Premiere, Final Cut, Davinci Resolve are ideal, though other programs could also be acceptable. Non-linear editing can be taught to interested parties by request.

Contact: mediatron-heads@magwest.org

The Mediatron department streams and records the main concert hall performances at MAGFest events. This job has two areas of focus, and we’re looking for people who can do either or both: Live broadcast mixing for the Twitch feed so that the online audience hears a good mix, and post-production work on the recording to cleanup the mix so that the final video that gets posted to YouTube holds up for posterity.

Responsibilities:

• During Event: Be present at soundcheck for acts in order to set levels and channel assignments, and mix the act during their performance for Twitch.
• After Event: Create a mixdown with recorded elements (stems) from the performance in case of technical errors with live stream recording, and to optimize the overall quality for the final video upload to YouTube.

Qualifications:

Minimum 2 years experience mixing music from multiple sources either live or in a DAW. Preferred experience with a multi channel digital mixer.

Contact: mediatron-heads@magwest.org

Mediatron photographers are the official photographers for MAGFest events. This job has the primary function of creating a photographic record of MAGFest events for archival and publicity purposes. Photographers are expected to capture images of performances, handle requests from our fellow departments to help document their presence at MAGFest events as well as roam around and capture the style, feel, and essence of a MAGFest event.

Responsibilities:

• Receive and execute photography dispatches as requested from other departments, photograph live musical performances, special guests, panels, and scenes from around the event.
• During and after the event, upload finished copies of photos taken to cloud backup provided by MAGFest.

Qualifications:

Moderate experience requested: We ask that photographers have experience with their camera equipment and own a DSLR/Mirrorless camera capable of taking high quality photographs as well as being able to edit/finish your own photos.

Contact: mediatron-heads@magwest.org

Reports to: Merch Department Head

Responsibilities:

• Sell merchandise, facilitate transactions, and help attendees pick up their pre-ordered merch.
• Handle cash and credit card transactions.
• Answer questions about merchandise, sizing, and prices.

Requirements:

• No experience needed, skills can be taught.
• Previous experience in customer service or cash handling

Contact: stops@magwest.org

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Responsibilities:

• Work with/as a Lighting Tech (if you have experience doing so)
• Manage pre-event checklist/planning
• Assist in writing RFQ for AV needs
• Assist in selecting gear for sound and lighting
• Review Artist checklists and ask clarifying questions as needed
• Create an at-event documentation for Stage Crew, Audio Tech and Lighting Techs
• Coordinate with Music Liaisons to determine the music backline (drum kits, guitar amps, etc.)
• Work with/as a Sound Tech (if you have experience doing so)
• Work with our video/recording team

Qualifications: Experience with stage or show management.

Contact: stops@magwest.org

Responsibilities:

• Work with booking or Music Liaisons to obtain stage plots and/or artist needs
• Review artist checklists and ask clarifying questions, as needed
• Connect gear to the AV system on stage
• Optional: help dialing in monitor mixes and setting up mics

Contact: stops@magwest.org

Responsibilities:

• Handle the audio mixing of acts on-stage
• Assist on-stage team in setting up monitor mix
• Set up mix quickly during changeovers for each instrument
• Work with our video/recording team to record performances
• Preferred but not required: Creation of scenes for the mixing console, based on act.

Contact: stops@magwest.org

Responsibilities:

• Load-in: clamp lighting fixtures to truss, run cables; details at the direction of other staff
• During event: operate a MIDI controller to control lighting effects; keep the performers sufficiently lit for the cameras
• Load-out: dismantle the setup, coil cables

Qualifications: Lighting experience is not required; folks should be comfortable with tech / AV gear, and ideally with musical background.

Contact: music@magwest.org

Responsibilities:

• Coordinating with panelists to relay an understanding of expectations, and seamless logistics.
• Managing a detailed schedule for panel sessions, including room setup, clean-up and relaying technical requirements to our TechOps and Mediatron teams.
• Moderating panels for time checks.
• Soliciting feedback from attendees and panelists to assess panel effectiveness and identify areas for improvement.

Qualifications: Basic customer service skills

Contact: stops@magwest.org