Are you coming to WordCamp Canada and wish you could be more involved than the average attendee? Volunteers — whether you’re signing on to be responsible for a whole area of event operations or pitching in for an hour or two — are the foundation of every WordCamp, and volunteering is a great way to meet more of the community and give something back.
There are a variety of volunteer opportunities, each with different time commitments, experience requirements, and logistics.
What does volunteering involve?
By volunteering, you are telling us that you are ready to commit your time at WordCamp Canada 2024 to help the organizing committee. We will rely on you to be available for your volunteer tasks during the event.
Volunteering will take up a maximum of two half days or one full day during the two event days. If you are available there are also options to volunteer on Contributor Day. This will give you plenty of time to enjoy the conference as an attendee as well.
You will receive one a collectable volunteer t-shirt.
You’ll also receive free admission to the rest of the camp.
What we ask of you
As a part of the team we expect you to:
- Be considerate, respectful, helpful and collaborative
- Keep a positive attitude
- Review and abide by the Code of Conduct
- Wear your volunteer t-shirt when you are on shift
Language Requirements
We are looking for volunteers in both of Canada’s official languages – English and French. When you register, please let us know which languages you’re able to help in.
Look over the list to see if anything strikes a chord, then if you’d like to volunteer, fill out the volunteer application form at the bottom of this page to express your interest in volunteering. Our volunteer coordinator, Shawn Hooper, will get back to you and work with you to determine where, when, and how you could help.
Volunteer Positions
- Setup and tear down – A few hours prior to the start of the event you’ll help setup and you’ll stay late to aid with cleanup after the attendees leave. If you live in Ottawa, there will also be some need for help on the days immediately before and after the event.
- Welcoming Team – Welcome attendees as they arrive at the event, directing them to the right places.
- Registration Desk – Check in registered attendees and hand out name tags. May involve handing out swag at the registration desk. Being really awesome with alphabetical order helps here.
- Happiness Desk – Answer questions and help WordPress users fix problems with their sites. Must be able to show a level of expertise to be selected for this gig.
- Food/Beverage – Coffee breaks and lunch are taken care of, but we need volunteers to help direct the attendees to the right places, and make sure everyone gets a bite to eat before returning to the next session.
- Green Room Guards – Having a safe place for speakers and volunteers to leave their stuff while they run around is important. We need people to stay in these rooms (maybe an hour or two at a time?) to guard everyone’s stuff.
- Emcees – Introduce speakers/sessions and keep things running on time. Keep an eye on the clock and give speakers a heads up as they approach the end of the time, and let them know when their time is up. Personality on the stage is a requirement for these roles.
- Photographers – Capture this inaugural event in photos. Responsible for taking photos of each day of the event. These photos will be shared with the organizing committee, and will be made public during and after the event.
- Room Runners – Work with the emcees, video people, speakers, and everyone else working in the room to keep things running smoothly. Make sure there’s water for speakers, and provide support as needed for other event staff.
- Casual Runners – Unexpected things always happen at events. It’s good to have a handful of people on hand to help take care of whatever crops up.
- Miscellaneous Help – Random helping here and there that doesn’t have a category. Having a driver’s license and a vehicle could be an asset here.
How do I sign up?
Are you ready to be part of something special? Join us as a volunteer for WordCamp Canada! It’s an experience you won’t forget, filled with learning, networking, and fun. To sign up, simply fill out the form below. Let’s come together to make the first WordCamp Canada an unforgettable event. A big thank you in advance to all our future volunteers – we can’t wait to have you on board!