How to help.

[Stef and James]

Collectormania and London Film and Comic Con

 

If you fancy helping out Showmasters at LFACC or at future Collectormanias, here are some guidelines and information.

 

We have two distinct types of helper, the first is a Crew member, who volunteer to help, recieve a gratuity for doing so, and work set times - half or full days.

 

We are always on the look out for crew, especialy if you have experience with any type of event or convention.

 

The second is gophers, this is a position created to encourage anyone who wants to help, to do so, for an hour or so, to see what they make of it all.

 

There is no set way to "apply" for a position at a show.

 

We generally take on people we know are experienced or at least well enough to be certain they can cope with the huge amounts of stress that come with the job!

 

In saying that, we always are on the lookout for enthusiastic volunteers, and if you want to be a crew member over the weekend, do the following:

 

Send us a CV via email to showmasters_crew@yahoo.co.uk along with a few lines about why you want to work at the show, and any relevant experience.

 

It's a bit formal, but we may just be so impressed with what you write that we'll wonder how we ever coped without someone like you to help out!

 

You must be over sixteen we are afraid.

 

Bear in mind that working at a large event like this is really hard work. And we mean REALLY hard. And you may not be given the most glamorous job in the world either. Try to imagine standing there, handing out tickets and dealing with the public for 10 hours a day.

 

There's no guarantee that you will get any more contact with your favourite guest than any other attendee and there's a chance you may not have time to meet them at all.

 

If you're still interested, you are either mad, or just the kind of person we're looking for (or both!)

 

There are many jobs you could be asked to do including,

 

1. Queue ticketing (handing out the virtual numbers and letting people into Queues)

2. Queue sales staff (handling sales of photos and autographs to public)

3. Organiser's Booth Staff (dealing with public enquiries and sales)

4. General Runner (guest food/drink orders and other miscellaneous tasks)

5. Guest assistant (sitting with guests, dealing with the public, taking pics etc)

 

We don't generally plan to give people a specific job to do until the day and over the weekend you could be required to do a bit of everything or alternatively you may get stuck on ticketing for 4 days. It's down to circumstance and the luck of the draw.

 

We expect Volunteers to do just that, volunteer, so please have no expectations, just be ready to muck in.

 

Like many other jobs, there may be hours of boredom interspaced with frenetic activity, or more likely hours of frenetic activity with a few seconds of boredom, either way is tough.

 

If you just want to dip your feet, we have a number of Gopher positions, these involve helping out, running about and assisting crew, you can sign up for an hour or two, and essentially you will be literally going for this and going

 

Come to the show! At the last Collectormania we implemented a system of stand-by helpers. You give your details and a contact number at the Organiser's Booth so that if we are caught short, or one of the guests suddenly needs a specific type of baguette from their favourite patisserie in Clacton, we can give you a ring. You may never get called upon, but you may just get that chance to shine and become a full-time helper.

 

Mostly everyone involved on the day does this for the heck of it and enjoy the adrenalin rush of being involved with such large events. The work is tremendously hard, and everyone works to their limit, and some enjoy this challenge, you also get a chance to hang out with fellow entuasiasts.

 

If you still want to be part of that and remember, it does not get you any closer to the guests, (it may even keep you away from them) then let us know.

 

James and Stef

Showmasters - Crew and Operations

showmasters_crew@yahoo.co.uk