Get Involved
Here are the ways you can help make Penguicon happen:
- Volunteer at the event
- Present a panel
- Become a Staff member
- Sponsor Penguicon
- Sell your art/crafts in the Maker Market
Volunteering
Without volunteers, Penguicon would be impossible. Many people contribute their time to help make Penguicon happen because they want to give back to our community. We want you as part of our team! Please consider putting a few hours into volunteering – it’s a great way to meet people, and a solid way to contribute to our community.
Volunteer work is measured in our reputation currency, Whuffie. For each hour worked and recorded through our volunteer staff, you earn 1 Whuffie. Whuffie is spent like you would spend dollars or pounds, and (like dollars) can only be used once.
One Night in Penguin Pit: 2 Whuffie
Pre-Registration of Next Year: 8 Whuffie
Reimbursement of This Year’s Badge: 10 Whuffie
Come to the Volunteers Table on SUNDAY from 12pm to 2pm to be reimbursed WHAT YOU PAID for your badge (Rollovers are ineligible for reimbursement).
Also spend your Whuffie in the Dealers Room! 1 Whuffie = 1 Dollar.
Some jobs that volunteers do:
- Set Up/ Tear Down
This takes place on Thursday Afternoon and Friday Morning before Opening Ceremonies as well as on Sunday Evening. It consists of helping organize the cons function space as well as help unloading /reloading the truck. - Registration
This takes place on Friday and Saturday and started Mid-Morning and stays open until around 8 (when registration will be moved to ops). Helping out usually involves directing people on how to register. The perks include meeting almost EVERYONE – including GoHs. - Operations (OPS)
This is staffed 24/7 as long as the con is running. You’ll help make sure everything in the con is running smoothly. As a volunteer you do your best to answer questions (cheat sheet sometimes provided) as well as direct problems brought to you to the right ConCom member. Working Ops requires helpful, calm people who think on their feet. Perks include being able to ask other penguins to get you food. - Program Operations/Bouncer
This volunteer is responsible for doing a head count of attendees at the panels for the time. They are also expected to help with any last minute rearrangements of rooms. Perks include lots of movement and seeing everything that’s going on at the con. - ConSuite
This is also staffed around the clock. You will keep the ConSuite as presentable as possible, restock food, and make sure no ConSuite property “wanders off”. Perks include being near the food – and people – at all times. - Badge Checker
Most doors to Con Function space require a Badge checker. A badge checker also makes sure con property doesn’t leave the room. Perks include having a smidgen of power. - Games Librarian
This round-the-clock job combines Badge Checker with games room duty. The librarian will check games owned by the convention out to attendees, collect trash and keep the area neat. Perks include meeting gaming GoH’s and being near the games. - Event/Panel Set Up
This is general help with the setup of any function space that is being repositioned. Perks usually include ribbons and first seating. - General Help
Anything else that may come up (And it always does).
All volunteers should be at least 10 years of age, and anyone under 16 must bring their parent or guardian to the volunteer table with them to give me that speech about “I know and approve of what my child is doing”- Note: we have had several youth volunteer in the past, they are a great help!
Please contact Kalika, our Head of Volunteers at [email protected] if you’d like to do this!
Presenting a Panel
Our content is entirely sourced from our local community and our Guests of Honor, and we welcome both beginners and veteran presenters.
Please submit any event suggestions you may have, whether or not you would like to be the event presenter!
The schedule is expected to be available on April 1.
Types of presentations:
- A panel is any discussion with multiple planned participants who get up in front of an audience and discuss the topic, usually as someone with experience.
- A presentation is a talk delivered by one planned person. This is usually a subject matter expert of some sort.
- A round table is a small session in which every audience member is an active participant. This often occurs when a panel attracts such a small audience that the audience is invited to join the panel to talk. These are often rewarding.
- A birds of a feather session is any discussion scheduled without official panelists. This is where you just show up and talk with whoever comes to chat. If you don’t want the responsibility of running a panel, this may be for you.
If you speak for more than three hours of approved programming, you will also have a discounted membership! Note: We reserve the right to alter panel titles, descriptions, or presenters as necessary, though we will make every effort to notify the submitter.
Staffing for Penguicon
Staff positions are people who work throughout the year to make Penguicon happen. Staff are rewarded with a reduced rate, a unique T-shirt, and a special party during Penguicon just for them.
Some staff positions are still available, including:
- Progam Operations Head – The Program Ops person handles the direct operational running of the convention programming as part of the Operations (Ops) Team. Responsibilities include ensuring all convention events start & finish on time, providing real time updates to the schedule during the convention if event times or locations are changed, counting attendance at all scheduled events, and publishing the resulting data immediately after the convention. Prior to the convention, the Program Ops person is responsible for printing and assembling speaker/presenter packets, room schedules, and all materials needed by Program Ops during the convention.
- Deputy Head of Operations – This position will be the right-hand-person for the Head of Operations. Responsible for assisting Head of Ops in duties leading up to and at the con, particularly the running of the Operations Desk itself, including staffing and any emergencies that arise. We need someone who is very good with details, responsible, and able to think on their feet.
- Sponsorships – Sponsorships works with the Head of Communications to locate and incentivize Penguicon-compatible organizations to contribute to Penguicon this year.
- Maker Market Assistant – Assists our Maker Market head staff member, particularly during the convention.
- Geek Prom Coordinator – The geek prom is the fabulously geeky dance that takes place during Penguicon. The geek prom coordinator organizes the dance and oversees it during the convention.
- Mayhem staff – Help make MAYHEM happen during the con! Run fun events and games that happen throughout the con. This position happens during the con only (no time required before the event).
- Please contact [email protected] for more details!
Sponsorships
Why You Should Sponsor
Penguicon is an all-volunteer not-for-profit convention, which brings together developers and enthusiasts of free and open source software with science fiction creators and lovers. This magical land is what happens when we introduce imaginative visionaries to the technologists who are creating the future.
About 1200 people attend Penguicon every year, including entrepreneurs, prospective employees, sales decision-makers, and early adopters. If you’re the right fit for our convention, promoting your product or service will build serious word-of-mouth among decision-makers and tech trend leaders.
Fan-run science fiction conventions and open source software development are two communities that generate significant income for the things that they are passionate about. In order for that to work, we need to keep the cost for participants as low as possible.
If you’re a part of making membership cost-effective (or providing value to those already joining us for the weekend), you’ll put that network to work for your company.
As a community, we are passionate users – when we love something, we are devoted to it, whether it’s a flavor of linux or a comic franchise. We welcome creative ideas for sponsorship arrangements. Please contact us at [email protected] for more details.
Maker Market
This year, we are doing something new – intended to highlight our community artists, we are accepting applications for crafts, art, and electronic projects to sell at Penguicon’s Maker Market.
Makers will be selected based on quality, variety, type of merchandise, relevance to the Penguicon concepts (Open Source and SF or general fandom), and whatever adds the most to the Penguicon experience.
This year, we are not accepting resale vendors.
All artists will get a brief description and product photo available on our web site and advertised to our facebook group before the convention, where you can interact with the rest of the community in advance.
You will also have a presence on a large map in the main thoroughfare and souvenir book, so whether you are in front of the main hall or in the corner of the Maker Room, your table won’t be missed.
Hallway
- One Table (approximately 6’x30″): $75
- Second Table: $55
- Half-table: $50
- Special Maker Market membership rate: $25 each for two people (per table). Badges are not included, and must be purchased separately.
- Benefits: The ability to be open after Maker Market hours, your name in our souvenir book and on the Maker Map
The typical Maker hallway table is in a relatively high traffic area and is expected to be manned during our stated Maker Market hours – however, you may stay open as long as you like – our airbrush artist was working well after midnight last year.
These tables are in a public access location, meaning that if you shut down for the day, you must remove your merchandise and displays. No storage is allowed on or under the table overnight. A half-table is available if that is all the space you need, with the understanding that you will share the table with another artist. You must remain on your half at all times.
Premium (secured)
- One Table (approximately 6’x30″): $125
- Second Table: $80
- Special Maker Market membership rate: $25 each for two people (per table). Badges are not included, and must be purchased separately.
- Benefits – a secured room outside of Maker Market hours, your name, photo, and brief description in our souvenir book, and your name on the Maker Map
Applications must be received by February 1, 2015. You will receive an email stating whether or not you have been accepted into the Maker Market. If you have have been accepted, you will have until March 1st, 2015 to purchase tables.
NOTE: We will make special exceptions for people with unusual circumstances, (for example, exceptionally large artwork), please contact us if necessary!