Please note that myself (JakeyBoyPro – Streaming Manager of Esports Wales), does not represent Player1Events, Belong or Insomnia Gaming festival in any way shape or form, this is just my personal opinion on volunteering at the event.
1) Was volunteering at Insomnia your first experience as a volunteer for an Esports event?
I first volunteered at insomnia63, hosted at the NEC in August 2018. After enjoying insomnia63 so much and making some great friends, I decided that I would attend as many Insomnia events as possible and have just completed my volunteering stint at insomnia64 and have already applied to volunteer at insomnia65.
2) How did you find it and what were your daily tasks and activities?
I personally really enjoy the volunteer team that I work on, which is the logistics team. What the logistics team do is organise the stores of the event and ensure that all of the equipment used during the event is delivered to the correct areas of the show. For certain areas, we are also involved in setting up the gaming systems used on the tournament stands. We are also responsible for ensuring that the main stage area is set up appropriately before the show goes live. One of the key responsibilities for the logistics team at the event is the breakdown of Player1Events activity stands and gaming zones and preparing all of the stock for egress out of the event. There are many different volunteer teams which work during the event and you can find out more about them on the volunteering page which will be linked at the bottom of this article.
3) What was the application process like and do you have any tips for others for when they apply?
The application process for applying to become a volunteer for Insomnia is relatively simple, you fill in the application form and if the organisers and team leaders for the team you want to apply for, feel you fit the requirements for the team you will be accepted! The main advice I would give is, to be honest, and open about yourself. If you have certain areas of knowledge that you feel would be of benefit, talk about this knowledge and how you feel it would elevate the team’s ability to deliver their tasks during the event.
4) What benefits did you receive as a volunteer?
The main benefit of being a volunteer is easily becoming a part of a community that I feel is like no other, I personally found it hard to attend this event and considered dropping out last minute due to personal reasons, but, the other volunteers on my team made this much easier as I knew they would be there to support me no matter what I was going through. There are, of course, other benefits to being a volunteer such as gaining knowledge on how the UK’s largest gaming festival operates and using this knowledge to enhance career opportunities. Alongside the personal benefits outside of the event, you also get free entry, a volunteer camping section (with volunteer specific showers and toilets), the option of a free BYOC ticket awarded on a first come first serve basis (some teams require you to bring a computer no matter what), and many other benefits that will become apparent during the event if you do apply!
5) Would you recommend volunteering at Insomnia or other events to others?
I would 100% recommend volunteering at Insomnia providing you are willing to put the work in, due to the fact that it is hard work to help with the event no matter what team you work on. I cannot speak for other events as I have not attended that outside of insomnia as a volunteer but you never know until you try!
If you do wish to apply to be a volunteer at insomnia65 (22nd – 26th August 2019) then follow this link (https://insomniagamingfestival.com/volunteering/). Look at the descriptions of the teams to get an idea of which you would like to apply for, then fill in the application and send it off! We hope to see more Esports Wales members at insomnia65 and we will most certainly organise another community meet at the event!
Questions were written by NorrisBoi.
Answers were written by JakeyBoyPro.
