That's right, I needs me some volunteer booth help for Origins, GenCon Indy, GenCon SoCal, maybe DragonCon (still undetermined if we'll be there, but maybe) and KublaCon! Read on, fellow traveller...
WHAT'S ALL THIS, THEN?: If you are a.) local to one or more of these shows and b.) already planning on attending, and would like to be an Official Paizo Booth Monkey, you and I need to talk. I need at a minimum three, maybe as many as six monkeys for Origins and the two GenCon shows, the rest I'll figure out as they get closer.
THAT'S ME, WHAT DO YOU NEED?: What I need is booth staff, mainly to demonstrate the Compleat Adventure scenarios, show off Item Cards, talk up the Shackled City and DRAGON Compendium books, tell people how great the magazines are and, when you're done, point them to the cash registers conveniently located at the north end of the booth. To this end, I need folks who are WELL VERSED in all or many of the Paizo products! I won't have much time to train you on what they are and how they work, I need you to come pre-equipped with working knowledge of the goods so you can run quick demos, give concise descriptions, answer basic questions and point them to the cash registers. Have I mentioned we'll be selling a LOT of stuff at the booths this year? Ching!
I'M IN! WHAT DO I DO: If you meet the above description, drop me an email at phil@paizo.com, and title it BOOTH MONKEY so my filter will catch it and route it properly. Only one email will do, it's not a drawing - the more times you enter, you are less likely to win! Simply tell me who you are, where you are, what shows you'll be attending, and how deep your knowledge is of our stuff. Be honest, don't fluff it up - I'd rather you tell me straignt-up that you have memorized the Age of Worms and don't know the Item Cards at all, than have you lie to me and tell me you know it all about everything we make. I'll read through the emails and contact folks I think we can use, and let everyone know quickly when I'm done.
GREAT! WHAT DO I GET?: I want to make this crystal clear: Paizo WILL NOT FLY YOU to ANY show! Period! I'm looking for what I consider to be "local" help, or someone who is already going to the show anyway on their own dime and doesn't mind helping us out for a few hours a day. In exchange, if you NEED it I will put you in a room (yes, with three other souls, but a room nonetheless), I will get you an exhibitor badge, and I will clad you in appropriate Paizo t-shirt action; I will throw random peanut butter sandwiches and lukewarm soda at your gaping maw, and I will work you like simpering orcs at the booth during exhibitor hall hours! What you do when you're not volunteering with us is your business - feel free to wander the halls, get into games, hang out at the bars, whatever makes you happy, just as long as you're back at the booth the next day for your assigned shift.
(important legal bit)
We aren't paying any kind of salary or what have you, and by agreeing to volunteer with us we are not agreeing in any way to give you any kind of permanent, full-time, part-time or contract work or job or anything else at Paizo Publishing or with paizo.com, nor is any promise of such employ suggested or implied. This is strictly volunteer work; however, longer hours of volunteering and helping will not go unnoticed, and will be generously rewarded with fringe benefits, so despair not.
(/important legal bit)
Our convention volunteer cooridnator, Michelle, will arrange times for you to help us out and times for you to be free and wander the hall or do your own thing, but we must insist that if you agree to help during certain hours, you actually show up and work! Michelle is NOT pleasant when she's angry, you don't want to see her when she's angry...
This convention season promises to be a gargantuan one for the Paizo crew. We've never quite done conventions like we're going to do them this year, so there's bound to be growing pains. But if you're passionate about our products, and genuinely want to lend us a hand, we'd love to have you!
Thanks! - Phil