Volunteers

Attention all Katsucon friends!  

Have you ever wanted to be part of the Katsucon Family?  

Are you interested in being a bigger part of your favorite convention? 

Do you dream of someday running your own part of Katsucon?  

If you said yes to any of these, learn about starting your convention journey by being a volunteer at Katsucon. There are a ton of opportunities to help out!  

• Please note all volunteers must be 16+! 

Why Volunteer? 

1. Meet the people. Ask anyone who has volunteered: you meet people, make friends, and be in prime locals for costume spotting (Okay maybe not so much that last one). 
2. Help the anime community. All staff who work at Katsucon are volunteers; no one gets paid a cent. They love anime and the anime community; without them, the convention would be nothing but pure, utter chaos. 
3. See if working a Convention is right for you. Volunteering is a great way to see if you want to commit to being staff at Katsucon. See the frantic behind the scenes running that makes Katsucon possible each year. 

Common Fallacies about Volunteering: 

• It’s too hard. 
  • Stuff and nonsense! You will never be given a job that is too hard for you; anything requiring a skill you don’t already have will be taught to you. 
• I must be part of the “inner circle”. 
  • No way! Katsucon is always looking for new talent.  There is no ‘inner circle’; it’s all anime fandom. 
• I will be stuck with a job I hate or can’t handle. 
  • While there’s always a need for someone to fill the thankless and tiring jobs of badge checking and room guarding, coat check.  
  • Katsucon will never force you to do something you absolutely don’t want to do. We are, however, not above begging. 
• I have no detectable molecule of skill or knowledge that could help anyone. 
  • If you can walk and talk at the same time, Katsucon has a position for you.  
  • You’d be surprised at what you know. 
• I won’t meet anyone or see anything at the convention. 
  • Just because you volunteer doesn’t mean that you have to miss the convention. 
  • Even two hours of work can make a huge difference! Also, you can choose when you wish to work. 
• You’re really not an anime fan or you are just starting out in the genre. 
  • Perfect! This is how you can find out from the inside where to start.  
  • Some of the previous volunteers have been parents, siblings, roommates, significant others, and even driving buddies of attendees.  
  • Being dragged along for the weekend? The staff can help you fill your time and even explain what the big deal is. 
• I will be treated rudely and ignored by staff. 
  • Katsucon tries its best to give sincere thanks where thanks are due, even to someone who can only do a few hours during the con.  
  • If you feel you have been ignored, speak up! Sometimes things get hectic, and you might be passed over, but this is unintentional. 

Volunteer Policies 

1. All volunteers must be registered attendees to the convention in good standing, will be held to the rules of the Katsucon Code of Conduct. 
2. All volunteers must provide their full legal name, as well as email address for contact purposes. 
3. Volunteers will be assigned a time card and a volunteer badge, and the Volunteers Department will take temporary possession of their attendee badge.   
   • Once a given volunteer has completed their requested assignment, they are to return to the Volunteers Department, turn in their volunteer badge and time card, and they will receive back their attendee badge, 
4. A volunteer will be assigned to a given department as needed.   
   • While volunteering with that department, they will be required to have a representative from that department fill out their time card, which should include their arrival time, departure time, and the initials of the person supervising their assignment. 
5. Volunteer assignments are based on current convention needs.   
   • A volunteer may request a given department, but the decision on department assignments rests with the Volunteers Department Head.   
   • However, the final acceptance of a volunteer assignment rests with the volunteer, who always has the option to decline a particular assignment.  
   • If a volunteer works a department that has overnight hours (I.e., Public Safety, Live Programming, Dance, et.), the volunteer is to return to the Volunteers Desk and hand back the Volunteers badge no later than 8:00pm.  
   • They can return the following day, obtain the volunteer badge, and return to that department for continued work.  
6. If a volunteer wishes to take a break from volunteering, they need to return to Volunteers Department and turn in their time card, so that the staff can track how many volunteers are deployed at any given time. Restroom breaks are not included in this rule.  
7. A volunteer will receive rewards at the end of the convention based on their total hours worked.   
   • Hours may be granted extra weight to help fill need, at the discretion of the Chair Team.   
   • Rewards may also be granted prior to the end of the convention, if sufficient hours are earned, at the discretion of the Department Head.