Maker Faire Austin 2008 Volunteers Roles

Set Up Staff - Production
Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday will be the Maker check-in, load-in, and assembly-type work for materials used for the show. Assembly line work, runners, hanging pennant flags on the fence, and an assortment of activities are involved. Volunteers will be on-hand to help Makers find their locations and get situated to set up.

Set Up - Swap-O-Rama-Rama
Work with the SORR team to separate, sort, and organize clothing. Assist with coordination and placement of materials and equipment. Swap-o-rama-rama is a communal process of reuse and the celebration of collective creativity! It's a giant clothing swap and series of do-it-yourself workshops in which the participants explore reuse and creativity through the recycling of used clothing. Many different tasks are available in this volunteer position.

Make Playday Area Assistant
The focus of Make Play Day is to create an environment for people to make things and learn to create things through exposure. This area is very popular, especially with kids and we want to create a space that is fun and safe. You will support keeping the take-apart, building and display areas organized and maintained; help keep track of inventory, help manage the flow of people in and out of the room and keep watch on overall safety of the participants.

Bookstore Assistants
Starting on Wednesday prior to the show, you will assist in general set-up and basic assembly of materials distributed and sold in the bookstore. During the show, you will assist in the bookstore as needed with tasks such as re-stocking books or kits and/or directing traffic to manage the flow of the cash register lines.

Information Booth
Help with questions from the public regarding the attractions and their locations. It will be important to familiarize yourself with the venue and have a good understanding of where everything is located. This is definitely a fun place to meet lots of people, and you'll most likely figure out what you'd like to see in your free time!

Make, Reuse & Recycle Coordinator
We all know the importance of reducing, reusing & recycling, especially at events such as these. You will be responsible for educating staff and volunteers about the importance of recycling and proper recycling procedures. Make sure that all recycling stations are properly placed, well marked and properly maintained. Help the food makers keep their areas tidy and assist in sharing the recycling procedures.

Safety Station
Assist with acquiring signatures on waivers and distributing wristbands for folks who would like to participate in any of the interactive activities at the Maker Faire. Wristbands will be issued by color/age group to Kids (12 & under), Teens (12 thru 21), and Adults (over 21). You must be over 21 and able to check identification and use good judgment for this position.

Maker Check-In Attendants
The Makers are our special guests at the Maker Faire, and we would like to provide a special service to them when they arrive to set up on Saturday morning. The majority of Makers will arrive between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. We need volunteers to assist us in checking them in, giving them their welcome packages, directing them to their locations, assisting them in moving their equipment with dollies to their locations, and answering any questions they may have prior to the opening of the show.

Maker Assistants
You will be checking in with a specific group of Makers throughout your shift. You will help each of them as needed with supplies and set up and watch their equipment if they should need to take a break. This is a position that is similar to a roamer or runner as you will be assisting as needed in whatever location the Maker is positioned within the fairgrounds.

Crafter Assistants
We consider Crafters Makers, but for this role we wanted to define a Maker that is a Crafter! If you are interested in crafting, this is the job for you. You will be checking in with a specific group of Crafters throughout your shift. You will help each of them as needed with supplies and set up and watch their equipment if they should need to take a break. This is a position that is similar to a roamer or runner as you will be assisting as needed in whatever location the Crafter is positioned within the fairgrounds.

Show Office Runners (Kiosks, Will Call, Gates, Stage)
We will need certain things moved from one area to the next, and you can help us get this accomplished.

Crowd Control & Traffic Management
Should the Maker Faire become crowded, we may need assistance monitoring the flow of traffic and making sure that the venue is safe. These volunteers would be placed at entry ways and would instruct the participants to go to the specific entrance and exit doors to keep the flow going. They would also look for lines and bottlenecks and would help in clearing these areas. In addition, they are available to assist with directions.

Strike Team
This team works closely on Sunday evening, after the close of the Maker Faire, with the production team to manage and expedite the breakdown/clean up process. You will assist Makers in packing up their areas and taking their items to their vehicles. We will have carts to assist with this. You will assist as needed with consolidating trash and any items to be recycled. We cannot say enough about how important this "strike team" is and how you bring energy and enthusiasm to a production team that has been working very hard all week!