We need you,
you’re our only hope!
Why volunteer?
The Abunai! three-day convention is organised and run entirely by dedicated volunteers. As volunteer, you play a crucial role in bringing this amazing event to life. You’ll also get the chance to learn new skills, meet new people and create memories that will last a lifetime.
From helping with build-up and visitor check-in during the convention, to working year-round behind the scenes to help organise our convention: we have something for everyone. Different positions come with different responsibilities, but all come with great power.
Of course, you will be taken great care of during our convention. Gopher and steward shifts are limited to 3 hours. You are expected to work 2 shifts per convention day, and we will do our best to assign you a shift that suits you best. In-between shifts you will also have access to our volunteer lounge where you can relax and get something to drink or eat.
If you’re looking for a fun and fulfilling way to give back to the anime community, why not volunteer for Abunai! and become a part of something truly special?
Scroll down to sign up or read more about our volunteering positions!
Gophers
Requirements: you must be at least 16 years old, understand Dutch and English, and be available 6 hours a day during the convention.
As a gopher you are responsible for carrying out various tasks to keep the convention running. These tasks come in a variety of shifts which you will complete with other volunteers. Shifts include:
- General and event shifts: These shifts revolve around assisting our staff with basic tasks, setting up decorations, preparing events rooms and helping event organisers.
- Register, information desk, and cloak room shifts: You will be checking visitors in to our convention, help answer questions, and store their belongings. Please note that these shifts require you to be social and highly stress-resistant.
- Video room shifts: In this shift you will keep the videos running, make sure people follow video room rules and get to watch lots of anime.
- Stand-by shifts: Relax in the volunteer lounge and wait for a call in case you are needed. Not the most exciting task on paper, but who knows what you might find yourself doing?
Each of these shifts lasts for 2 hours. You are expected to work 3 shifts per convention day, every convention day. Our gopher manager will do their best to assign you shifts that suit your personality, capabilities and preferences. If you’re off-duty you’re free to roam the convention just as any other visitor.
Interested? Fill in this form and we will get back to you within a few days. If you have any questions about volunteering as a gopher, feel free to contact us.
Stewards
You must be at least 18 years old and are able to at least communicate in Dutch and basic English
Join a team of volunteers dedicated to creating a great visitor experience!
The Abunai! stewards are the welcoming face on the convention grounds responsible for creating and maintaining a fun and safe convention atmosphere! A fun team of volunteers in red t-shirts, with a heart of gold and the brains of a geek, that take care of our visitors and fellow volunteers.
We assist visitors in need, for example by directing them to where they want to go. We make sure the convention meets the required standards, by doing things such as ensuring fire preventive measures are not obstructed , and we make sure every visitor feels safe and at home on the convention grounds. We also perform crowd control and line management, keeping bottlenecks to a minimum and maintaining a safe flow of traffic to ensure that the convention stays accessible for everyone. And we do all this by being approachable and helpful.
To achieve these goals you will often find us working as a pair or a team at the entrances and exits, or patrolling the convention grounds to check if something is out of place or violates convention policies. Our stewards carry a radio to communicate with each other over the vast expanse that is our convention floor. We will provide a basic three-hour training before the start of the convention so you can learn how to handle such equipment and any situation that might arise during your volunteering.
Shifts last a maximum of two hours and we vary the type of shifts as much as possible. You won’t be alone, you will work together with various other stewards! Furthermore, you can specify if you want to work during the day or the evening. This means you’ll have plenty of time to explore the convention and enjoy yourself. To facilitate this, we also take into account what events you might want to visit so this doesn’t interfere with your schedule.
In short, what do we do:
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Help keep the convention accessible and fun!
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Ensure that visitors feel safe and at home
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Keep a cool head when called upon
What do you get:
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A red t-shirt, and a badge with your name and title
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Early access to a hotel room reservation
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Free lunch and drinks during the convention
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The necessary (3 hour) training required to perform your tasks
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Access to the event during and between shifts
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Experience that will stand out on your resumé!
Interested? Fill in this form and we will get back to you within a few days. If you have any questions about volunteering as steward, feel free to contact us.
Staff
Requirements: be at least 18 years old, understand Dutch and English, be available year round for several hours a week.
As a staff member you work year-round behind the scenes to help organise the Abunai! convention. You will be part of a team within a commission and given a clear set of responsibilities to take care of throughout the year under guidance of a manager. Our staff members are expected to be professional, communicative and able to follow deadlines. Most of our internal communication is done digitally through e-mail, messaging and video calls, but we also host multiple in-person staff meetings a year. During the convention you can be given or choose to take on various tasks from behind the scenes to ensure the convention runs smoothly.
Our full list of commisions is as follows:
- Acquisition: Dealer Room & Artist Alley
- Events: Events and Matsuri
- HR/Legal: Human Resources, Legal
- Location: Location, Horeca
- Marketing and Communication: PR, Promo & Merch, Sponsoring, Visitors Services
- Media: Video room, Game room, Main stage
- Personnel: Gopher management, Steward management, Sparkling Potpourri Maid & Butler Cafe management
- Support: Finance, IT, Materials
- Theme: Theme, Decoration, Design
You can always submit an open application to vacatures@stichtingabunai.nl. Make sure to include your resume and a motivation letter and we will get back to you as soon as possible!