The Ottawa Geek Market is looking for volunteers JUST LIKE YOU for our March 27-29, 2020 edition at the Nepean Sportsplex. The truth is we could never throw amazing events for this incredible community without all of the help our amazing volunteers provide. 

If you’re 16 or older and want to be a part of an amazing weekend, and you’d like some Geek Market cash to spend at the event, then please consider volunteering with us! We’ll be opening up applications this winter. 

 The Ottawa Geek Market is a weekend long shopping festival for fans of all things geeky (gaming, sci-fi, fantasy, anime, pop culture, comics, etc…). We’re a volunteer-run not-for-profit, and we pride ourselves on 2 things: having fun, and making a difference in our community. We’ve raised over $86,000 for local charitable initiatives thanks to volunteers just like you. Our photo galleries  and Instagram page are the best way to see just how fun this event is.

 Below we highlight what you get for being a valuable part of our volunteer team, and how to apply. Further down you’ll find the positions to pick from, and a few other useful details about training and volunteering for us. 

What you can expect from us

• Free access to the event
• One of our custom event t-shirts
• A $5 Geek Market gift card for every 4 hour shift you work
• An invitation to our volunteer appreciation party
• Snacks and drinks
• We’ll sign off on your volunteer hours for school or other projects
• A great opportunity to meet fellow geeks and have fun
• Full training on your position

How to apply 

Volunteer applications for the March 2020 event are now closed. Thank you for your interest in helping out with the Ottawa Geek Market!

Available positions

Here’s the list of some of the positions we’ll have available (please click on each link for details on the positions including requirements and tasks):

Activities

• Photo Booth Assistant/Entertainer (this position is great for cosplayers)
• Hogwarts Prefect (Harry Potter sorting hat booth)

Admissions/Sales

• Admissions Officer
• Coat Check Officer
• Geek Market Bazaar Booth Officer
• Merchandise Booth Officer

Crowd/Line Control

• Crowd Control Area Supervisor
• Crowd Control Officer
• Greeter
• Lineup Assistant/Entertainer (this position is great for cosplayers)

Event Logistics

• Clean up/Beautification/Eco Crew Member
• Loading Dock Supervisor (this is a management level position)
• Setup Assistant
• Teardown and Load-out Assistant

Exhibitor Relations

• Exhibitor Registration Officer

A FEW THINGS TO NOTE

• Volunteers must be at least 16 years old or have volunteered at a previous Ottawa Geek Market event.
• We proudly encourage a fragrance-free environment and ask that all volunteers be fragrance-free for the event.
• We’ll be offering training on March 16th or 17th at the Nepean Sportsplex.
• We’ll be hosting a Volunteer Appreciation party in April after the event.

If you have any questions about our volunteer process, please contact us at [email protected].

OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY AND A SAFE ENVIRONMENT

It’s important to us to have a diverse volunteer base. We welcome applications from any volunteer, who is 16+ years of age, and who is comfortable working with individuals from different backgrounds. We especially encourage applications from individuals who are interested in contributing to the geeky community, are a member of a visible minority, are a person with a disability, or are geeks on the LGBTQ+ rainbow.

We are committed to providing a safe, harassment-free, welcoming, and fun work environment.

WE TAKE ACCESSIBILITY SERIOUSLY

We work hard to make our event as accessible as possible for our volunteers, exhibitors, and patrons. Should you require any medical accommodations, please don’t hesitate to let us know. It’s important to us that all volunteers feel respected, enjoy their time with us, and have their accommodations needs met.

In addition, upon individual request, we will modify our volunteer selection processes to remove barriers to accommodate those with disabilities. If you require any accommodations to fully and fairly participate in the application or selection process, please contact Stacey at 613-862-3556 and she will work to provide you with a suitable accommodation in a manner that takes into account your accessibility needs.