Important update: the call for volunteer has closed on 8th January EOD and all the volunteer positions have been filled.
Who are volunteers?
Any participant of the conference can provide valuable help running the conference and therefore apply to be a volunteer. The volunteer roles we are looking to fill are on-site at our conference facilities. Thank you for considering being a part of our volunteer team at deRSE25.
What do volunteers do?
We participate in a wide range of tasks which help us to hold a successful conference. While this list is not comprehensive, in the past volunteers at RSE conferences have assisted with pre-conference set-up by
- putting up signs/posters throughout the venue,
- preparing the cloakroom,
- setting-up the front desk with name badges and information for the conference attendees, and
- setting up rooms for the conference sessions, including workshops, and checking that the equipment is working.
During similar conference in the past volunteers have assisted by
- staffing the front desk,
- staffing the cloakroom,
- helping with catering,
- chairing sessions,
- helping during sessions/workshops, by managing the Q&A part, and setting up recording and streaming
After similar conferences in the past volunteers have helped with tidying up the venue, collecting and stowing equipment, and by editing videos for publication.
The exact list of tasks we will perform as the volunteer team will be discussed and decided by us in collaboration with the orga team, taking into account elements such as the level of expertise and aspirations of the members of the volunteer team, the actual number of volunteers, the availability of equipment and a cost/benefit analysis (this concerns skill- and/or equipment-intensive tasks as recording and streaming talks, but also session chairing).
Some basic tasks that we plan to perform in any case are described in what follows.
The front desk will be staffed throughout the conference and serve as a first point of contact for all conference attendees. Tasks for those tending the desk include
- registering conference attendees,
- handing out name badges, and
- helping with general information and directions.
Chairpersons will introduce each speaker, check the time, and moderate questions at the end. They are helped by additional volunteers that
- help speakers get acquainted with the rooms equipment,
- manage microphones (if provided) by giving them to and receiving them from attendees in the audience,
- help people in to and out of session,
- close the doors, and
- seat late entrants afterwards.
What skills, experience and attributes do I need?
Along with having great communication and interpersonal skills, we ask that you are
- friendly and enthusiastic about creating a warm and welcoming environment for a successful conference as well as
- willing to work as part of a team.
If you have specific technical skills and experience such as setting-up/using audio-visual equipment or anything else that you think might be particularly useful, please let us know when you apply. We will do our best to align you with a volunteer role that suits you.
Whom will I be volunteering with?
You will be volunteering as part of the team making the event happen, working with other volunteers and the organizing committee to create a pleasant and smooth experience for participants.
How much time will I be expected to give?
After you are notified of the acceptance you will be invited to a call to introduce yourself and state your skills and aspirations, so that we can define more precisely the tasks that the volunteer team will perform. This call will happen in the middle of January 2025 at latest.
During the weeks before the conference the volunteer chair will keep you up to date with more information as it becomes available, and you should make sure you keep up to date with it and share your opinion and feedback if you have any.
Before the conference starts, we expect you to attend an hour-long online induction session which will be held on a yet to be determined work-day in the first week of February 2025. The volunteer chair will create a shift schedule with you ahead of the conference. You have to expect to be helping out during almost every shift, though we will try to accommodate your preferences by assigning you to sessions that you want to attend.
The conference is taking place in the Campus South of the Karlsruher Institut für Technologie, from the 25th to the 27th of February 2025 (Tuesday to Thursday). Depending on your shifts, we expect some of you to arrive on February the 25th a little ahead of the conference start time and some of you to stay till the end.
You are welcome to join the organizing committee for a meeting on 24th of February (Monday), when the committee will iron out the last details.
We will do our best to ensure that you have a positive experience while volunteering at deRSE25.
What benefits do I get from volunteering?
Outside of a great opportunity to meet people in the RSE community and gain valuable organization experience, you will
- get your conference fee waived,
- have the opportunity to attend some of the sessions you are interested in,
- get amazing t-shirts to represent the deRSE25 team!
You will be expected to arrange your own transport and accommodation, if needed, for the duration of the conference.
I am interested, what is my next step?
To apply to join the volunteer team, please use this registration form.
If you have any questions do not hesitate to contact us: derse25 (at) listserv.dfn.de
The fine print
Once your application is processed, you will receive further instructions. Be advised that, unfortunately, a separate step is needed to register for the conference. In case of a successful application, as stated above the registration will not entail paying a fee. If your application is not accepted, in order to take part in the conference you will need to register for a fee (if you apply before the early bird deadline we will let you know before it passes).
