ARISIA 2026 HELP WANTED POSTINGS
We have many opportunities to volunteer!
If you see a position you're interested in, please fill out the Volunteer Form.
If you don't see a position you're interested in listed, you can use the Volunteer Form to let us know what skills you have and what sort of positions you might be interested in. Have questions about volunteering? Contact Team Arisia Services at Click here to show mail address
Access - Art Show - Communications - Dealers - Food - Gaming - Guest of Honor (GOH) - Hotel - Incident Response Team - Information Technology (IT) - Logisitics - Members Services - Programming - Registration - Safety - Team Arisia Services - Technical Services (Theater) - Treasury
ACCESS
Access Services Coordinator
Responsibilities: Assist Arisia in complying with ADA regulations and advocating for the needs of people with disabilities within the convention.
Pre-con: work with the Web team to ensure Access information on the convention website is up to date and accurate. Coordinate access requests and outside vendors. Write and publish Public Service Announcements (adapted from previous years). Book CART and ASL providers. Oversee production of accessible text materials. Coordinate with Arisia Innkeeper to facilitate Hotel-related medical requests for attendees staying in the hotel.
At-con: Coordinate with other areas like The Watch, Tech, Line Management, Art Show, and Info Desk to address access needs at con; communicate how those needs are met to attendees. Manage a small staff of volunteers who will put up access signs and mark "parking spaces" in rooms. Coordinate CART and ASL providers for scheduled Programming and Events.
Access Services Volunteers
Access Services Volunteers will put up access signs and mark "parking spaces" in programs rooms. Access Volunteers will also sit at the Access table to assist con attendees, guests, and other volunteers with access needs at-con.Access Services Volunteers will report to the Access Services Coordinator.
ART SHOW
Art Show Bag Check Clerk
Responsibilities: Help ensure the safety of the art in the Art Show by storing and retrieving bags and other bulky items for visitors. Maintain organized storage space for quick retrieval of belongings upon presentation of claim checks. Some lifting required. Answer questions about the Art Show and the convention in general, from a provided answer sheet. Maintain cheerful disposition, as you are the first Art Show staff a visitor encounters. Lifting required, sometimes heavy lifting required. 1.5 hour minimum time commitment. Shifts will be available throughout the weekend. No previous training or experience needed.
Art Show Check-in Clerk
Responsibilities: Receive artists at the convention, instruct them in setting up their art, check their setup, and provide a receipt to the artist. Shifts Thursday 8pm to 11pm and Friday 11am to 9pm. Greatest need is Friday noon to 6pm. 1.5 hour minimum time commitment. Seated position. At-con.
Art Show Check-out Clerk
Responsibilities: Guide artists through the checkout process at the end of the convention. Shifts will be available Sunday evening 6pm-9:30pm and Monday morning 9:30am-1:30pm. 1.5 hour minimum time commitment. Seated. At-con.
Art Show Door Dragons
Responsibilities: Ensure that no bulky or dangerous items are brought into the Art Show. Politely direct owners of bulky items to the Bag Check. Hand out Popular Choice award ballots. Check access credentials during certain art show closed hours. Count visitors to the show using a tally counter. 1.5 hour minimum time commitment. Shifts will be available throughout the weekend. No previous training or experience needed. Assertiveness required.
Art Show Mail-in Clerk
Responsibilities: Under the supervision of the mail-in art lead, unbox, lay out, hang, tag, and check in artwork for mail-in artists. At the end of con, check out, take down, and repack art. Some light lifting, not exceeding 5 pounds. Setup work requires neatness and aesthetic judgment. Work takes place Thursday between 8pm and 11pm, Friday between 10am and 6pm, Sunday between 8pm and 11pm, and Monday between 10am and 1pm. 1.5 hour minimum time commitment. Light lifting required.
Art Show - Rover
Number of people needed: 1-3 people per shift for 20 shifts of 1.5 hours each No previous training or experience needed.
Responsibilities: Keep an eye on art in the Art Show. Help people buy art. Make sure displays are updated after purchase. Training (including cross training with other jobs) will be provided. Work takes place throughout the weekend.
Art Show Setup & Teardown Crew Member
Responsibilities: Under the supervision of the setup crew leads, assemble and disassemble pipe, drape, pegboard, and lighting equipment. All tasks involve lifting items ranging in weight from 5 pounds solo lift to 50 pounds team lift. A few tasks suitable for blind volunteers are available, as are some seated tasks. Pipe and lighting equipment requires tool use. Pipe assembly includes floor level work. Lighting assembly involves use of stepladders. Work takes place Thursday between 11am and 7pm and Monday between 1pm and 4pm. No previous experience or training required.
Lifting. Pre-con Training provided
Art Show Signage
Responsibilities: Review signs for Art Show and redesign as needed. Make sure sign requests are submitted for Sign Shop deadlines. Put signs up on Thursday afternoon at con. 5 hours total time commitment. Pre-con/At-con
Art Show Tally Clerk
Responsibilities: Enter information for art being purchased. Training, including cross training with other jobs, will be provided. Grace under pressure desired. 1.5 hour minimum time commitment. Work takes place throughout the weekend. No previous training or experience needed. Attendance at pre-con training session strongly recommended. This position is for a person 18 years old or older.
At-con. Training provided. 18+.
Art Show Quicksale Pickup Clerk
Responsibilities: Final check, at pickup time, that receipts match purchases. Sunday afternoon 4:30pm to 8:30pm and Monday morning 9:30am to 1:30pm. Minimum time commitment 1.5 hours.
At-con
Art Show Tour Director
Responsibilities: Keep track of all the docent tours of the Art Show, maybe drum up new ones. Coordinate with the GOH liaisons and Programming to make sure that the tours don't all happen at once and get into the Pocket Program. Help the Web team maintain a web page about the tours, provide content for signage, corral information the tour leaders will need, and so forth. You might even arrange for an early tour to be recorded and put up as a podcast so that people can do a self-guided tour - the work here is probably mostly in selecting a podcast distribution mechanism and making sure that your tour leader has access to it. 15 hours total time commitment. At-con
Art Show - Tactile Tour Coordinator
Responsibilities:
- Contacts artists to determine those who are willing to participate in Tactile Tour
- Coordinate and lead tactile tour of Arisia Art Show
- Ensure proper clothing for handling Tactile Tour Art Show items (gloves) are supplied and used
COMMUNICATIONS
Newsdesk Area Head
Responsibilities:
• Collect content from multiple internal sources: Arisia convention staff will reach out when they have content they want publicized
• Maintain content schedule and timeline: Newsdesk should keep track of other deadlines within the convention so they can reach out to division or area heads that might need help generating content for their division/area.
• Categorize content for distribution and publishing: Newsdesk needs to understand the appropriate time and publication platform for maximum effect.
• Proofread and edit content: This includes working with Digital Media to try to add multimedia content to posts when possible.
• Sends content to other Communication areas: Once the content is ready it is sent to Social Media, Newsletter, etc to be published in those specific avenues.
• Manage Newsdesk staff: The Newsdesk Area Head also needs to manage a team of staff to ensure coverage and shared workload
Newsdesk Staff
Responsibilities: Assist the Newsdesk Area Head to create 4-6 editions of Clear Ether, Arisia's at-con print newsletter. Distribute newsletter to designated locations throughout the con.
Press Liaison
Responsibilities: The Press Liaison handles requests for complimentary admission to the convention for members of the press, including official, semi-pro, and blog/independent. Photographers who are not charging for their services also go through Press, as they may later use photos in reporting. At the convention, the Press Liaison greets Press members when they arrive, gets them signed in and oriented after they have gotten through registration, and answers questions as needed.
In case of requests for interviews, the Press Liaison coordinates between the Press person and the relevant Arisia staff person (e.g. GOH). Since this job involves on-call hours at con the Press Liaison usually recruits one or two assistants to help cover the hours. Generally there are about 12-15 Press members at any year's convention.
Pre-con hours are about 20 and at-con hours are similar, spread across the Liaison and assistant(s).
DEALERS
Dealers Room Assistants
Responsibilities: We are looking for people to help keep an eye on the Dealers Room during the convention and during move-in and move-out, answer Dealers questions, and escalated issues to the Dealers Liaison as needed. Public-facing job. Good customer service skills are a plus.
Dealers Room Schleppers
Responsibilities: Assist dealers unloading and loading vehicles and bringing merchandise from the loading dock to the Dealers Room before and after con.
Dock Supervisor
Responsibilities: Help guide and manage freight elevator use and vehicles loading in and out of the Dealer's Room during setup and teardown hours.
Must be able to remain outside for long periods in the cold. The loading area is sheltered.
FOOD
After Con Party Staff
1-2 people are needed to run the Arisia Dead Dog Party, the end-of-con gathering for volunteers and attendees.
Responsibilities: Reset room after Con Suite closes area, order pizza, set out snacks, and cleanup when finished.
Hours starting at approximately 4pm and going to 11pm Monday of the convention.
Food Division Volunteers
Responsibilities: Replenishing food, cleaning tables and keeping food areas clean, and friendly assistance as needed.
Areas Available: Con Suite
Multiple 2 hour shifts available.
Early morning (7am) and late shifts available.
Food Setup/Breakdown Staff
Responsibilities: Moving food between various areas of the convention, packing/unpacking and storing food stock. Lifting required for some tasks.
Various shifts available. Flexible hours.
Food Shift Leads
Responsibilities: Directing 2-3 volunteers in stocking food areas and keeping areas clean. Friendly demeanor is a plus.
Hours: 2 hours shifts. Morning (7am) and late evening shifts available.
Quartermaster
Requirements: Quartermaster will coordinate with the Food Team prior to the con to provide food for the Con Suite. This person will be purchasing and transporting large quantities of goods for the Food areas. This person will need their own car, insurance and license, in order to do a pricing run at a few stores for information in early January, and will be using a car provided by Arisia once per day to do purchasing runs Thurs - Sunday of the con.
GAMING
LARP (Live Action Role-Playing) Area Head
Responsibilities
Pre-con: Coordinate LARP submissions, recruit new LARPs for convention, schedule and arrange space for LARPs.
At-con: Provide assistance to LARP runners with sign-ups, and any requests or help needed during the convention.
Expected to respond to email correspondence within 3 days.
LARP experience helpful
This position may require a moderate amount of movement during con as LARP spaces can be spread out across the convention area.
This is a pre-con and at-con position for volunteers 18 years old or older.
Tabletop Room Assistant Area Head
Responsibilities:
Pre-con: Assist with Tabletop Room planning, scheduling games, paperwork for processing volunteer hours/complimentary memberships.
At-con: Monitor Tabletop room, fill in for unavailable staff when needed.
Must be able to respond to email at con.
Familiarity with various tabletop games is a plus.
This is a pre-con and at-con position.
Tabletop Room Greeter
Requirements: Greet people as they walk in, explain how the tabletop room works, walk around Tabletop Room answering questions and assisting attendees in the room, keep aisles clear of obstacles/bags/etc. distribute tip money to Westin staff for cleaning/water replenishing, do room counts every hour.
Greeter is expected to be moving around during their shift, keeping an eye on the room, and helping attendees that may need assistance.
Customer service skills and tabletop game knowledge is a plus.
Tabletop Keeper
Responsibilities: Check in and check out games in the Tabletop Gaming Room that people want to play using the available software (barcode system). Basic technical skills. Good customer service skills, and tabletop game knowledge is a plus.
This is primarily a seated position, not requiring a lot of movement to perform.
Tabletop Tournament/Organized Play Area Head
Responsibilities: Tournament/Organized Play Area Head (TOP) works closely with the Gaming Division Head and the Tabletop area head to coordinate the operation of games run by official sanctioning bodies (Magic: the Gathering, D&D Adventurers League, Pathfinder Society, ENVOY, Wrecking Crew) and to facilitate games tournaments and other prize-bearing events.
GUEST OF HONOR (GOH)
At-con Guest of Honor Liaison(s)
Responsibilities: Accompany one of the Guests of Honor during the convention to make sure they make it to their panels and events in a timely fashion. The At-con Guest of Honor Liaisons will also make sure that the Guests of Honor get answers to any questions they may have, and look after their incidental needs. At-con Liaisons will need to work at least one half-day shift during the con. At-con Liaisons will be supported by the GOH Liaison and Assistant GOH liaison during the con. Good qualities for an At-con GOH Liaison: diplomacy, good communication skills, patience, and being well-organized.
HOTEL
Assistant Innkeeper At-Con or Pre-Con
Responsibilities: The Innkeeper team manages the sleeping rooms at the various hotels where Arisia has signed a contract. We manage all the special requests and reservation changes for attendees. There is a strong customer focus on our team; this is a great place for being able to make connections directly with members and having a positive face on the convention. The team is looking for assistant innkeepers to help with pre-con and at-con tasks. Pre-Con assistants help with managing spreadsheets with people's reservation information making sure that changes have been processed correctly and sending confirmation emails out to attendees. This can take up to 10 hours/week starting in November up until the convention. We've been working to partially automate some of our tasks, so if you have a particular love of javascript and spreadsheets, we'd love your help. This could be a solely IT-type position for the right volunteer.
At Con- we are looking for assistant innkeepers to spend a few hours at the Innkeeper help desk and answer questions about rooming. Usually this is facilitating basic check-in questions.
INCIDENT RESPONSE TEAM
The Incident Response Team (IRT) at Arisia is the area responsible for responding to incidents and situations at the convention that involve member behavior, especially in relation to violations of the convention’s Code of Conduct (CoC) policy. We are looking for individuals who can handle intense and/or difficult conversations and will treat the highly sensitive information with the respect it deserves.
Incident Response Team (IRT) General Staff
Responsibilities: IRT General Staff will be tasked with intake of incident reports. Shifts may be Stationary (2-3 hours each) or Roaming/On-Call (3-4 hours each), with each staffer expected to pick up a mix of approx. 4 shifts over the course of the weekend. All IRT staff are required to attend a training on the Friday morning before con opens.
18+, At-con, On-Call, Seated, Training Provided
Incident Response Team (IRT) Managers
Responsibilities: IRT Managers will be tasked with formulating and performing follow-up tasks to incident reports and working with the IRT Lead/Deputy to determine what actions, if any, should be taken at-con. They will be on shift for 5-8 hour intervals and are expected to pick-up approximately 3 shifts, where collectively there will be 24 hour coverage (including the possibility of being woken during an overnight on-call situation). All IRT staff are required to attend a training on the Friday morning before con opens and IRT Managers will be required to attend a once daily meeting at-con with the IRT Lead/Deputy and the ConChair-On-Duty to review the day’s reports/actions.
18+, At-con, On-Call, Training Provided, Late-Night, Long Shifts, Independent
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (IT)
At-con IT Coordinator
The At-con IT Coordinator communicates with and assists staff areas that need IT setup and support during the con. This can include things like WiFi connectivity, printing, and basic functionality of Arisia IT equipment.
At-con IT Volunteers
At-con IT Volunteers assist the At-con IT Coordinator with set up and support of Arisia computer equipment and various other tasks in that area as needed.
LOGISTICS
Logistics Truck Drivers
Responsibilities: Drive 24-26 ft. size box trucks around the city. At least 5 years driving experience is preferred. Experience with driving large vehicles is a plus. Travel will be between the NESFA clubhouse in Somerville, Arisia storage in Haverhill and to the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Cambridge and back.
Available shifts will be for January 14th, 15th, 19th, and 21st, 2026.
Wednesday morning through evening
Thursday morning through evening
Monday afternoon through evening
Tuesday morning through afternoon.
Logistics Volunteers
Responsibilities: We need help moving stuff! Lots of stuff! Most of it is on wheels. Help is needed at NESFA in Medford on Wednesday afternoon pre-con; at storage in Haverhill (on the commuter rail, free parking) all day Thursday; at the hotel Thursday 10am-11pm, Friday at the hotel 9am-noon; Monday at the hotel 1pm-10pm; Monday at storage 2pm-8pm (free dinner); Tuesday at the hotel 9am-noon; Tuesday at storage 10am-4pm. Earn double hours! This time with elevators!
Must be able to lift at least 50 lbs.
MEMBER SERVICES
Arisians of Color Safer Space Room Coordinator
Responsibilities:
Coordinating room setup needs with Arisia Hotel staff prior to convention, Recruitment and scheduling of AoC Room staff
Verifying correct room setup at con
Opening and/or closing AoC Room or delegating open/close duties to AoC Room staff
Monitoring AoC Room space during shift
Answering any Aoc Room related questions.
If interested in this position please email: memberservices@arisia.org or fill out the Volunteer Form.
Coat Check Room Managers
Responsibilities:
Coordinating room setup including making sure supplies are available
Coordinating work shifts for Coat Check staff
Opening and/or closing Coat Check or delegating open/close duties to Coat Check staff.
Interacting with staff, volunteers, and attendees in a polite and professional manner
Coat Check Room Staff
Responsibilities:
Coordinating intake and outtake of coats and bags for attendees
Keeping Coat Check room organized
Interacting with staff, volunteers, and attendees in a polite and professional manner.
Cosplay Repair Station Area Head
Responsibilities:
Schedule and supervise Cosplay Repair Station Staff
Assist attendees with any minor costume fixes during con with materials on hand.
Maintain the Cosplay Repair Station area
Answer questions about the Cosplay Repair station.
Cosplay Repair Station Staff
Do you like to sew, fasten, tape, and help fix people's costumes? Then Cosplay Repair Station is the place for you.
Responsibilities:
Assist attendees with any minor costume fixes during con with materials on hand.
Maintain the Cosplay Repair Station area
Answer questions about the Cosplay Repair station
Escalate any questions or issues to the Cosplay Repair Station Area Head as needed.
Information Desk Staff
Responsibilities: Information Desk Staff will answer questions, give directions, distribute handouts if needed, and escalate questions and/or concerns to the relevant area when necessary. Volunteers are expected to have some knowledge of Arisia, and a calm and/or positive demeanor when interacting with the public. Prior customer service experience is a plus but not required.
Quiet Room Area Head
Responsibilities:
- Coordinating room setup needs with Arisia Hotel staff prior to convention
- Verifying correct room setup at con
- Coordinating and scheduling of Quiet Room staff
- Opening and/or closing Quiet Room or delegating open/close duties to Quiet Room staff
- Monitoring Quiet Room space during shift
- Answering any Quiet Room related questions.
If interested in this position please email: memberservices@arisia.org or fill out the Volunteer Form.
Quiet Room Staff
Responsibilities:
- Coordination of room setup and maintenance
- Monitor Quiet Room space during shift
- Answer any Quiet Room related questions.
If interested in this position please email: memberservices@arisia.org or fill out the Volunteer Form.
Teen Lounge Area Head
Responsibilities:: Reliable teenager/young adult who can help open/close/set up/ tear down the Teen Lounge and take over if something happens. Must be 13-19 years old. Not a whole lot to do, just make sure that people follow the rules (not too loud, no inappropriate touching or talking, only 13-19 year-olds allowed in, etc.)
Teen Lounge Volunteers
Responsibilities: Must be 13-19 years old. Watch the Teen Lounge and make sure everyone follows the rules (no violence, no inappropriate contact or words, only folks 13-19 come into the Teen Lounge, etc), contact hotel staff for trash pick ups, escalate issues to Teen Lounge Area Head if needed,
Wayfinding Area Head
Responsibilities: We are looking for someone to decide what signs we need to direct people around the convention, to order those signs, and hang them up (or find someone to do this) on Friday afternoon or Thursday evening. This person may need to check and replace signs at the convention. This is a pre-con and at-con setup job.
PROGRAMMING
Program Nexus Staff
Responsibilities: Arisia Programming is looking to fill several at-con positions in the Program Nexus to help ensure that panels, workshops, meetups and presentations run smoothly at-con. All Program Nexus staff work towards facilitating a positive experience for our participants, so a calm or cheery disposition is requested of all applicants! Program Nexus Staff assist the Nexus Manager and Programming Division Heads with tasks performed primarily within the Program Nexus Room. These tasks include handing out participant packets to Panelists, Game Masters, and Event Organizers, monitoring workshop signups, and receiving feedback about our programming items. This position is for those 18 years of age or older.
Program Nexus Runner
Responsibilities: Arisia Programming is looking to fill several at-con positions in the Program Nexus to help ensure that panels, workshops, meetups and presentations run smoothly at-con. All Program Nexus staff work towards facilitating a positive experience for our participants, so a calm or cheery disposition is requested of all applicants! Program Nexus Runners assist the Nexus Manager and Programming Division Heads with tasks mainly outside of the Program Nexus Room. These include performing room counts, switching out schedules posted outside of panel rooms, and collecting paper feedback forms out of boxes.
REGISTRATION
Registration Staff
Responsibilities: Come join the friendly, welcoming people of Registration! As the first faces attendees see when they arrive at the convention, Registration volunteers are an incredibly important part of the Con. Reg Staff must be comfortable working in a fast-paced environment, and enjoy helping people.
Skills/requirements needed: Money handling, customer service, punctuality and reliability sitting for long periods of time, using a laptop.
Time: Flexible shifts at con, training pre-con
SAFETY
Safety Staff (The Watch)
Responsibilities: Duties include badge/ID checking, cat herding, line wrangling, escort duties, weapons checking, assisting in necessary evacuation procedures in the event of an emergency, Implementing and carrying out the Arisia Code of Conduct, promote the overall comfort and ease of all con-goers. Contact the address below for available shifts.
TEAM ARISIA SERVICES
Team Arisia Headquarters Staff
Responsibilities: Arisia is a 100% volunteer-run convention that boasts an amazing staff of dedicated, awesome people. Help out at Team Arisia Headquarters -- Greet existing staff and potential volunteers. Log volunteer hours in spreadsheets. Re-stock snacks/drinks. Help promote volunteering throughout the convention.
Time: Flexible 6-hour shifts at con. Staff for peak hours on Friday afternoon/evening and Monday morning especially needed.
TECHNICAL SERVICES (THEATER)
General Tech Staff
Responsibilities: Arisia Tech supports the panels, performances, presentations, and media that make up the convention. We build theaters into ballrooms to create performance spaces; we provide sound reinforcement and projection for panels; we run sound, lights, cameras, and backstage work for Arisia events like the Masquerade; and we welcome new people to join us. We are particularly looking for people with theatrical tech and production experience, and/or with AV experience.There are pre-con positions available, as well as at-con.
Program A/V Technicians
Responsibilities: Are you the person in your family who sets up the electronics and assembles the IKEA furniture? Arisia’s Programming rooms host readings and panels of all descriptions. Tech supports this content with sound and projection systems. Our goal is to provide audio-visual services so panelists can be heard and show computer presentations, and make sure that it remains problem-free for the entire Arisia weekend. Volunteers are needed to coordinate the effort, to set up systems (we'll train!), to check up on things at intervals during the con, and to put everything away afterwards.
Technical Director
Responsibilities:
Technical Services is responsible for creating technical setup plans, configuration, setup, teardown, and Technical Services staffing for the main Arisia Events stage.
The Technical Director handles Technical Services Division email correspondence, dealing with vendors, equipment acquisition, interfacing with other divisions, organizing information, staff recruitment/on-boarding/management of staff, and documentation of timelines and processes for running Technical Services.
They will also prepare reports, participate in monthly staff meetings, contribute to the overall management of the convention, and provide a point of escalation both within their divisions and, during the convention, for general convention issues.
TREASURY
At-Con Treasury Staff
Responsibilities:
- Requested to have several on-duty shifts during which they would have to occasionally check areas that handle money and possibly pick-up/drop-off money to support those areas. A typical pick-up takes 15-30 minutes.
- Support beginning or end of day counts if it occurs during scheduled shifts.
- A relatively low key way to enjoy the con and get some volunteer hours too!
- Reports to the Convention Treasurer
Skills: Must be detail-oriented and willing to fill out a few simple forms to support bookkeeping. Must be able to comfortably travel around the hotel to various locations as needed. Must have previously served on Arisia Staff and have references to support being in a role that involves handling money.
