Hello Siege Volunteers!

This is George Skleres, your friendly and fantastic volunteer coordinator! So, you've decided that you want to be a volunteer for Siege Con 2008. Good on you! What exactly does a volunteer have to do, you ask? This question and more will be answered below. In addition, there is a form of information at the end that I will need each of you to fill out so I can properly plan out your schedules. And now, let's go over some basic information:


WHY VOLUNTEER?

Being a volunteer at Siege Con gives you several advantages. First and foremost is networking. Your fellow volunteers are either already in the game industry or will soon be, and as we all know this industry is all about who you know. Make friends! Have fun! And while you're doing it, make use of the second benefit of being a volunteer - a free pass to Siege Con! Attend sessions you are interested in and meet the speakers yourself.


DO I HAVE TO REGISTER FOR THE CONFERENCE?

Unless you have specific instructions from either Andrew Greenburg or myself not to do so, yes registration is required. You must register and purchase a pass as if you were not a volunteer. After the conference is over, if you fulfill your volunteer obligation we will reimburse you for the cost of the pass.


WHAT ARE THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF A SIEGE CON VOLUNTEER?

Volunteers are divided into 6 different duty types. Each volunteer can have any number of duties assigned to them over the course of the conference, so be sure to read up on all of them!

- Room Monitor - You are responsible for monitoring one or more rooms and making sure the sessions are running smoothly and the speakers have everything they need. You can expect to get water bottles for speakers, rearrange chairs, and sweep through the room at session completion and clear out any abandoned cups or garbage.
- Registration - You are responsible for manning the registration desk at the front of the hotel. Your duties include assisting guests with registration, creating badges, and being a font of knowledge and information regarding all aspects of the conference.
- Audio/Visual - You are responsible for ensuring any audio/visual equipment in sessions is functioning properly. We prefer that only those with experience with audio/visual equipment are assigned these duties.
- Press Room - You are responsible for helping out in the Press Booth. You'll be reporting directly to Deborah Thomas for more information on this duty.
- Floater - You are responsible for wandering around the facility and helping any conference attendees who look lost or have questions. You are also there as support to other volunteers who need your help (for instance, taking over for a Room Monitor who needs to use the bathroom). This includes all sessions, suites, and the career fair.
- Office Assistant - You are responsible for manning the staff office and being available for any task that might need extra help. This is considered the "hybrid class" of volunteer, one that can assume any role in the team on an as needed basis. You might be expected to do just about anything, within reason.

In addition, ALL volunteers have the duty of being extra friendly, extra nice, and smiling no matter the circumstances. Remember, these attendees are your future network of contacts and have paid for your badge to Siege Con. We want to make them feel like they are the most important people in the world!


HOW LONG WILL I BE REQUIRED TO VOLUNTEER?

Volunteers are asked to fill a total of 12 hours over the course of the following dates:

Thursday, October 2 - 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm
Friday, October 3 - 12:00 pm to 10:00 pm
Saturday, October 4 - 8:00 am to 10:00 pm
Sunday, October 5 - 8:00 am to 8:00 pm

Below, you are asked to show your time availability. Please include ALL times you can make yourself available. Preference in selecting volunteers will be given to volunteers who have more flexible hours. In addition, volunteers who put in more hours will get preference when giving out any schwag we manage to score for our group.


WHAT IF I AM SCHEDULED FOR VOLUNTEERING AT THE SAME TIME AS A SESSION I WANT TO ATTEND?

No problem! We are very flexible. In fact, on the questionnaire at the bottom, you will be asked to provide the two sessions you want to attend most.


*********** IMPORTANT NOTE ***********

There is a walkthrough of the facility on Sunday, September 28 at 4PM. Everyone will be meeting at the Mellow Mushroom next to the hotel at that time. The hotel can be found with this link:

http://atlantasuites.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/group-booking.jsp?_requestid=13514

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