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

Needed now:

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)

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)
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)
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)
Interviewer
Want to meet new people, and also have something specific to talk to them about? Interview prospective volunteers and help them find their best fit with open positions. Also perform exit interviews as needed.  Time commitment varies from 1-2 hours per week. Contact personnel@sf3.org (subject: Volunteer Interviewer) for more information.
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.

Chair 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:

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)

Board roles – Run for election in October:

(SF3 is the nonprofit that runs WisCon.)

SF3 Board Member at Large

Have you ever been curious what it takes to keep WisCon well-resourced and in good legal standing? Are you interested in contributing your perspective to discussion and planning about WisCon. The Board could use more people to bounce ideas around! This term will be renewed in October, making now the perfect time to try the role. Expect to volunteer about 2-5 hours per month, more at your option. Related experience nice, but not needed. Contact personnel@sf3.org (subject: SF3 Board) for more information.

SF3 Vice President

Are you fascinated by the big picture and happy to let others handle details? Or perhaps you love connecting people to help make things happen. You may enjoy serving as Vice President of the SF3 Board. Expect to spend 3-7 hours a month as the liaison between the Board and WisCon committee chairs. For more information, contact personnel@sf3.org (subject: SF3 VP).