Call for Volunteers 2024

call
for
volunteers

We are excited to see our volunteer family again this December! Volunteering for Playtopia is a great way to get involved in the digital games and interactive media scene, meet new people, and attend the Playtopia conference and festival! Our volunteers are the face of the festival. They are the people who ensure all the wheels turn to deliver a great attendee experience!

Volunteer registration is now open

Volunteer benefits

Conference Volunteers receive a Playtopia Delegate Pass, that gives you access to the conference sessions and networking opportunities when you are not on your shift. Volunteering always looks good on a CV – and you will gain access to people who can act as valuable references for any future employment possibilities.

Volunteers receive

Playtopia Delegate Pass
Access to all Conference Sessions, once shift is complete or as duties allow.
Exclusive 2024 Volunteer T-shirt
Meals and Transportation
Memories that will last a lifetime!

Volunteer requirements

Conference Volunteers are required to:

Be at least 18 years of age
Work a minimum of 20 hours over the festival (volunteers can choose their available hours. Volunteers who, for example, cannot work at nights, will be allotted day shifts)
Report to the Homecoming Centre for duty between the 2th of December and the 8th of December according to their volunteering schedule.
Ideally can attend volunteer orientation in the weeks before the festival (TBC).
Ideally will be available from the 2th of December for set up.
Be available during at least two days of the entire conference
Have a valid email address
Be responsible for working with our Volunteer Manager (Crystal Farmer) to create your own schedule

We are looking for volunteers who are:

Interested in game design or just love playing games AND/OR interested in digital and immersive art
Competent using computers (mostly you will just need to re-launch games or call a more senior Playtopian)
Dedicated and responsible
Friendly
Problem solvers
Based in or around Cape Town, South Africa

Volunteer roles

Volunteers might be required to jump between roles depending on their schedules. There will be particular roles during particular times, and switch between day (09:00 – 17:00) and night shifts (16:00 – 00:00).

Volunteers can choose their schedules, but are required to commit fully to the times they’ve signed up for.

Hospitality support

In this role you will:

Greet and welcome attendees, providing directions and general information for the conference venue, as well as seeing to their general comfort
Help direct attendees to the right rooms and point out where events are being held
Checking in volunteers as they report for duty
Be a beacon for harassment complaints
Handling Lost and Found inquiries
Checking supplies in and out from the Production Office
Act as runners to senior Playtopians if neccessary

Hospitality Volunteers will be stationed at the entrances. Hospitality volunteers must have the ability to stay calm when faced with a large crowd with lots of questions. Enjoying working with people is a must. This position requires ability to trouble-shoot, process questions/information, and be a positive face for Playtopia 2024. Attendees will expect you to have the answer to everything, so familiarize yourself with the conference schedule; special events, locations of exhibitions, and other items that you believe will contribute to an overall positive Playtopia experience including information about the event for first-time attendees.

At Playtopia, in order to maintain a safe space for all participants, we have implemented a solid anti-harassment policy. Hospitality volunteers will be the go-to beacon for any harassment reports. Comprehensive harrassment policy and brief for what to do in various situations will be provided.

Installations and games Arcade support

In this role you will:

Responsible for checking in and assisting exhibitors
Monitoring attendee access to the displays
Encouraging attendees to interact with the games and installations
Monitoring that all stations are still working.
Make sure that nothing is damaged or stolen during your shift

For this role you will be assigned a specific room or display to oversee for a certain portion of your shift. Some artists or developers have specific instructions for their games/artworks. You will be given instructions depending on which room you are covering on the Wednesday during setup. Volunteers will swap out every few hours, and will, in as far as possible, be stationed in groups of two so that you can move around if need be.

Playtopia Talks stage support

In this role you will:

Make sure that the next speaker is present and ready
Keep time during sessions
Ensure that water bottles are stocked up
Be a go-between between the speaker room and technical support/senior Playtopians

Volunteers will be stationed in the conference room. This is an excellent role for those who are interested in attending the talks. Stage support volunteers will be a first point of contact for speakers and delegates.You will be expected to familiarise yourself with the schedule and contact more senior Playtopians if anything should go awry.

Set-up / tear down support

In this role volunteers will:

Assist in setting up and packing up installations, computers, decor, etc.

Set-up of the festival will happen between Monday the 2th of December and Thursday the 5th of December until the opening event at 18:00. We encourage all volunteers to attend the set-up sessions, as these act as our “backstage” preparation time before all hell breaks loose.

Tear down will take place on Sunday. Only those who assist with tear down are eligible to attend the Free Lives afterparty which we promise will totally be worth your while.

Welcome to the Playtopia family!

Playtopia is a labour of love – consisting of an ever-growing community of passionate developers, artists, thinkers and makers. We welcome all our volunteers into the fold and encourage them to become the exhibitors, the speakers and the senior Playtopians of the future.