Organizing WisCon

Are you interested in stepping into the wings and joining the convention stage crew? The ConCom (WisCon Convention Committee) plans and runs WisCon, and we welcome everyone — we’ll do our best to find a role that fits your skills, values, energy, and schedule!

What to expect

You don’t need to be local to Madison or even attend in person! Most of our members live elsewhere, and Online Con has created virtual roles. The committees meet monthly on virtual calls as needed, and we use a coordination website to keep up with work and communication.

Pre-con volunteering starts in September for those members taking lead roles, then gets busy in earnest in January, when it reaches several hours per week for most roles. In May as WisCon approaches, some roles have a little more time required. Some roles have tasks at WisCon, and others don’t. We all have a wrap-up meeting in June, and for the rest of the summer organizing obligations tend to be light.

How to apply

You can email us about one or several of these roles you’re curious about at personnel@sf3.org (subject: Volunteering).  We can help if you aren’t sure what’s the best fit!

Open Volunteer Positions

 

Programming Co-Chair

What really makes a convention sing? Its programming! The Co-Chair works with the other Programming Co-Chair to ensure  the Programming Leads and other team members have what they need to ensure Wiscon’s panels, readings, workshops, and parties all happen smoothly. Time commitment is 2 – 5 hours/week, increasing to up to 10 hours/week as WisCon approaches. To learn more, please contact personnel@sf3.org (subject: Programming Chair).

Panels Co-Lead

Panels are one of the most important parts of the WisCon experience, and you can take charge of shaping them. The Panels Co-Lead will work with other Co-Leads and the rest of the Programming team to  oversee the panel submission review process, determining what gets accepted/rejected, combining, filling holes, and more. Time commitment ranges from 2-20 hours per week depending on where we are in panel submission cycle. Interested? Email personnel@sf3.org (subject: Panels Co-Lead)

Online Con Co-Lead

Want to build your experience managing the online components for a large event? We can train you in making decisions for and configuring platforms like Zoom and Discord! For 2-3 hours per week, you’ll be a member of an active team to help shape and set up the online platforms for WisCONline. You’ll also help with coordinating backstage volunteers. Volunteer hours may increase in May to around 5 hours per week for the last week or two before WisCon. If you’re curious, email personnel@sf3.org (subject: Online Con Co-lead)

Documentation Team Member

Want to help collect, streamline, and record documents about running WisCon? In this role you would meet regularly with the team and work on documents like role descriptions and our volunteer handbook. We will train you in our platforms, templates, and archive systems. Time commitment is approximately 2-5 hours per week. Interested? Reach out to personnel@sf3.org (subject: Documentation Team Member) for more information.

Social Media Posters

Want to try your hand at social media marketing? Social Media Posters work with the Wiscon Marketing/Content Team to keep our online presence up-to-date and boost our visibility to the wider world. Time commitment is two  hours/week, increasing as Wiscon approaches. If you are a reliable person who understands and enjoys any of the following platforms: Instagram, Threads, Facebook, Lemon 8, or Tiktok, we’d love to hear from you at personnel@sf3.org (please include subject line: Social Media Posters).

Content Lead
Want to help WisCon get the word out to the larger community? As Content Lead, you’ll write social media posts, blog posts, and any other outreach that can help WisCon generate buzz. You should have strong writing and editing skills, with the ability to craft attention-grabbing text, and to either create graphics or work with a graphic designer. Time commitment is 3-6 hours per month. Interested? Email personnel@sf3.org (subject: Content Lead)
Accounts Team Member 
Want to help onboard volunteers for Wiscon 2026?  The Accounts Team Member sets up new volunteers with the accounts they need for the 2026 WisCONline , and removes outgoing volunteers. We will train you in use of our templates as well as in Basecamp and Discord. Time commitment will be 2-4 hours per week, increasing as we approach WisCon, and dropping to fewer afterwards. Contact personnel@sf3.org (subject: Accounts Team Member) for more information.

Workshop Team Member

Join the team that puts together WisCon’s writing workshops! You’ll help with recruiting, scheduling, promotion, and other tasks crucial to making  our online/hybrid and in-person workshops happen. Time commitment starts out at 1-2 hours per week, then ramps up closer to the con. Interested? Email personnel@sf3.org (Subject: Workshop Team Member)

Historian
Want to help preserve and tell the story of WisCon? You’ll work with an Archivist and other WisCon team members to ensure that photos, recordings, and other content is preserved at the event, while also collecting and updating important statistics. This position supports Fundraising and Marketing. Interested? Email personnel@sf3.org (Subject: Historian)
Graphic Designer
Want to create the graphics that represent WisCon on its website, social media, and at the event itself? You’ll work with the Marketing team to create 6-12 eye-catching graphics each month. Must have experience using Canva Pro or similar software. Time commitment is 3-6 hours per month. Interested? Email personnel@sf3.org (subject: Graphic Designer)
Personnel Co-Chair
Are you interested in recruiting and supporting the volunteers who make WisCon happen? The Personnel Co-Chair will work with the current Co-Chair, covering specific duties (like making sure these blurbs get written and posted!) that can be divided depending on your respective skills. Time commitment is 5-10 hours per week. Interested? Email personnel@sf3.org (Subject: Personnel Co-Chair)
Volunteer Onboard/Off-boarder
Follow onboarding and offboarding templates to set up new volunteers with appropriate committee membership, shift volunteers to new positions, or release outgoing volunteers.  Time commitment varies from 1-2 hours per week May-Dec, up to 3-4 hours per week ramping up to WisCon. Contact personnel@sf3.org (subject: Volunteer Onboarder) for more information.
Recruiter
Do you enjoy crafting brief, clear, and enticing communication? You could work with other staff to draft and schedule open recruitment calls for WisCon, like the one you’re reading now! This takes 2-4 hours per call, 1-3 calls per week. Contact personnel@sf3.org (subject: Recruiter)

Chair/Lead Apprentices

Do you want to help run a convention, but don’t know where to start? Want to organize with WisCon without being the only person doing something? Consider joining WisCon staff as an Apprentice Chair! As apprentice, you could set your own hours, with the understanding that you expect to take on more hours, months or years in the future. You’ll need & develop excellent skills delegating, organizating information, and communicating. Our Chairs now have limited areas of responsibility:

Workshop Apprentice Co-Lead

Do you want to learn more about WisCon’s writing workshops and help to make them happen? You’ll work with the Workshop Team Lead to coordinate recruiting and logistics for workshop facilitators and attendees, work as a liaison between WisCon and facilitators at the con itself, and  generally support writing experiences at WisCon. Interested? Email personnel@sf3.org (Subject: Workshop Apprentice Co-Lead)

Events Apprentice Chair
Want to learn about how WisCon’s big events — including the Dessert Salon, Art Show, and Dealers Room — actually happen? Do you have strong organizational and communication skills? (Experience organizing events is a bonus.) The Events Apprentice Chair will work with the current Events Chair, as well as the Leads of individual events, to make sure everything runs smoothly. Time commitment starts out at 1 hour per week, increasing as WisCon approaches. Interested? Email personnel@sf3.org (Subject: Events Apprentice)
IT Apprentice Chair
Are you curious about the digital bones of WisCon? Can you call a mean meeting, and also want to build your organizing skills? As a bonus, do you have a passion for translating between tech folx and mere mortals? For a few hours per week, help the Chair organize folx running the website, Sched, and general accounts. If this role seems interesting, email personnel@sf3.org (subject: IT Apprentice)