VOLUNTEER STAFF POSITION BOARD
Have you volunteered for MAGFest before? Do you have an understanding of how we run but want to do more? Check out what departments need to see if your skills or interests match!
When responding to a listing please include:
what you love about MAGFest
an overview of your interests for this particular position
where you've worked in MAGFest before (department and year)
a department head or manager who might recommend you (if applicable)
As a reminder these are unpaid volunteer positions. It is possible to earn rooming with 30 hours worked, along with a badge and access to the Staff Suite. For the full list of volunteer perks for MAGFest 2023, please review our Staff Perks.
The positions here are not representative of all needs at MAGFest. Please reach out to Staffing Operations at stops@magfest.org with questions about how to get involved with other departments or areas.
Finally, all applicants will be considered but acceptance is not guaranteed. Thank you for your interest!
Public Safety
Help keep MAGFest safe for everyone! The Public Safety department assists attendees, guests and staff with medical and safety issues 24 hours a day, before, during and after the event.
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We provide basic first aid (at the skill and comfort level of both the provider and recipient) on a walk-in basis, and also roam the entire event space to respond to safety incidents and proactively look for potential issues. We also serve as the main liaison between MAGFest and our contracted onsite medical responders.
Background: Skills or background in emergency response, medical/healthcare, first aid and/or counseling are highly preferred, but not a requirement. Above all, our volunteers need to be able to keep a cool head, be respectful of people's right to privacy, and willing to encounter and assist with medical emergencies. Must be able to be on one’s feet for long periods of time.
New volunteers will be assigned a trainer for one or more shifts in order to assess their skill level and ensure they have adequate skills and experience to work on their own.
Responsibilities:
Work in a team of two and roam the entire event space looking for safety issues and people in need of assistance.
Provide assistance when possible, radio for additional help if necessary.
Respond to incidents when dispatched via radio.
Contact: publicsafety@magfest.org
Logistics
Logistics is the mover and shaker of MAGFest. They’re responsible for moving gear between our warehouse in north DC to the Gaylord, and then packing it all up a week later to take back!
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MAGFest's load in and load out are hectic times, and we need people who are able to drive our rented 26-foot box trucks.
Background: Prior experience with driving large vehicles or packing and strapping down pallets. Warehouse experience preferred.
Responsibilities: Truck drivers will assist with the loading and unloading of their assigned vehicle, and will be responsible for ensuring that pallets are properly secured for transport. They will drive between our warehouse located in Beltsville, MD, on local roads and highways to the Gaylord, and will need to back the truck to a loading dock. They'll also need to be able to do this in reverse once the event is over!
Contact: logistics@magfest.org
Mediatron
Mediatron are the eyes and ears of MAGFest: they record, stream, photograph, and archive each panel and concert.
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Mediatron records all Panels content that happens at the event, which is then uploaded to YouTube. The objective of this job is to ensure that each individual panel is recorded properly so that they are viewable for anyone to watch afterward.
Background: No experience required, Mediatron gear is very easy to use, and training will be provided.
Responsibilities: Manage the camera recording in each panel room for the duration of each Panels event. This includes starting/stopping the recording before/after each Panel, framing the shot so that relevant content and details on the stage are easy to see, making sure audio is being captured properly in-camera, and swapping out memory cards before they fill up.
Contact: mediatron-heads@magfest.org
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Mediatron streams and records the main concert hall performances at MAGFest. This job has two areas of focus, and we're looking for people who can do either or both: Live broadcast mixing for the Twitch feed so that the online audience hears a good mix, and post-production work on the recording to cleanup the mix so that the final video that gets posted to YouTube holds up for posterity.
Background: Minimum 2 years experience mixing music from multiple sources either live or in a DAW. Preferred experience with a multi channel digital mixer (we will show you how to work the board we use)
Broadcast Responsibilities: Be present at soundcheck for acts in order to set levels and channel assignments, and mix the act during their performance for Twitch.
Post Mix Responsibilities: Create a mixdown with recorded elements (stems) from the performance in case of technical errors with live stream recording, and to optimize the overall quality for the final video upload to YouTube.
Contact: mediatron-heads@magfest.org
Jampods
Jampods are MAG-sanctioned spaces for anyone (and we mean anyone) to set up and play music! We need help managing those spaces and enforcing jampod rules about time and volume.
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Help maintain order in the halls by monitoring the various Jampods throughout the Gaylord and enforcing the rules for each set.
Background: No experience needed, but a strong will and confident demeanor are highly recommended.
Responsibilities: The volunteer will patrol between Jampod locations, enforcing MAG and Jampod specific rules and reporting any issues that need to be escalated to the Department Head, Manager on shift and/or the Security Team.
Contact: jampods@magfest.org
MAGTV
magTV is a custom channel broadcasting to the Gaylord TV system (i.e., in-room TVs) and Twitch. The mission of magTV is to provide as much access to content as possible and keep attendees informed.
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Master Control Techs drive the operation of MAGFest's custom TV channel (magTV). This role operates and controls the channel during each shift. This role will work with a range of different broadcast technologies. In addition, Super 2023 is magTV's first year, and staffers and volunteers in this role will help build the framework for subsequent years of magTV.
Background: Experience with streaming software such as OBS, Xsplit, or GameShow preferred. Experience with audio production and/or live audio mixing a huge plus. For applicants not entirely comfortable with these tools, There will be two training sessions on 01/04 and 01/05.
Responsibilities:
Follow the run down (schedule) and switch between content sources, playlists, etc.
Verify graphics are accurate and update as required, for the most part graphics will update automatically.
Monitor the sources and output of the broadcast
Communicate over voice and text to the live Voice Announcer
Monitor communications and Guidebook for event schedule changes
Monitor recordings and encoders used to send the broadcast to the Gaylord and Twitch
Monitor Twitch chat, but note that the separate Mod Team will be handling a bulk of the moderation duties.
Import video provided by Mediatron or other pre-determined departments.
Contact: magtv@magfest.org
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The voice-over announcer (VA); will be perform live in short (10 minute) bursts between scheduled content. This role is only for a voice announcer (VA); the VA will not be on camera. Live feeds of the event and premade graphics will display during these times. The VA will have real-time viability on what is being broadcasted, what is about to be on screen, and some limited control over graphics. The VA will also have direct communications with Master Control. The VA booth will be located in a dedicated room. VA shifts are in 2 to 3 hour blocks.
Background: Comfortable in front of a microphone, a general understanding of the basics of voice-over work and announcing. This role will require improvisation, as only part of the time the VA will be live will be filled with pre-determined information. Any extra time will be up to the VA to fill appropriately.
Responsibilities:
Talk about the content that was just on the channel
Talk about the content that will be happening next on the channel
Talk about the schedule for the event; this will be paired with onscreen graphics
Perform any ad reads for departments
Perform any required reminders
Improvise to fill empty time; this may require filling longer than expected if the following content is delayed.
Contact: magtv@magfest.org
MAGMoves
MAGFest mobile and physical panels need a space to stretch their wings, and MAGMoves is it!
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Arena Managers help Moves presenters get set up for their sessions, and keep the show going smoothly.
Background: Experience with soundboards & projectors is helpful but not required.
Duties:
Set up and manage mics and sound inputs before/during performances
Assist in distribution and cleanup of equipment for participation-based activities
Contact: magmoves@magfest.org
PC Gaming Events (LAN)
Our LAN room runs dozens of tournaments and seats over five hundred.
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Tournament Admins help run all of the tournaments in the LAN Room. We run almost 2 dozen tournaments each year and are hoping to expand to even more tournaments, both at event and online.
Responsibilities:
Help direct attendees in the signup process
Make and maintain tournament brackets
Ensure the tournaments run smoothly and in a timely manner
Coordinate with the LAN Theater if their tournament is being livestreamed
Background: No special knowledge is required, just a love of competitive PC Gaming. The software we use is fairly simple. The ability to work under pressure and work with the public are definitely necessary.
Contact: lan@magfest.org
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Tournament Casters are the backbone of the LAN Theater, a room connected to the LAN Room where some of our larger tournaments are livestreamed to Twitch.TV with live commentary. The room also provides space for a live audience to watch, as well.
Responsibilities:
Provide live commentary
Ensure the livestream is up and running smoothly
Interact with the online chat audience
Interact with the live audience
Background: While not required, a deep knowledge about one or more of the games we livestream is a huge plus. Also, some experience streaming on Twitch or some other streaming platform is a big help. This is very much a ‘performance’ position (we do it live) and the more prepared you are, the better.
We are especially in need of people with a deep knowledge of:
CS:GO
Hearthstone
Warcraft 3
Starcraft 2
Heroes of the Storm
DotA 2
Contact: lan@magfest.org
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We are looking for a couple knowledgeable video editors to help us turn the recordings of our livestreams during the festival into digestible chunks (both highlight reels and individual matches) for posting onto Youtube or other video sites. We may have other editing needs throughout the year.
Background: Experience with video editing software is obviously a huge plus. We will be producing at least 30-40 hours of content, and would like to have it available to the public ASAP after the event.
Contact: lan@magfest.org
Tech Operations
Tech Operations sets up, runs, and tears down MAGFest’s extensive equipment and network.
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Join the Tech Ops team to help roll out and operate the (literal) tons of equipment used to make MAGFest awesome. Lots of hours available immediately before and after MAGFest to set up and tear down equipment, in addition to troubleshooting and operating equipment during the event. We handle all of the equipment for panel rooms and some special projects around the rest of fest.
Background: Existing A/V experience is a help, but we do have training available. Volunteers for this position should be fast learners who are able to improvise while occasionally working fairly autonomously. During set up and tear down, the ability to lift objects weighing 50lbs or greater is beneficial. Previous experience running a mixer/sound board would be helpful. Must be willing/able to learn and use the over-under method of cable coiling, if not already familiar with this method.
Contact: techops-heads@magfest.org
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Tech Ops runs the network at MAGFest, which means getting here early, configuring switches and routers, mounting wireless AP's, setting up VOIP phones, and yes, running/crimping/taping down miles of cat5 and fiber… And then we take it all back down again once everything is over. If that sounds like your particular brand of crazy, let us know!
Background: Existing experience running enterprise or other advanced networks, specifically experience with OSPF, Cisco IOS, and VyOS. (Or training in those areas without actual experience.) Must be willing to do boring stuff (tape cables to the floor) alongside more interesting stuff (modifying ACLs). The ability to lift objects weighing 50lbs or greater is beneficial.
Contact: techops-heads@magfest.org
Staffing Operations
Staffing Operations (STOPS) is the first and last line for any volunteer needs before, during, and after a MAGFest event. Since MAGFest is a volunteer run event, this is a ton of work!
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At event, STOPS runs a help desk where volunteers can go to ask questions about their schedules, perks, and about the event in general. We need additional folks who are able to step up and help us run this space!
Background: No hard skill requirements. Problem solving skills will be beneficial. Knowing how to search online resources such as Knowledge Portals or Slack strongly preferred. Be capable of finding an answer to a question you may not know, or at least finding the person who can answer a question.
Responsibilities:
Monitor slack and STOPS emails for volunteer needs and questions
Remain attentive to departmental needs in order to allocate on-call resources
Organize and distribute volunteer swag and event stores of office supplies
Answer in-person questions as best as you can, or escalate to someone who can (either internal to STOPS or in the relevant section)
Non-Departmental Roles
This is the place for roles that don’t quite fit into a particular department!
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We’re looking for someone to help us develop our internal volunteer-management tool, called Tuber! We need someone who is skilled at front-end design to help guide our back-end developers on how to properly design interfaces for our volunteer coordinators. Repo is open source and available to view here!
Responsibilities:
Based on stakeholder feedback, produce mocks-up of layouts
Implementation of front-end code is desirable, but not mandatory for the role.
Requirements:
Be familiar with CSS and Javascript, Vue3 framework
Be able to communicate with a variety of people in differing roles and be able to translate their feedback into decipherable designs for developers.