Joining the Krewe at NERDI GRAS
Les Nerds Temps wouldn’t Rouler without our dedicated volunteers, so we are excited that you are interested in becoming one!
Being a part of the volunteer team does require a commitment of your time and energy, but it has its rewards: new friends, camaraderie, a unique way to experience this unique event, and lots of fun – plus there’s a cool t-shirt!
How Do I Volunteer?
If this is the first time you would be volunteering with us, please check out the What Does Volunteering at NERDI GRAS Entail? section below. You’ll have some questions, so we’ve got answers!
I’m In. How Do I Sign Up?
Do you have a favorite area? Maybe you spend most of your time in video gaming or you want to experience working in registration? Do you have experience with AV setup? If so, contact the director for that section directly using the Contact Us page! When in doubt, Registration, Safety, and Tech Ops often have openings. Don’t know what area fits you best? Drop us a line and ask? We'll be happy to talk to you.
What does volunteering at NERDI GRAS entail?
First of all, it’s incredible, but we know you already know that. So, here are a few things to keep in mind:
Continuing NERDI GRAS volunteers receive a complimentary membership to the convention. First-time volunteers are generally required to pay a one-time-only non-refundable fee of $20.
Payments for volunteer fees must be made with cash, credit card, or debit card.
As a volunteer, you will be expected to put in a certain number of hours during the convention, to be assigned by your director, often in four-hour shifts. You may request certain times to volunteer and certain times to be available . Your area director will make every effort to grant your requested schedule, but it cannot be guaranteed.
Individual directors have the most influence over who gets placed in their area. E-mailing the Volunteers Director may get you on our volunteer list but e-mailing the director of the specific section is much more likely to get you placed in that area.
It will be up to your director to evaluate your performance as a volunteer. In some sections, it may be possible to volunteer part of your obligation prior to the convention.
Policies & Procedures for NERDI GRAS Volunteers
Please note that you’ll be expected to adhere to a few “common sense” policies:
Dress Code
NERDI GRAS does not enforce any formal dress code, but we ask that you not wear offensive t-shirts, or clothing that might offend guests or convention members. Costumes while on duty as a volunteer are encouraged!
No drinking or use of controlled substances while volunteering.
If you become intoxicated while on duty or report while intoxicated or under the influence of a controlled substance, you will be removed from our volunteer list, ejected from the event, and possibly barred from becoming a volunteer in the future.
Roadhouse Rules (Be Nice)
We may not have many "troublemakers, 40-year old adolescents, felons, power drinkers, or trustees of modern chemistry" (ok, we may have some power drinkers), but we might have some "Karens", "Chads", "Biffs", or other types of undesirables that sometimes infest geek-friendly events.
Our good friend, Patrick Swayze, made a training video that explains exactly how to deal with these sorts of people at NERDI GRAS. It has some rough language, but it gets the point across.
Try to show up at least a little early for your shift.
Not only does it help keep things on schedule, it allows time if you have to be briefed or travel to another area, ask any questions you may have, and get to know your fellow volunteers a little bit better!
Getting your badge
Your badge will be held at Volunteer Registration for you to pick up unless your director informs you otherwise. Volunteer Registration will be open on the Thursday prior to the event and is also open during most of the event. If you will be arriving at a time when Volunteer Registration will not be open, then you will need to make arrangements with your director to pick up your badge or wait until Volunteer Registration is open to pick it up.
Don’t lose your badge!
Fairly often, lost badges are recovered and returned to Ops or the hotel’s Lost and Found, but don’t depend on that.
You’re special to us, but you have the same privileges of any other attendee.
While you’re volunteering, you do not have special privileges; you do not get priority access in lines, etc. If you are not on duty, you have exactly the same privileges as any other attendee.
Try to get enough to eat, and enough sleep
Remember the 6-2-1 rule.
6 hours of sleep
2 hot meals
1 shower
(Note: Hygiene is NOT optional for volunteers. Look like Bourbon Street. Don’t smell like it.)
Every Day. Take care of yourself and you will enjoy your experience that much more.
Don't let this freak you out!
The volunteer team is a family. We take care of each other. We look out for each other. If you have a question or a problem, you can count on your teammates to get you through it. Being a volunteer is an amazing and rewarding experience and will give you stories that will last you a lifetime. HAVE FUN!
New Volunteer? Returning Volunteer?
We’ve got answers to your Frequently Asked Questions here:
Is there a minimum age requirement to be a volunteer?
Volunteers must be 18 on the first day of the event to volunteer. In addition, some volunteer sections have other age requirements for legal or medical reasons. When you ask that director to be in their section, you will be advised of additional requirements.
This is my first year as a volunteer, so how do I pay the $20 volunteer fee?
You can pay your fee in one of the following ways:
You can pay the fee at Volunteer Registration during the event, which is located in the same area as regular convention registration. At the convention we accept cash, credit, and debit. Your badge will NOT be printed ahead of time, which means you will have to wait for it. Please allow time, about 45 minutes, for this process in total.
The good news is that once you have paid this fee, you should never have to pay it again, even if you take a 10-year sabbatical from being a NERDI GRAS volunteer.
You can pay using PayPal
What do I do if I want to be a volunteer but have already purchased a membership?
If you have already purchased a membership, you do not have to pay an additional $20 volunteer fee. The purchased membership will cover your volunteer fee. If you meet all volunteer requirements at the show, you can have your membership price refunded minus the $20 volunteer fee after the show. All requests must be made in writing no later than 30 days post con by emailing the NERDI GRAS Office.
What are the criteria for having the volunteer fee waived?
There are several ways to qualify for the waiver of the volunteer fee.
The person must possess a skill or training or value that cannot be obtained in the regular volunteer pool. Also, the person must be in a section where that asset is going to be used. There must be a shortage of that skill-set among the current volunteers in that section that the director of that section is actively trying to fill. Some examples that have qualified in the past (but may or may not qualify currently, depending on need) are: off-duty policeman in Security, wiring technician in Tech Ops, computer store owner in Digital Gaming, auctioneer in the Charity Events section, etc.
OR the person must have been actively recruited by their director to fill a specific need that our regular volunteer pool cannot fill.
If you meet at least one of the above criteria, then the volunteer fee waiver must be approved by the senior director of the section in which you are to volunteer. Even if a person meets one of the above criteria, it is possible, albeit unlikely, that the person’s fee may not be waived.
Now that I'm an official volunteer, where do I pick up my badge?
Volunteer badges are generally not available until after 2:00 PM on the Thursday prior to the event. By default, they are available at Volunteer Registration. However, many directors choose to pass out volunteer badges on their own. They will set up a specific time and place to meet with you and give you your badge. Directors who choose this option effectively prevent Volunteer Registration from being able to pass out badges to their volunteers, so it is important that you are aware of your director’s preference.
IF THIS IS YOUR FIRST YEAR AS A VOLUNTEER AND YOU STILL MUST PAY THE $20 VOLUNTEER FEE WHEN THE EVENT BEGINS, you will have to bring the fee directly to Volunteer Registration (in the convention Registration area) and wait for your badge to be printed (please allow 45 minutes for the process in total). Your director will NOT be able to give you your badge. Please note, the volunteer fee of $20 is non-refundable.
Now that you’ve read all that, if you would still like to volunteer for NERDI GRAS, please