Volunteer

JLF Belfast 2019
Volunteering Roles and Duties

Roles:

Volunteer Co-ordinator

This person should be an experienced volunteer who will oversee the volunteer team and support the smooth co-ordination of the festival’s activities. This person will be informed by the festival organisers of their duties in advance during orientation eg. ensure all sessions start and end on time, ensure volunteers know their roles and responsibilities, guide writers through the festival venue, manage speakers’ announcements and the Q&A at the end of each session. You will be provided with a programme brochure and announcement script that you should keep with you at all times.

Author Liaison Team

As an Author Liaison, you will be assigned to each of the Festival venues to help ensure that authors’ arrival and departure to the venue go smoothly. You will be responsible for ensuring that authors arrive at the venue 15 minutes before their session to meet their session moderator. You will be provided with a programme brochure and announcement script that you should keep with you at all times.

Venue Ushers and Registration team

Author Registration:

Volunteers are required to confirm that the authors checking in and registering are in the list provided to them, hand them their badge, Festival bag and answer any queries they may have.

Guest Delegate Registration:

Volunteers are required to confirm the names of the guest delegates from the lists provided to them, hand them their badge, and answer any queries that they may have.

Venue Ushers:

Volunteers help to ensure that sessions in each room run smoothly and are an enjoyable experience for all. You will help participants find seats, ask participants to register if they haven’t already, register guests if needed, and help to keep emergency access aisles clear. You will also monitor the doors if the programme is full and inform people that we have reached capacity. Between sessions you will help tidy up and align audience chairs when required. You will need to coordinate with the Author Liaison assigned to the room and ensure authors arrive on time. You may be asked to accompany authors to the venue, to the book signing area, or to the Authors Lounge upon request.

Green Room:

One private space at the venue will serve as the Author Lounge. Authors will be in and out of this space all day, store bags, grab snacks and have meals. Author Lounge Monitors will ensure that authors are warmly welcomed and that the lounges are reserved for the authors and those with permission to enter. You will also help to keep drinks and snacks stocked, making sure that authors are comfortable and refreshed.

Book Signing:

Volunteers will assist the bookstore set up book signing, ensure authors arrive at the book signing tables, and communicate with the Volunteer Co-ordinator if certain books are sold out. You will be stationed at the book signing locations and help to make the book signing process a calm, orderly, and enjoyable experience for all. You will help manage visitor lines, ensure that only those with books are in line, and limit the number of visitors requesting signatures if requested by the author. At least 30 minutes before each book signing, you will check with the bookshop that the author's books are available in the book signing area.

Social Media:

Volunteers will be required to cover sessions live, taking notes of quotes (on phone, tablet or by hand) and taking photos (cell phone, or professional camera preferred). Photos must be shared with the Festival crew team on a real-time basis using email or WhatsApp. Festival team will review the images for posting on Festival’s official (only) Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts. Previous social media experience or photography experience is preferred. Attending orientation is required for this role.

Bookstore:

This involves supporting book sales for the books which Teamwork Arts are selling at the Festival.

Floater:

During the Festival floaters should be completely flexible and willing to take on any role needed. You will fill in gaps where we do not have volunteer coverage or join the volunteer team where additional assistance is needed. Most importantly, you will be required to cover any gaps in the author and venue related roles.