Becoming Staff
The Anime Iowa Staff is the dedicated group of people that make Anime Iowa possible year after year. There is a large amount of work both during the convention and throughout the year. As such, we are always looking to recruit dedicated individuals to help.
Staff members receive many benefits for their hard work including:
- Advanced hotel booking.
- Earn a free registration for the next Convention. (Conditions apply.)
- Access to the Recharge Room.
- Early entry to the Anime Marketplace & Artists Alley. Get in 1/2hour before the room is open to all attendees.
- Volunteer experience for your resume or scholarship application.
- And a variety of other perks!
How to Join
You can join Anime Iowa Staff by attending one of the Staff meetings held throughout the year at the convention hotel or online. There you can speak with the department heads and decide where you would like to help.
If you cannot make it to our staff meetings, please feel free to write to us through the contact form below and we’ll be happy to get you on board that way as well.
Contact Us!
If you are interested in joining Staff or have any questions, please e-mail Recruitnment@animeiowa.com or use the following contact form.
Volunteering at Anime Iowa
Volunteers are a dedicated group of individuals who perform various tasks to help keep the convention running smoothly. Volunteers can sign up at the volunteer desk during the convention.
Anime Iowa has opportunities all over the convention for anyone wanting to help out. And for every hour you volunteer you earn volunteer hours towards prizes inside the Volunteer’s booth. You can even earn enough volunteer hours to register for next year’s convention.
And if requested we can provide you with a certificate on how helpful you were and hours worked for programs, college or job opportunities. Please check with your school about these programs prior to the convention.
Best all you can make friendships with Anime Iowa Staff, other volunteers, and fellow con-goers.
Volunteering is easy
First, go to the volunteer booth. There, you’ll be given a volunteer card, and a member of the Volunteer team will direct you to where there is need for your help.
You can work as long or short a time as you want to. We know there are panels, and other fun stuff to do around the convention; so you can do as much or little work as you want. Just be forewarned though; you will probably not earn an hour of work by working only 15 min, and if there is a shortage of volunteers we might ask you to stay a little longer till we can find a replacement. But it is your decision if you stay or not.
Hours worked are calculated as One hour of volunteering = 1 hour on your volunteer card. You can receive double hours for working Thursday Set up (afternoon) and Sunday Tear Down (after 5pm). During those times if you work an hour, you get an additional hour…free! After you’ve saved up your hours, and find something in the volunteers booth that you want, you “pay” the correct amount of hours for the item ( those hours will be crossed off your volunteer card at the time you redeem them). You don’t automatically get a prize for working x hours (other than the “well done!” certificates upon request).
General Time Frame Set up will begin on Thursday afternoon (time to be determined, usually around noon), and Tear Down will begin Sunday after 5pm. Double hours will be on Thursday and Sunday after 5pm only
Check in with the presiding staff member (ask if you are unsure) Let that staff member know how long you will be volunteering there and what they need you to do. At the end of your time the staff member in charge of the area will sign off on your hours earned on your by recording them on your Volunteer Card. (Don’t loose your card – most volunteers slide them behind their badge in the badge holder.)
- Gopher –Retrieves items for a specific purpose or need by a department.
- Runner –Carries items to particular departments and helps with setting up.
- Guard –When a staff member needs to quick go get something, a volunteer can guard it for them (stand around job.
- Badge Check — Checks for AI badges for going into the Marketplace, Staff Recharge rooms, etc. (Can be a sit down job)
- 18+ panels/events Badge Checking— Check for Adult AI badges, AND a State or Federal issued photo ID. A badge can not be used in place of a legal ID. (Can be a sit down job)
- Cosplay Assistant –Assists those who need help with their problematic costumes.
- Recharge Assistant –Assists recharge staff by helping keeping the room clean/serving food.
- Marketplace Assistant –Helps with vendors/artists check in as directed by the Marketplace head. Helps keep the room picked up and other assigned jobs to help the department such as badging at the door and watching the exit door so no one enters via it.
- Registration Assistant –helps by handing people their badges, badge holders, and other materials as needed.
- Pre-Registration Assistant (Sunday)–helps by handing out the registration forms to people that are registering for the next years convention at the discounted rate.
- Art Overseer — Keep an eye out on the artwork that it’s not art-napped or knocked over inadvertently. May re-adjust artwork, or set fallen artwork aside so that Art show staff can put it back up. (sit down job)
- Peace Marking — Be the person to tie a ribbon (or yarn) on all the cool cosplay props, promoting peace within the convention
If you are interested in volunteering and want more information, please e-mail volunteers@animeiowa.com
Requirements to Volunteer
- Have a willing attitude to help others
- Dressed appropriately (no shoes, no shirt, no volunteering).
- Are 13 years of age or older to volunteer by themselves. Those who are 12 and under must be accompanied by a registered adult to volunteer.
- Are responsible (in working and documenting their own hours worked)
- Are respectful to others, and others property.
Requirements to redeem volunteer hours
- Must have a current year convention badge
- Must have a volunteer card with volunteer jobs worked/hours earned and initialed by a staff member.
Regarding Misbehavior
If you are caught breaking any Anime Iowa convention rules, hotel rules, or laws at the convention, Anime Iowa Staff reserve the right to dock hours earned (subtract as little or many they deem acceptable) or confiscate your volunteer card indefinitely.