Volunteers

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If you are interested in other volunteering opportunities, Wikimania Montreal would love to hear from you! More than a thousand aficionados and knowledge experts from around the world will converge to discuss the future of Wikimedia projects, open and free knowledge, education, discuss issues, report on new projects and approaches, and exchange ideas.

In order to be able to hold such a meeting, a team of volunteers is essential, and this is an opportunity for you to be part of this extraordinary event. Registration for the conference is free of charge for volunteers.

Wikimania 2017 needs you!

Tell us your interest in volunteering

Why should I contribute to Wikimania?

Like Wikipedia itself, Wikimania is run on a not-for-profit basis—it depends on volunteers to make it successful. We need your help to make it happen! Volunteering at Wikimania is a great opportunity to:

Give something back to Wikipedia and its sister projects—we all use them every day, but we forget that they are written by volunteers who give their time for free
Be part of delivering an ambitious, global event
Put something unique on your CV
Learn from the community
Enjoy the conference when you're off duty
Socialize with other volunteers
Use your skills to help the not-for-profit Wikimedia movement, for example:

social media and outreach
journalism and copywriting
stage, audio visual and production management
event organization and project management
leadership and problem solving
hospitality and customer service
language skills

How can I help during the conference?

We will need people to help with:

Doing outreach and promotion for the conference
Assisting with monitoring conference sessions on site
Staffing the registration and help desks
Assisting attendees, making sure they can find their way around the Venue, and to other important locations such as hotels and public transport
Helping with move-in and breakdown of the conference

and other tasks. We will also need volunteers who are on-hand to run errands or fill in gaps as required to make sure we have the flexibility to cover any gaps.

Being a Wikimedian may be useful in some roles, but is not a prerequisite to volunteering at Wikimania. Attendees of Wikimania from outside Canada are very welcome to volunteer (language skills would be especially useful), but, as a volunteer-run conference, we do not have the resources to assist with the logistics or cost of international travel.

How does Volunteering work?

There are a variety of roles, which will be split into shifts so that everyone gets a break and can attend the sessions they want to. We'll be grateful for as much time as you're able to give. You will, of course, be fully supported during your shift—there will be somebody you can turn to if you need help, you will get breaks, and we will provide refreshments.

Where do I sign up? We'll provide a general volunteer registration form as Wikimania 2017 approaches. We need fewer volunteers during the earlier period, but if you feel you have something to contribute to the early preparation contact abeaubien@wikimedia.ca

What languages do I need to speak? Because of its international nature, volunteers to Wikimania are expected to speak English. Speaking French is also a plus.

How long do I have to volunteer to get a free ticket to Wikimania? At least one eight hour shift, but if you can do more that is excellent.

Will I have to buy my own food? Volunteers will have access to refreshments and lunch at the conference.

Will you pay for my accommodation if I am not from Montreal? No.

I am from outside Canada. Can I still volunteer? Will you pay for my travel to Canada? You can still volunteer for Wikimania from abroad. Unfortunately we are unable to provide any help with accommodation or travel for volunteers.

Can I still attend sessions if I am volunteering? If you let us know in advance which sessions you are most interested in attending, we will do our best to be flexible.