Staffing & Volunteering
OffKai Expo thrives on the dedication of passionate individuals like you! We offer two ways to get involved:
Staff
Become a key player in bringing OffKai Expo to life! Staff members are responsible for the planning and execution of the convention.
Time commitment varies depending on the role. Staff may spend an average of 1-5 hours a week on tasks like attending meetings, communication, and project development. As we get closer to the convention, this may increase as we finalize event details and coordinate with partners. You must be 18 years or older to staff at OffKai Expo.
On-Site Volunteers
Help us make OffKai Expo run smoothly! On-site volunteers are essential for the operation of the convention during the event.
On-site volunteers are individuals who may not be involved in the pre-planning of the convention but play a vital role in helping the event run smoothly. These roles include tasks such as line control, attendance counting, and stepping in wherever assistance is needed throughout the weekend.
If you would like to support the convention but do not have time for pre-event planning, or if you enjoy working while attending a convention, this is the perfect role for you.
On-site volunteers who work 8 hours will receive a 50 percent refund on their Full Weekend Membership, and those who work 16 hours will receive a full refund on their Full Weekend Membership. You must be 18 years or older to volunteer at OffKai Expo.
Questions? Email HR@offkaiexpo.com or ask in the OffKai Expo Discord server!
OffKai Expo Staff Departments
Branding and Design
This where the branding of each of OffKai Expo Gen such as Internal and External assets are planned, designed, and created. The team works with various other departments of OffKai Expo such as Marketing, Maid Cafe, Signage, Sponsorship, AV, Web, and many more to keep the branding consistent and cohesive of our original branding or the current Gen’s concept.
A sub-branch of the department includes Merchandise where we plan, design, and work with manufacturers to produce original OffKai Expo merchandise that fans can purchase on-site at our Con Store.
We also have an Art department where we work with artists in creating original art pieces of our mascot, The Right Honourable The Former Deputy Head of Grand Council Lady Samantha-Joel “OffKai Mc OffKaiFace” Berlington XIV (patent pending), that we use for various media types.
- Graphic Design
- Artist
- Signage
- Motion Graphics
Events - Activities
The Activities Department is under the larger Events Department umbrella and covers a wide variety of attendee-focused activities at OffKai Expo. The aim of the Activities Department is to provide fun, interactive experiences for attendees outside of panels, events, and concerts. At-Con Activities include:
- Fan Meet-Ups
- Maid Cafe
- Ribbon Gate
- Treasure Hunt
- Stamp Derby
- Itasha Showcase
- Keyboard Meet-Up
- Karaoke
- Arcade and Gaming
- Photo Spots
… And more!
If you are interested in, or feel that your skills lead better to Staffing a specific department, please indicate which in your application. Otherwise, you’ll be matched with the department that best suits your skillset.
If you are interested in applying to be a Butler in the Maid Cafe, please send an email to maidcafe@offkaiexpo.com to learn more!
Events - Programming
An OffKai Expo staff member in the Programming department assists in planning, coordination, and execution of all live programming events which includes Main and Second stage events, panels, and meet & greets. They will assist in the planning and execution of line control, room flow, and the overall layout of event spaces. Programming staff will also be responsible for communicating the status of events and ensuring any on-site volunteers are receiving proper training for their responsibilities so that programs are able to operate seamlessly, providing the best possible experience for our attendees and guests.
HR
An OffKai Expo HR staff member supports the smooth operation of the convention by managing the people side of the event. They help recruit, and onboard volunteers and staff, ensuring roles are filled with reliable individuals who understand their responsibilities. They maintain clear communication channels, coordinate training, and make sure everyone has the information and resources needed to perform effectively during the convention. HR staff also help create and enforce policies, address interpersonal issues or conflicts, ensure a safe and inclusive environment for attendees, guests and volunteers, and provide on-site support for any staffing or personnel challenges that arise. Their role is a blend of people management, problem-solving, and ensuring the overall well-being of the team so the event can run smoothly.
Logistics
We move the stuff. It takes a lot of stuff to run a convention like OffKai Expo. Logistics handles the coordination, movement, and distribution of equipment, supplies, and materials. We ensure that every department has what they need, when they need it. Before and leading up to the convention we will be maintaining and managing OffKai Expo’s inventory while working with other departments to determine their equipment needs. During the con we will coordinate load-ins with the convention center staff and manage a distribution center to address the many miscellaneous needs that pop-up during the con.
Marketing
The Marketing department drives OffKai Expo’s admission sales by developing and carrying out marketing campaigns. Staff write social media posts and replies to inform, engage, and entertain the community. They update and optimize content on our website. They also shoot and edit photos/videos for usage in promotional materials and on-site activities. If you’re creative and an effective communicator, we encourage you to apply for the Marketing department!
- Social Media
- Website management
- Videographers
- Photographers
Merch
The Merch Department is responsible for procuring OffKai and partner-branded goods. This team works closely with our Branding & Design department to ensure our manufacturing partners receive all necessary assets and information to produce the merchandise we order.
We are looking for individuals who can reliably manage deadlines and requirements, and who excel at communicating with both internal teams and external vendors.
Operations
The Operations Department serves as the central hub for ensuring the convention runs smoothly. This team handles both public-facing and internal support functions that keep the event organized and responsive.
A key responsibility of Operations, particularly the Con Ops office, is providing customer service. When convention members have questions or need assistance, Con Ops is often their first stop. The team answers inquiries directly or contacts the appropriate department to resolve issues quickly and accurately.
Operations also manages critical behind-the-scenes functions. This includes overseeing radio distribution and check-in, routing incoming phone calls, coordinating signage throughout the venue, supporting the Help Desk, and ensuring staff have access to essential resources such as Staff Feed.
Together, these efforts allow the Operations Department to keep communication flowing, support staff needs, and maintain a positive experience for everyone attending the convention.
Registration
OffKai Expo’s Registration team is the first point of contact for the vast majority of attendees, handling attendance inquiries and refunds leading up to the event, and checking-in attendees on-site. Our volunteers are the polite, professional, knowledgeable, and efficient face of our convention that attendees will meet first. Staff will be taught the inner workings of our registration system, ConCat, as well as being kept up to date with attendee-facing policies for the convention and processing refund requests. Volunteers and on-site staff will check in attendees, checking IDs and referencing attendee data in ConCat to confirm their registrations before handing off their badges. Individuals with strong customer service and data entry skills in fast-paced environments will excel in these roles, and the experience is a great way to get started volunteering with OffKai.
Secretariat
The Secretariat Department empowers OffKai Expo staff and volunteers with the knowledge, tools, and resources they need to work best. We develop internal infrastructure to facilitate information flow, process improvements, and interdepartmental collaboration in OffKai Expo.
Secretariat staff will each focus on one of three areas:
- Improving processes, building tools (e.g. spreadsheets, templates, automation), and facilitating continuous improvement
- Curating our collaborative knowledgebase wiki, hosted on Confluence
- Those who are interested in being assigned to other departments with a mix of secretarial and departmental duties
If you want to support your own department with secretarial and administrative functions, you may take on a role that connects with the Secretariat Department. Our team will guide you with resources, support and best practices so that you can best support your own department within OffKai Expo!
Sponsorships
An OffKai Expo Sponsorships staff member supports the continued success of the convention by managing OffKai’s obligations to sponsors and business partners. They help manage graphics deliveries, signage and merchandise manufacturing, shipping logistics of sponsor items, and internal documentation/tracking. They are also responsible for ensuring the delivery of sponsor items to their intended destinations, as well as ensuring that the items are being distributed and/or set up correctly. In addition, they may help handle any unforeseen issues with sponsor activations on-site as necessary. Physical presence (to work with our contractors) at the convention venue on Wednesday of the convention (Day -1) is required for some roles. Being local to the area of the convention is a plus for some roles. Experience with B2B business interactions is preferred for some roles.
Technical Productions - Audio-Visual
The AV (Audio Visual) department provides technical support for all OffKai Expo events and activities. We provide traditional AV support such as live audio mixing, video switching, PTZ camera operation and stage/concert lighting control as well as computer-based AV support such as audio/video playback, Twitch/Youtube streaming and teleconferencing.
Technical Productions - TechOps
If you consider TechProd to be the backbone of OffKai Expo, then the TechProd Ops department is something like the spinal cord of the department. In this role, you will not be expected to run a soundboard or program lighting (but you definitely can learn if you want). Instead, you will be responsible for the people, processes, and information that allow the technical experts to do their best work. You will report directly to the TechProd Ops Director, acting as a hybrid between a Project Manager, Executive Assistant, and Departmental Strategist. You are the glue that ensures the TechProd team hits deadlines, communicates effectively, and stays fed and happy during the convention.
In TechProd, individual officers have significant latitude to define their own roles and responsibilities, but these are some key responsibilities that have been taken on by the Ops department in the past:
- Collaborate with sub-departments to build and maintain the central schedule for TechProd, ensuring department officers are aware of and meet deadlines for equipment, staffing, and stage plots.
- Maintain and share cross-functional trackers, ensuring key stakeholders are informed of asset status, risks, and delivery schedules.
- Own the department’s information architecture (Google Drive/Confluence), ensuring run-of-show scripts, technical layouts, and equipment lists are current and accessible.
- Organize department meetings by scheduling sessions as necessary, preparing focused agendas, and distributing clear, actionable minutes.
- Continuously assess and optimize workflows to improve efficiency, clarity, and cross-functional coordination.
- Manage the “human” side of the department during the con, specifically overseeing meal coordination, break schedules, and hydration.
Keep the staff directory, onboarding status, team rosters, etc, up to date.
Vendor
An OffKai Expo Vendor/Exhibitor Hall Staff member provides onsite support during the event with managing their assigned hall/area (Artist & Vendor Hall, Exhibitor Hall, and/or Yabai Market). This includes enforcing event rules, assisting with line management, supporting vendors/exhibitors, providing customer service to attendees as a representative of OffKai Expo, and promptly reporting/escalating any safety issues. A successful staff member in this role would be willing/able to sit/stand/walk for extended periods of time, able to remain calm even in high stress situations, and able to represent OffKai in a professional manner to attendees, vendors, exhibitors, convention center staff, etc.
Venue
The OffKai Expo venue team is responsible for helping connect our internal teams with third parties such as the convention center and contractors. The venue team requires strong communication and time management skills so that all of the asks and back-and-forth messaging is properly managed. The venue team also will be responsible for on-site management of requests and communications between OffKai Expo staff and the convention center/contractors. Individuals who are interested in seeing how conventions operate from a high level view or are looking to gain insight into working with physical venues, union contractors, and the various OffKai Expo teams should apply.