Joining the Krewe
We need an eager and enthusiastic Krewe to make Nerdi Gras a success! The Nerdi Gras Krewe is made up of volunteers like you and grouped into teams that specialize in certain areas of the show's success. If you’d like to volunteer, please do the following:
Read the Krewe Rules and Requirements on this page.
Select the Krewe Teams you are interested in from the list on this page.
Complete and submit the Volunteer Application.
SUBMISSION DEADLINE for Nerdi Gras 2026: January 31, 2026
After you submit: Watch your email for info about Krewe selection, team placements, and scheduling. If you haven't heard anything within 2 weeks of submission, email volunteers@nerdigras.org to confirm we've received your request.
Krewe Teams
Street Krewe (year-round) – The Street Krewe attends other conventions and events in the Atlanta area to help promote Nerdi Gras. In exchange for working a full schedule during these events, you might also get a free badge to enjoy the event in the evenings or when rotating shifts with your fellow volunteers.
Registration – The Registration Krewe works shifts at the Registration and Info table during the convention. Responsibilities include printing, assembling, and distributing convention badges, tagging badges for disability services, answering attendee questions, and connecting guests, vendors, and panelists to their Krewe hosts. If the show permits on-site badge sales, then this team will handle that.
Room Management - The Room Management Krewe posts up in a specific room during their shift, welcomes the crowd as it moves into the room, answers questions from attendees, checks for safety concerns, and promptly handles or reports any unforeseen needs. This team supports our hosts and guests so that they can focus on their panels and events.
Parade - The Parade Krewe is assigned to work with the Parade Manager to ensure the Nerdi Gras Parade runs smoothly. This might include welcoming and directing parade viewers, helping parade participants line up, checking for safety concerns, and promptly handling or reporting any unforeseen needs.
Gaming – The Gaming Krewe works shifts to manage the convention rooms dedicated to gaming. Responsibilities include welcoming and directing gamers, answering questions about the space and gaming events, and managing the board games library (setting up, packing up, and checking games in and out).
Tech Ops – The Tech Ops Krewe works shifts during the convention to run, monitor, and troubleshoot electronic equipment used throughout the convention space. This includes audio, video, and lighting equipment, video gaming stations, and the power and internet equipment. Tech Ops should expect to arrive early to load in (before the convention) and stay late to load out (after the convention).
Safety and Security – The Safety Krewe works shifts during the convention to monitor the convention space for safety issues and security concerns. This team works closely together so that they can promptly handle or escalate issues when they arise. This team also shares the responsibility for ensuring disability services are provided throughout the convention.
Nerdi Gras Store – The Nerdi Gras Store is a vendor booth at the convention where Nerdi Gras sells its own branded merchandise. The Store Krewe runs the booth in shifts during the convention’s vendor hours, serving customers with a friendly, positive attitude. The Store Krewe is also responsible for setting up the booth at the start and packing it up at the end. Experienced Krewe members will train you on how to manage the merchandise and process credit card transactions.
Personal Assistant – Each personal assistant is assigned to one or more special guests and will serve their needs (within reason) throughout the convention. New personal assistants must attend special training for this role in advance of the convention. These positions are limited and will require a follow-up interview with our Guests Manager.
Dispatch - If you’ve said that you can go wherever you’re needed, we may assign you to the Dispatch Krewe. Dispatch Krewe members are assigned duties upon reporting for their shift, and may be moved around as needed until their shift ends. Possible duties include monitoring panel rooms, helping with registration. managing lines, assisting vendors, and filling vacant shifts on other Krewe teams. This team is our Swiss Army Knife of volunteers!
Krewe Rules and Requirements
The Krewe consists of all volunteers who work at Nerdi Gras. As a Krewe member, you are critical to our success. You also agree to follow the rules and requirements listed here:
New Krewe members pay a one-time badge cost of $20 on-site when they pick up their badge. Each returning Krewe will receive their volunteer badge for free.
Whether you are new or returning Krewe, you MUST attend a 1-hour Krewe Orientation meeting as a prerequisite to picking up their volunteer badge. Those attending the on-site meeting (recommended) can pick up their badges at that time. Those attending the virtual meeting, instead, will be instructed to pick up badges at the Krewe Dispatch station at the beginning of the day that they are volunteering. The schedule Krewe Orientation meeting times are as follows, and you must indicate on your application which you will be attending.:
Option 1 (recommended): On-site at 4 PM on Friday, March 20, 2026
Option 2: Virtual (via Google Meet) at 7 PM on Wednesday, March 18, 2026Krewe shifts will run up to 4 hours. You are required to arrive at your shift at least 5 minutes before your scheduled time, and you must prioritize your responsibilities throughout your shift.
As a Krewe member, you may choose to continue volunteering outside your scheduled shifts. However, this additional work is at your own discretion. We will not require you to stay or leave outside your scheduled shifts.
Be polite. Our attendees are here to enjoy the show, but they may be upset by something. Listen to the problem, then help if you can or get a Krewe Lead to try and resolve it. Keep in mind that your Krewe team may have specific ways of handling certain situations, and defer to your assigned Krewe Lead for guidance.
Get enough sleep, enough food, and enough hydration to make it through your shift, and show up with good hygiene (clean body and clothes, no offensive odors). A common guideline is the “6-3-1 daily” rule: sleep 6 hours, eat 3 times, bath 1 time.
What to wear: Wear your badge at all times, and make sure it’s visible. Also, wear comfortable clothes, especially shoes if you will be standing or walking a lot in your role. You can wear cosplay and nerdy clothes while working is okay, also, but avoid wearing offensive T-shirts, political items, or other things which may openly offend our guests, vendors, and attendees. If you aren’t sure, check with your Krewe Lead.
If you don’t know something, or you forget, ask another Krewe member. To work well as a Krewe, we need everyone to feel safe and comfortable when seeking or sharing information, free from judgment. Help us promote that free flow of information.
If you can’t answer someone’s question about the convention, direct them to someone who can. Asking questions and getting help is essential to ensure people have all the information they need to enjoy their Nerdi Gras experience.
Do not possess or consume alcohol if you are under 21. It’s the law.
Do not work while under the influence of alcohol or any other drug. If you do, you will be immediately removed from our Krewe roster and ejected from Nerdi Gras, and you may be barred from future Nerdi Gras shows.
When you are not on duty, expect your badge to serve as a normal Nerdi Gras Membership. It does not get you priority seating, line-breaking privileges, or free entry to paid events. Please be respectful of other attendees, and do not abuse your Krewe status.
Manage your emotions so that you don’t get overwhelmed. Nerdi Gras should be fun for you, too, just as it is for our attendees. If you are getting upset or anxious, or you just need a little time away, let a Krewe Lead know so they can support you and adjust your shift as needed.
If you have feedback to help us improve the Krewe experience in the future, share that with the Volunteer Coordinator as soon as you can. We are dedicated to continuous improvement, and we need your feedback about what we're doing right and what needs to change.