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Thanks for your interest in Volunteering at NedFest. We have a Volunteer Staff of approximately 100 people each year at NedFest. We look for our Staff members to work one half-day each day of the event. This enables you to have the other half-day free to have fun at the show. Quite a few of our hard-core, music-loving friends Volunteer for duty all day long... all three days... and we totally love 'em for it!! We'd much rather have people who genuinely want to help us run a smooth music festival over someone who wants to Volunteer only the bare minimum just to "get a free ticket" and therefore those of you willing to offer this kind of extra sevice are given preferential treatment when we select our Volunteers and stand a better chance of getting accepted. Also, people who are willing/able to help us Set Up and Tear Down the two days before and after the Festival (in addition to their shifts during the event) are also strongly desired.
Following are the times of the two Shifts. Staff must work one half of Friday (actually, one quarter of Friday, as Friday is only a half day of music) and then the alternating half of Saturday, and then the opposite half of Sunday. This allows everyone to be off enjoying the Headlining Bands at least one of the nights. ** If you are not able to manage this alternating half-day schedule please do not ask to Volunteer. Fact is that it is just way too difficult to manage 100 people all with different schedules and so this is the easiest way for us to do it... Shift A Friday = 1 PM to 6 PM (Early) Saturday = 4 PM to 11 PM (Late) Sunday = 9 AM to 3 PM (Early) Shift B Friday = 6 PM to 11 PM (Late) Saturday = 9 AM to 4 PM (Early) Sunday = 3 PM to 9 PM (Late) * PLEASE NOTE: Early shifts begin one hour prior to Gates opening, while late shifts end one half hour after the music is over. Please plan for this and adhere to it.
If you can accommodate this Schedule, either Shift A or Shift B, please do the following: Send an e-mail message to mike@michiganmike.com with "NedFest 2008 Volunteer Staff inquiry" in the subject line. ** Your reply should include... 1) All your Contact Information, including First & Last Name, Phone Number, Email Address and Mailing Address. Please also include your age. 2) Which Shift(s) you are available for... so please indicate either "SHIFT A" or "SHIFT B"... or "ANY SHIFT"... or "FULL DAYS" 3) Which Staff Positions of the positions listed below you prefer. List several options, as many of those roles have repeat Staffers who have been with us for many years. And please don't just only list the kooshy jobs such as "Beer Tent, Backstage and Artist Hospitality" or whatever because I'll see through that in a second. If you are flexible, just write "ANY POSITION" 4) What Experience, if any, you have staffing Festivals and other Music Industry gigs. 5) T-Shirt Size you require for your Staff Shirt if you are selected.
We always get a huge number of people requesting to Volunteer and want to chose the ones who will truly respect the position. If accepted do not show up tardy for your shift, as you could be screwing over the person who shares your duties on the opposite shift. Also, don't leave your shift early. If you show up late (or not at all) or leave early, or if you are not doing what needs to be happening, we can probably find a replacement for you pretty easily. I don't mean to sound harsh, because I'm a fun lovin' guy to the extreme, but please put effort into your job if accepted. This festival is my carreer and we really count on you guys to help make it run smoothly.
By orders of the Nederland Chief of Police and the Nederland Police Department, NedFest Staff is not allowed to be drinking or getting mucked up while working the event. This means you can't be boozing during your shift, nor are you allowed to drink during the first half of the day(s) that you are scheduled for the second shift. We're serious about this. You can party on the day(s) once your morning shift is over all you want (while not wearing your Staff shirt), but on any day that you are doing a 2nd shift job you better stay straight. No joke, so if this is a rule you are not interested in following then please just let me know that you don't want to be on Staff and it is totally OK with me. I certainly like to party as much (or more) than the next guy, but this is an important weekend for our town and we gotta run a tight ship.
- Artist/Backstage Hospitality = Yeah, everyone wants this one. Feeding the Bands, serving them beer, helping with their loading, and catering to their needs, etc. Very selective about who gets these spots, and most are return Staffers who have earned it over the years and come back time and time again. - Backstage Gate = Pretty much return-Staffers claim these spots also. The same people have been doing this position for years and we anticipate they will be back. This entails restricting access to unauthorized people from going between the audience and the backstage. - Beer/Wine/Mead Tent = Entails checking ID's, Putting on 21+ wristbands, Selling Beer Tickets & Beer Cups, etc. We prefer people who have been through the Colorado TIPPS program for these positions. There is a Beer Tent Supervisor and everything is very well accounted for. And insofar as the actual pouring of the beer... representatives of the different Breweries will be on hand and have their own Staff for that. - Box Office = Selling NedFest tickets/wristbands to Customers, Checking people in at the Will Call; Running credit cards; Handing out NedFest event programs; Answering questions; etc. Needs to be people who we already know and trust, as you are handling cash. There is a Box Office Supervisor and everything is SUPER accountable for. Wristbands are numbered, Tickets are numbered, etc. - Campground Host = This duty does not follow the Shift A & B schedule. We are mostly looking for families with children to staff the Campground in Chipeta Park, particularly Nederland locals, and even moreso, ones who live in the area right around the Park. We will break the times down to 6 or 8 hour shifts which run around the clock, 24 hours a day. Because this is a new position we will have to make up the staff duties as we go, although the Head of Security, Chief of Police and myself have come up with the general rules for the Campground. I am thinking there are 3 people to be working the Campground at all times and once I have everyone recruited we can all get together and make a game plan. It is important to know that while you are on duty in the Campground you will not be at the actual Festival, although you MAY be able to hear it. - Clean Up = The two days following the event always seems to be the loneliest job for me (Michigan Mike), as it is usually just me and a few friends picking up trash & cigarette butts, returning rentals, etc. It takes three days to wrap things up only because nobody ever helps. The party is over and everyone goes home, leaving me holding the (trash) bag... and so I personally ask that you consider coming down and helping. It is a pretty slow paced, easy task and we get to hang out and reflect on what a good freeking time NedFest was, so please help out with this!! It could be completely done in less than one day with just a little bit of of help. Further, if you have a pick-up truck or a large vehicle, please bring it for rental returns, trash removal, getting supplies back to my house, etc. - Entry Gate Security = Checking for proper Wristbands on patrons coming in... and you must physically tug every wristband on every wrist that enters to ensure that it is legit; Looking in backpacks and bags for Alcohol, glass and other things that are not allowed; Handing out NedFest Programs to customers; Answering questions such as where the Lost & Found is, etc. This is a very important job and if we catch someone letting someone in for free/not checking wristbands/not checking backpacks/etc then we've got a problem. No just standing there with your backs to the people as they enter the gate. (These positions double up with "Roaming Security") - Exit Gate Security = Making sure nobody enters through the exit gate; Making sure nobody walks out of the liquor licensed festival grounds with beer; Making sure small children do not leave the festival grounds alone; Handing out NedFest Programs to customers; Answering questions such as where the Box Office is, etc. (These positions double up with "Roaming Security") - Grounds = There is not really a "Grounds" position, so to speak, as a lot of this is done by our "Roaming Security" but essentially everyone on Staff should be looking for things such as full trash cans, portajohns that need toilet paper re-stocked, things that have fallen or been blown down; those friggin' gate jumpers and gate hangers; and just general things that may need help. Very similar to "Roaming Security" and should probably be lumped into one cagegory with that, actually. - Medical Center = Extremely Specialized, such as EMT's, Nurses and Doctors... people with real-world knowledge and certification in the Medical field. Basically you just sit under a shaded tent until needed, and hopefully that never happens; Perhaps Give out some sunscreen, water or tend to bee bites, etc. - Merchandise Booth = Selling NedFest t-shirts and other merch; Selling Band/Artist merchandise such as CDs, DVDs, t-shirts, stickers, etc. Needs to be Staff who we already know and trust, as you are handling cash. There is a Merch Booth Supervisor and all product is accountable for. - Overnight Security = A handful of people are allowed to camp at the Festival Grounds overnight for Security purposes. The former Mayor of Nederland is our Head of Overnight Security, and if you stay on-site you MUST remember that you are there as SECURITY and that you may NOT party or be loud because the Festival is in a residential area with neighborhood kids and families nearby. You are required to stay on-site immediately following the close of the show... ie not go out to town and party if you are Overnight Security. If you are interested in camping overnight on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and/or Sunday night(s), please be sure to make special note of it when you apply. If you end up taking this responsibility, it does not exclude you from regular Staff shifts, as this free camping is a bonus. A number of Vendors also stay on site in their Vending tent as Security also. - Parking = We are always looking for experienced people to help with Parking. Please note that the times of these shifts are a little different than the other shifts, as the brunt of the duties are done by late afternoon or early evening... so the job is shorter and ends earlier!!! - Poster/Handbill Crew = Hanging Posters up all over the place prior to NedFest; Handing out Handbills at shows and events where our target market hangs out. We appreciate it if EVERYONE could help with this... as very, very few people is this their sole job. Most people do this in addition to staffing the actual event. If you think you can help, we have posters and handbills online at www.nedfest.com/promo.shtml and also I should be able to get some to you if I am not going too crazy with all these other logistics. - Roaming Security = Inside the Festival Grounds looking for Alcohol that has been brought in illegally; Watching for Gate Jumpers; Looking for people without proper wristbands; Looking for underage drinkers; Taking garbage cans that are full to the dumpster; Restocking toilet paper in the Portajons; Helping customers when needed; Assisting other Staff members as needed; General observing to assure there are no problems; and on and on. ** These positions double up with "Gate Security" and "Grounds." - Set-Up & Load In = Happens Wednesday, Thursday and early Friday before the Fest. We always need people helping with this in addition to their regular "during-event" shifts. - Stage Crew = Stage Manager, Monitor Engineer, FOH Engineer; Loaders, etc. Very specialized and usually hand picked by the Production Manager. - Tear Down = We always need help at the end of the night on Sunday getting the Sound System loaded out and getting other things taken down. We request that EVERYONE lend a hand so that this can be done quickly. Our production crew is the whip and they can give direction as to what they need. - VIP Entrance Gate = Pretty much return-Staffers claim this spot every summer. The same people have been doing this for years and we anticipate they will be back.
Volunteers get to keep their Staff Shirts at the end of the event.
Volunteers may attend pre- and post-NedFest Staff parties and meetings as they occur.
Please visit the NedFest Info Page for other important info.
** If you write me about Volunteering, please have the Subject line say "NedFest 2008 Volunteer Staff inquiry", as I most likely will not be able to find your message amongst the thousands of messages in my Inbox if you have a different Subject line. I need to make this as easy and simple as possible, as I am super bogged down right now. Thanks! |
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