SNAFU Con
Sierra Nevada Anime Fans Unite!
SNAFU Con is an anime convention in the Reno/Sparks area of Nevada. The 2023 con was November 17 - 19, 2023. The 2024 con has not been announced yet.
Read our full COVID-19 policy here.
Quicklinks:
Open Positions
Open Positions
I know when I was just a general attendee I always saw the volunteer signs and thought things like "oh they have it covered they don't need me" well let me tell you - yes, we need you.
If you're thinking at all about helping out, we can use it! While these are just where we know we need people, we are also happy to work with you if you have other ideas! So even if none of the positions below really speak to you, we still want to hear from anyone who wants to help.
Note that most of these positions are "rough" number of openings. That means that we can make do with fewer people, or a few more if you and your friends want to all join a department together so you can hang out more during con (please let us know if that's your plan).
Apply Now!
You will need a badge to apply but don't pay! Staff don't pay for their badges.
If you're thinking at all about helping out, we can use it! While these are just where we know we need people, we are also happy to work with you if you have other ideas! So even if none of the positions below really speak to you, we still want to hear from anyone who wants to help.
Note that most of these positions are "rough" number of openings. That means that we can make do with fewer people, or a few more if you and your friends want to all join a department together so you can hang out more during con (please let us know if that's your plan).
Apply Now!
You will need a badge to apply but don't pay! Staff don't pay for their badges.
General Staffing Positions
I'm going to start with the general staff positions with limited responsibility because apparently people like those more than actually being responsible for stuff. Who knew? (lol)
Theme Department - Prize Booth
Talk to happy people as they turn in tickets for prizes as part of our theme quests! Looking for 1-2 people - great opportunity to staff together with your best friend or partner!
Panels/Programming Staff
Guard the doors. Count the rooms. Let the panelists know when their time is about up. Pass out and organize panel feedback slips. It's a pretty low stress position, you get to see a lot of people, and there's lots of time to just hang out with your friends while still accomplishing the tasks.
Roughly 5 openings
Registration
If you have customer service experience or even just a great attitude, this is a great place to be. Help get people into the con! People in registration are the first people everyone sees when they join the convention. You get to talk to everyone and give them the first impressions of our awesome event. Let's make it count!
Roughly 6 openings
Rovers / Attendee Assistance
Wanna roam and help? This is for you. You’ll check badges at the door, assist at the info booth, and be a guiding hand when attendees need help navigating. Wear comfy shoes; you’ll probably be on the move!
Roughly 6 openings
Rovers: Info Desk
Be the central hub of info! Hand out schedules, help lost attendees with the map, and be the answer to the age-old question, "Where's this room again?" No need to know it all from day one, just be willing to help!
Roughly 2 openings
Logistics
Do you have important con plans and don't want to spend a moment of it away from your friends? We need help with setup before the con and teardown after. Logistics loads the truck on Wednesday evening, unloads the truck on Thursday, loads the truck on Sunday after con, and unloads the truck back into storage on Monday. We promise, the more hands, the lighter the work!
Roughly 3 openings
Vendor Department
Engage with our awesome vendors! Work alongside the vendor head to open and close the room, handle inquiries, and oversee setup and teardown.
Roughly 2 openings
Cosplay
Got a passion for dressing up? Help staff the cosplay repair area, peace bond those awesome props, plan the masquerade, and assist with other cosplay events. Quick note for my cosplayer peeps: if you're staffing and involved in the masquerade, you can't be judged in it. Fair's fair!
Roughly 2 openings
Volunteers Department
Meta, right? Help us find more helpers like you, but actually at the convention itself. Do data entry on volunteer forms and team up with the department head to shuffle our at-con volunteers to where they're most needed.
Roughly 3 openings
Photographer
Have camera, will travel! If you have a camera that can shoot in RAW and you know how to use it, get a staff badge to roam the con and take pictures of people having fun. Take a shift at the photo booth and get pictures of all the cool cosplayers! Just give us the RAW images at the end of the weekend so we can use them for marketing and hype.
Tech Department
Calling all tech-savvy folks! Handle our AV equipment. Set them up, fix them if a panelist gets a little too adventurous with the settings, and pack them up post-con. Got a knack for plugging A into B? This may be the place for you. Even better if you have some AV experience!
Roughly 3 openings
Philanthropy
Have a heart for charity? Assist in labeling and organizing donations for our charity auction. Every bit helps, and your role would ensure our charity goals are met or even exceeded!
Roughly 2 openings
Theme
Work with the Theme head to make this year memorable! Come up with cool ideas to really let the con's theme shine through.
Roughly 2 openings
Hentai
Do you possess that certain crude humor that your mother would be ashamed of? We're looking for a few new people on the hentai team to plan and run new programming ideas and panels and really shake up the department.
Roughly 2 openings.
Apply Now!
Theme Department - Prize Booth
Talk to happy people as they turn in tickets for prizes as part of our theme quests! Looking for 1-2 people - great opportunity to staff together with your best friend or partner!
Panels/Programming Staff
Guard the doors. Count the rooms. Let the panelists know when their time is about up. Pass out and organize panel feedback slips. It's a pretty low stress position, you get to see a lot of people, and there's lots of time to just hang out with your friends while still accomplishing the tasks.
Roughly 5 openings
Registration
If you have customer service experience or even just a great attitude, this is a great place to be. Help get people into the con! People in registration are the first people everyone sees when they join the convention. You get to talk to everyone and give them the first impressions of our awesome event. Let's make it count!
Roughly 6 openings
Rovers / Attendee Assistance
Wanna roam and help? This is for you. You’ll check badges at the door, assist at the info booth, and be a guiding hand when attendees need help navigating. Wear comfy shoes; you’ll probably be on the move!
Roughly 6 openings
Rovers: Info Desk
Be the central hub of info! Hand out schedules, help lost attendees with the map, and be the answer to the age-old question, "Where's this room again?" No need to know it all from day one, just be willing to help!
Roughly 2 openings
Logistics
Do you have important con plans and don't want to spend a moment of it away from your friends? We need help with setup before the con and teardown after. Logistics loads the truck on Wednesday evening, unloads the truck on Thursday, loads the truck on Sunday after con, and unloads the truck back into storage on Monday. We promise, the more hands, the lighter the work!
Roughly 3 openings
Vendor Department
Engage with our awesome vendors! Work alongside the vendor head to open and close the room, handle inquiries, and oversee setup and teardown.
Roughly 2 openings
Cosplay
Got a passion for dressing up? Help staff the cosplay repair area, peace bond those awesome props, plan the masquerade, and assist with other cosplay events. Quick note for my cosplayer peeps: if you're staffing and involved in the masquerade, you can't be judged in it. Fair's fair!
Roughly 2 openings
Volunteers Department
Meta, right? Help us find more helpers like you, but actually at the convention itself. Do data entry on volunteer forms and team up with the department head to shuffle our at-con volunteers to where they're most needed.
Roughly 3 openings
Photographer
Have camera, will travel! If you have a camera that can shoot in RAW and you know how to use it, get a staff badge to roam the con and take pictures of people having fun. Take a shift at the photo booth and get pictures of all the cool cosplayers! Just give us the RAW images at the end of the weekend so we can use them for marketing and hype.
Tech Department
Calling all tech-savvy folks! Handle our AV equipment. Set them up, fix them if a panelist gets a little too adventurous with the settings, and pack them up post-con. Got a knack for plugging A into B? This may be the place for you. Even better if you have some AV experience!
Roughly 3 openings
Philanthropy
Have a heart for charity? Assist in labeling and organizing donations for our charity auction. Every bit helps, and your role would ensure our charity goals are met or even exceeded!
Roughly 2 openings
Theme
Work with the Theme head to make this year memorable! Come up with cool ideas to really let the con's theme shine through.
Roughly 2 openings
Hentai
Do you possess that certain crude humor that your mother would be ashamed of? We're looking for a few new people on the hentai team to plan and run new programming ideas and panels and really shake up the department.
Roughly 2 openings.
Apply Now!
Upper Staff Positions (In Training)
After the initial roles, there’s more! For those who are looking for a slightly bigger challenge or feel they’ve got specific skills to bring to the table, we’ve got some roles that are a tad more critical. Don’t let the "critical" tag scare you away though; every position here comes with training wheels until you're ready to pedal on your own! And hey, even when those training wheels come off, we’re riding beside you the entire time. So, let’s dive into these:
Swap Meet Organizer
This is kind of a middle area between general and upper staff. Be trained on our Merchant system. Hand out tax forms. Lay out the swap meet spaces. Check people in and out. Collect tax money and turn it in to the con. Swap meet runs only two days, Thursday and Friday evening for limited hours.
1 position available
Rovers Upper Staff
Seeking those with grace under pressure! Work alongside the Rovers head to handle the unexpected and untangle any knots that come up during the con. Conflict resolution skills? A big plus! Work with the Rovers heads and Human Resources to not only rove the con and perform customer service skills, but be on call for when we need someone to talk to that wardrobe malfunction that just walked into the main hall.
Roughly 3 positions available
Guests Department
Here’s a biggie! We’re scouting for a Guests Head (in training) who'll engage with our special attendees, from initial contact to ensuring their con experience is seamless. Got great people skills? We’re talking to you. Alongside, we could use some great folks to be the touchpoints for our guests. Not full-time handlers, but the friendly face and problem solver when needed.
1 position available as head, up to 3 available as on-site helpers, but additional upper staff would be welcome if you bring friends/partners
Marketing: Public Relations
Work with our social media team, our press department, and the rest of our marketing team to make sure that con is really putting our best face forward.
1 position available
Staff Morale
Got cookies? Or just a friendly face and an encouraging word? Roam around, offer breaks, or even just a quick chat to lift spirits. Out of con season, you’d be our party planner extraordinaire, organizing staff shindigs throughout the year. If spreading cheer is your thing, step right up!
1 position available to start (new position in 2023)
Continuous Improvement
Ever think, "this could be better"? Here's your chance to act on it! Engage with everyone – from staff to guests – gathering feedback during and post-con. Help us translate the good, the bad, and the enlightening into actionable steps for a better con experience next time. If you've got an ear for feedback and an eye for improvement, let's chat!
1 position available to start (new position in 2023)
Apply Now!
Swap Meet Organizer
This is kind of a middle area between general and upper staff. Be trained on our Merchant system. Hand out tax forms. Lay out the swap meet spaces. Check people in and out. Collect tax money and turn it in to the con. Swap meet runs only two days, Thursday and Friday evening for limited hours.
1 position available
Rovers Upper Staff
Seeking those with grace under pressure! Work alongside the Rovers head to handle the unexpected and untangle any knots that come up during the con. Conflict resolution skills? A big plus! Work with the Rovers heads and Human Resources to not only rove the con and perform customer service skills, but be on call for when we need someone to talk to that wardrobe malfunction that just walked into the main hall.
Roughly 3 positions available
Guests Department
Here’s a biggie! We’re scouting for a Guests Head (in training) who'll engage with our special attendees, from initial contact to ensuring their con experience is seamless. Got great people skills? We’re talking to you. Alongside, we could use some great folks to be the touchpoints for our guests. Not full-time handlers, but the friendly face and problem solver when needed.
1 position available as head, up to 3 available as on-site helpers, but additional upper staff would be welcome if you bring friends/partners
Marketing: Public Relations
Work with our social media team, our press department, and the rest of our marketing team to make sure that con is really putting our best face forward.
1 position available
Staff Morale
Got cookies? Or just a friendly face and an encouraging word? Roam around, offer breaks, or even just a quick chat to lift spirits. Out of con season, you’d be our party planner extraordinaire, organizing staff shindigs throughout the year. If spreading cheer is your thing, step right up!
1 position available to start (new position in 2023)
Continuous Improvement
Ever think, "this could be better"? Here's your chance to act on it! Engage with everyone – from staff to guests – gathering feedback during and post-con. Help us translate the good, the bad, and the enlightening into actionable steps for a better con experience next time. If you've got an ear for feedback and an eye for improvement, let's chat!
1 position available to start (new position in 2023)
Apply Now!
Additional Positions
These are the positions that we don't need for the 2023 con to happen but hey, they're still things we could use if you were interested.
2024 Marketing Director
Oversee all the marketing sub-departments and make sure we get the con out there for people to see!
Online Staff
- Dedicated Minecraft server runner - runs events, contests etc. Con will pay and kind of manage a server, but someone needs to keep the activity and excitement for it up. This is not enough for a full staff badge in and of itself, but can be partial responsibility.
- Dedicated discord event manager - runs mini events in the Discord, voice hang outs, small contests, etc. With enough activity this position can qualify you for a full staff badge.
Apply Now!
2024 Marketing Director
Oversee all the marketing sub-departments and make sure we get the con out there for people to see!
Online Staff
- Dedicated Minecraft server runner - runs events, contests etc. Con will pay and kind of manage a server, but someone needs to keep the activity and excitement for it up. This is not enough for a full staff badge in and of itself, but can be partial responsibility.
- Dedicated discord event manager - runs mini events in the Discord, voice hang outs, small contests, etc. With enough activity this position can qualify you for a full staff badge.
Apply Now!
Final Notes
So, there you have it! A whole suite of roles for every skill set and interest level. We genuinely believe that the heart and soul of a great con are its volunteers, so if any of these roles speak to you (or even if you're just curious and have questions), reach out! And even if nothing did speak to you, if you just want to help somehow still send us a message because we can probably make something work.
To the future legends of this year’s con, we can't wait to work with you. Let’s make magic together!
To show interest or for more info, drop us an email or hit us up in the con Discord. Thanks for considering and can't wait to see some of you stepping up!
Apply Now!
To the future legends of this year’s con, we can't wait to work with you. Let’s make magic together!
To show interest or for more info, drop us an email or hit us up in the con Discord. Thanks for considering and can't wait to see some of you stepping up!
Apply Now!