Minicon 55 is being held April 15-17, 2022. Please read our updated COVID policy for attendance requirements. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact .

Volunteering

Did you know that Minicon is an all-volunteer convention? We don't sell tickets, we offer memberships (priced to cover con expenses). As members of a community, we all pitch in and help out. It turns out that working volunteer shifts is also a great way to make new friends, connect with old ones, and generally have a great time at the convention.

There will be plenty of opportunity to volunteer at the con, but if you connect with a department before the con you can take on jobs that are more responsible and rewarding. And it really helps out the department heads when people sign up for shifts in advance. If you have an idea what department you would like to volunteer for, feel free to contact the department head directly. If you'd like some ideas about volunteer opportunities, contact me at .

And check back here soon for a list of specific jobs we are trying to fill.

Volunteering Needs

Consuite

The consuite head is trying to recover from her compulsion to do everything herself and end up a heap of burned cinder by the end of the con. We hope we can find a couple of people out there who will volunteer for these fun new volunteer positions and save her from that fate. If you think you might be interested, please contact .

Soda Subhead

This is a big position requiring quite a bit of coordination before the con in addition to at-con supervision.

PRECON
  • High level of responsibility, starting about a month out.
  • Planning and purchasing, arranging for pop to be delivered to con.
DURING CON
  • High level of responsibility, but not a huge time commitment.
  • Must be willing to check status of ice and pop deployment several times/day.
  • Actual work of putting out pop, fetching ice, etc. can be delegated but must get done.
IDEAL
Would love to find someone with access to a soda-fountain machine who could arrange for that machine to be at the con, take charge of purchasing the supplies necessary to stock it, get it set up and running, and keep it running throughout the con.

IN THE ABSENCE OF A SODA MACHINE the job entails:

  • Planning and purchasing all pop needed for the con well in advance, storing it somewhere, and arranging for transport to con.
  • Supervising setup of the soda area on Thursday.
  • Taking charge of ice supplies throughout the weekend.
  • Keeping tabs on the soda supply throughout the weekend

Breakfast Subhead (Calling All Larks!)

High level of responsibility, but only requires a few hours/day of actual work. The primary requirement beyond reliability is to be a cheerful and competent Morning Person. If you are up early every day anyway looking for something to do, this might be just the ticket.

PRECON
  • No responsibility except keeping up communication with consuite head.
  • Consuite head will make all purchases.
DURING CON
  • Saturday and Sunday are the important days. Friday would be nice but not necessary.
  • Be in the consuite by 7am (or earlier) and stay until at least 10am
  • Make coffee
  • Make sure breakfast food is out and available and looking nice

Thursday Move-in

The volunteering fun starts on Thursday afternoon at about 2 PM as we unload the truck and move in, starting with the Registration/Volunteers encampment right in the middle of the con. We'll need people to haul and carry, but there's also more sedentary work available: unpacking boxes, making signs, etc. Other departments that will be moving in equipment and supplies on Thursday include: Consuite, Music Room, Art Show, and the Bozo Bus Tribune. If you think you might like to volunteer in any of those areas later in the con, helping out on Thursday is a good way to meet the department heads and get a feel for the job.

Programming

Klatsch Head - Co-ordinate with consuite to get beverages before a "Klatsch" event, set up and tear down. Less than five hours during the convention, with some planning ahead of the convention.

AV Head - Hook up equipment to projector and set up screen for AV events. About five hours during the convention, with some planning ahead of the convention.

Music Room

Needs a few volunteers who can run a simple live sound board during performances. They do not need to be experts or gurus, just have a basic understanding of how a mixing board works and be comfortable adjusting sound levels and responding to minor technical difficulties that might arise during a band's performance. Times needed: any time between 3-11 pm Friday, noon-11 pm Saturday, and noon-4 Sunday: especially midday or around meal times (to give the dept head a break!)

Art Show

Needs people who are reliable and not afraid of money.

Kids Programming

Rumpus Room is always looking for volunteers to come and join in the fun! Please join us for any of the scheduled activities, but we also need volunteers to help out with other activities for the kids who aren't interested in the scheduled program. And it is not too late to volunteer to run a scheduled activity. A few of our loyal regulars aren't able to attend this year and there are some holes in the schedule.

EASY WAY TO HELP! Please bring in empty tissue boxes and empty paper towel rolls (not TP - those are too small). Bring as many as you can! Just bring them to the Rumpus Room when you arrive at the con. Thanks!!

Parties

Party suites are still available on the Second Floor above the Atrium! Contact for more information on how you or your group can host a Party at Minicon 54!

Film Room

Probably the easiest volunteer shifts at the con. Just show up reliably and watch a movie while the Film Head takes a well-deserved break.

Discord

We'll be continuing last year's grand experiment with the Discord message service, using it for volunteers to answer calls for help and communicate with each other. Please ask about it at the Volunteers Table (next to Registration). And if you are already an experienced Discord user, we'll not only happily invite you to the Minicon Volunteers channel, we'd love to have your help enrolling new members. Contact volunteers before or during the con if you'd like to help with this.

Contact Us

If you know what department you would like to work for, feel free to contact the department heads directly. But if you can't find department contact info or aren't sure where you want to volunteer, please email me at .

See you at the con, if not before! --- Sharon (Volunteers Coordinator)