This page breaks down the different ways you can participate in, and the responsibilities you take on when you volunteer to help make CONvergence programming great!
Jump to…
- Ways to Get Involved
- Becoming a Panelist or Moderator
- Panelist Check-In & Assistance
- Panelist Responsibilities
- Moderator Responsibilities
- Programming Sub-Host Responsibilities
- Programming General Host Responsibilities
- Programming A/V Specialist Responsibilities
- At-Con Programming Volunteer Shifts
Ways to Get Involved
There are many ways to get involved with the CONvergence Programming department!
- You can attend the annual programming brainstorming meeting.
- You can suggest panel ideas using the web-based form.
- You can volunteer to be a panelist using the sign-up form when it is available.
- You can volunteer to be a moderator using the sign-up form when it is available.
- You can volunteer to be a Programming Sub-Host (see below).
- You can volunteer to be a Programming General Host (see below).
- You can volunteer to be a Programming A/V Specialist (see below).
- You can become a year-round volunteer with the CONvergence Programming department as a departmental head or sub-head.
And if none of these sound interesting to you, there are many, many other ways to get involved at CONvergence!
Becoming A Panelist or Moderator
Panelists and Moderators sign up for the panels they would like to be part of. Typically, panel sign-up for the upcoming convention starts in February.
To sign up, head over to the CONvergence Panel Sign-Up Site, familiarize yourself with the information on the page, then click the “Start” button in the lower-right corner.
- The Tag list drop-down menu allows you to view different keywords. Selecting a keyword shows the panels with the matching tag. Many panels are tagged with multiple keywords, so the same panel may appear in different lists. You can also select “ALL” to see every single panel available for sign-up.
- When you see a panel you would like to sign up for, check the box next to it. Please check no more than eight. While the form does not limit the number of panels that you can sign up for (we use the honor system), we do look at all of your panel sign-ups when doing panelist selection and take the overall number into account.
- After you have selected the panels you would like to sign up for, click the button in the lower-right corner to enter your information.
- Make sure you use the same email address year-to-year. Your email address is used to find you in our contacts database. If you enter a different email address from last year, it won’t link to your panelist history. If you need to change your email address in the database, please contact CONvergence Programming.
- Once you have submitted your information, you are in the queue to be a panelist at CONvergence. Closer to the convention, you will get an email with instructions to determine which panels you will be part of!
A few caveats:
- With very few exceptions, there is a limit of four panelists per panel, plus a moderator. The moderator’s responsibility is to keep the panel moving smoothly. For this reason, they may contribute less to the conversation overall. For popular panels, we reserve the right to determine which panelists we think will make for the best panel.
- With the exceptions of Guests of Honor, we try to limit panelists to eight panels or less. We love those of you who are enthusiastic about sitting many more panels than that and we MAY allow it if we have a panel in need of extra people. In general, though, we ask you to limit your list to eight or fewer panels. Please prioritize your list so we know what your favorite selections are. Curious how panel scheduling works? Check out the Panel Scheduling page for all the details!
- Finally, the panel descriptions were generated by the Programming department based on what we believed the suggestions to be. If you made a suggestion and feel we misrepresented the panel, let us know so we can fix it. Otherwise, the panel you are signing up for is the panel that is described. If you like a panel name but think it should be about something else, either don’t sign up for it, or tell us how you think it should be changed. Please do not sign up for it with the intent of changing the panel topic at the convention.
The best CONvergence panel discussions happen when people with different perspectives talk about something they are all passionate about. To that end, we are constantly seeking new and different panelists every year. Anyone can be a panelist at CONvergence.
If you have questions, comments, or something that doesn’t fit in the form (like telling us your email address changed), please contact CONvergence Programming and let us know!
Panelist Check-In & Assistance
After you pick up your badge, stop by the Programming Office in the Hyatt 4 Executive Boardroom, where we will have a copy of your schedule that can attach to your badge.
During the convention, there is always someone in the Programming Office (located in Hyatt 4 Executive Boardroom) to answer any questions you might have, or just to talk. Please come find us!
Panelist Responsibilities
If you can’t make it to a panel you are scheduled to be part of, please notify us as early as possible. During the convention, stop by the Programming Office (located in Hyatt 4 Executive Boardroom).
If you think that you’ll be too tired or out of it to represent the convention well at certain times (e.g., very early or very late), let us know when you sign up by selecting “Not Available” for those time slots so that we can take that into account when scheduling your panels.
Panelist duties:
- Show up 5-10 minutes early so that you can meet your other panelists and get settled.
- If you are doing readings, it is important to bring printed copies of your material for those who need them. And yes, you are reading aloud to the audience.
- Get ready. Pour some water if you want, turn off your cell phone ringer, etc. Review the panel description (it will be on your table tent).
- Do not invite other people to join you as a panelist. Instead, you and your fellow panelists can choose to involve them in the discussion from the audience.
- CONvergence is an all-ages event. Be aware of children in the audience (if any) and make sure that your language is appropriate for them.
- Stay on topic. Try not to veer off onto a tangent. If you don’t like the topic as described, don’t sign up for the panel hoping to change it at the last minute!
- If your panel has a moderator, follow their lead.
- Ensure that all panelists are involved and have equal chance to speak. (This is one of the reasons that we limit the number of panelists.)
- Involve the audience. For the most part, the audience is excited to contribute, so take questions and comments. (This obviously doesn’t apply to certain panels that are presentations or readings.)
- End on time.
- Thank the audience and remind them to pick up their trash and generally put the room back. Also, if you move or rearrange things in the room, it’s your job to put them back. There isn’t any hidden army of people to do it for you.
You can volunteer to be a panelist during annual panel sign-ups. Time you spend as a panelist counts towards your CONvergence volunteer hours.
CONvergence Programming does not normally grant volunteer hours for preparation or rehearsal of panels or panel presentations. Special arrangements to grant volunteer hours for preparation or rehearsal can be set up in some circumstances, but must be cleared with CONvergence Programming in advance of putting in the time.
Moderator Responsibilities
If you can’t make it to a panel you are scheduled to moderate, please notify us as early as possible. During the convention, stop by the Programming Office (located in Hyatt 4 Executive Boardroom).
If you think that you’ll be too tired or out of it to represent the convention well at certain times (e.g., very early or very late), let us know when you sign up by selecting “Not Available” for those time slots so that we can take that into account when scheduling your panels.
Panel Moderator duties:
- Introduces the panelists.
- Helps keep the discussion moving and on-topic.
- Helps ensure that all panelists have a chance to contribute.
- Helps keep the audience engaged.
While a moderator should be interested in the panel topic, they ideally should not be part of the actual discussion. Moderators should be the “disinterested” third parties. If you find yourself interested in a panel topic, but don’t necessarily have an opinion on it, moderating the panel is a fantastic way to contribute meaningfully to the discussion!
You can volunteer to be a panel moderator during annual panel sign-ups. Time you spend as a panel moderator counts towards your CONvergence volunteer hours.
CONvergence Programming does not normally grant volunteer hours for preparation or rehearsal of panels or panel presentations. Special arrangements to grant volunteer hours for preparation or rehearsal can be set up in some circumstances, but must be cleared with CONvergence Programming in advance of putting in the time.
Programming Sub-Host Responsibilities
A Programming Sub-Host is in charge of running convention programming during their shift, so it’s a great way to get involved! Programming Sub-Hosts spend their shift primarily in the Programming Office (located in Hyatt 4 Executive Boardroom).
Programming Sub-Host duties:
- Check in at the Programming Office (located in Hyatt 4 Executive Boardroom) to verify your shifts.
- Handle queries as needed.
- Handle communications with The Bridge.
- Back up Programming General Hosts.
- Escalate as needed to the on-duty Programming Head.
You can volunteer to be a Programming Sub-Host by contacting us in advance of the convention.
Programming General Host Responsibilities
Programming General Hosts are at-con volunteers who help with panel staging and quality control.
Programming General Host duties:
- Check in at the the Programming Office (located in Hyatt 4 Executive Boardroom) to verify your shifts.
- Check panelist attendance.
- Distribute and collect panel evaluation sheets.
- Reset panel rooms between panels.
You can volunteer to be a Programming General Host by contacting us, or stopping by the Volunteers Table during the convention.
Programming A/V Specialist Responsibilities
Programming A/V Specialists support the microphones, mixers, projectors and similar equipment in panel rooms during the convention.
Programming A/V Specialist duties:
- Check in at the Programming Office (located in Hyatt 4 Executive Boardroom) to verify your shifts.
- Be available at specific times to help set up or take down equipment (for example, before and after Raptor Center). We’ll have a schedule available before con.
- Be available “on call” to diagnose and resolve any setup problems and help presenters hook up their equipment.
You can volunteer to be a Programming A/V Specialist by contacting us, or stopping by the Volunteers Table during the convention.
At-Con Programming Volunteer Shifts
Volunteering at-con as a Programming Sub-Host, General Host, or A/V Specialist is organized into shift slots. Each shift is three hours long and typically covers two panels.
Thursday
- Shift 2, Noon – 3:00pm (panels begin at 12:30pm)
- Shift 3, 3:00pm – 6:00pm
- Shift 4, 6:30pm – 9:30pm
- Shift 5, 9:30pm – 12:30am
Friday
- Shift 1, 9:00am – Noon
- Shift 2, Noon – 3:00pm
- Shift 3, 3:00pm – 6:00pm
- Shift 4, 6:30pm – 9:30pm
- Shift 5, 9:30pm – 12:30am
Saturday
- Shift 1, 9:00am – Noon
- Shift 2, Noon – 3:00pm
- Shift 3, 3:00pm – 6:00pm
- Shift 4, 6:30pm – 9:30pm
- Shift 5, 9:30pm – 12:30am
Sunday
- Shift 1, 9:00am – Noon
- Shift 2, Noon – 3:00pm
- Shift 3, 3:00pm – 6:00pm
You can volunteer with CONvergence Programming by contacting us, or stopping by the Volunteers Table during the convention.
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