Staff and Volunteer Registration

AS OF KUMORICON 2026, WE WILL NO LONGER BE SIGNING STAFF UP AT THE CONVENTION. If you have missed the cut-off to be signed up, please visit us at our Attendee Volunteer booth to inquire on options in volunteering with us.

Levels Summary

We no longer use the “general”, “coordinator”, “manager”, “executive” rank system.

Instead, we are using a level system with six levels: L1, L2, L3, L4, L5, L6.

• L1 is the most entry-level and L6 is the most involved.
• The level is a classification of a position’s work and responsibility level, experience, and time commitment.
• When a staff member is signed up for a position, it will be at a specific level. Staff who hold more than one position might have different levels for each of their positions.
• For many staff positions, the same position will be able to be filled at different levels by different people. This allows different staff members to work in the same role but with the best level of commitment and expectations for each person.
• The level is not shown in the position title.
• In public credits and on staff badges, level will not be shown, but level will be viewable in the internal staff directory.
• Staff positions will now be identified by a team and by a title, displayed together. Both team and title will show on staff badges and in credit lists. On staff badges, the team will be larger than the title.
• This means that titles can be duplicated across different teams, and use more industry-standard names.
• Position titles will no longer include words for ranks (such as “coordinator” or “manager”). These words may appear in some titles but they no longer indicate a rank or level.

Example changes to position titles

Registration Staff → Crew, Registration
KumoriMarket Staff → Support, KumoriMarket
Cosplay Repair Coordinator → Specialist, Cosplay Repair
Cultural Coordinator → Cultural Facilitator, Industry and Sponsorship
Registration Software Development Staff → Developer, Registration Software
Panel Mod Staff → Monitor, Panels

Joining Staff FAQ

When does staff registration start?

Staff registration for Kumoricon is on a year-to-year basis. When you’re approved for a position, it applies for the upcoming Kumoricon, and doesn’t automatically renew for the next year.

**Staff registration is open for most of the year, however starting with Kumoricon 2026 we are implementing cutoffs for the levels. Onsite staff registration for Kumoricon 2026 will not be available. We encourage you to sign up early to provide you with the most options for positions.**

What is the deadline to join staff?

• L6 and L5: March 31st, 2026
• L4: May 13th, 2026
• L3: September 13th, 2026
• L2: October 13th, 2026
• L1: November 7th, 2026

After November 7th, 2026, staff registration will be closed for Kumoricon 2026, and any inquiring staff will be sent over to our Attendee Volunteer program if they are still looking to volunteer.

Can I register as a staff member at the convention?

No.

If you are interested in volunteering after staff applications have closed, please visit our Attendee Volunteer booth in the registration hall for opportunities. Please note, valid membership to the convention is required to be an Attendee Volunteer.

When I join staff, how long is my commitment?

We sign up staff on a year-to-year basis. Your commitment lasts up through the next convention, and in some cases has some duties a little bit past it.

Am I automatically staff for the next-year convention, or do I need to renew each year?

Staff positions do not automatically renew for the year after. Staff need to be approved, and officially registered, every year.

If I join staff, do I need to register as an attendee also?

No need! Your staff registration also serves as your convention registration, and is all you need to enter the convention and get your badge. (Make sure to pick up your badge at the staff registration booths, not the regular registration area.)

If I already registered as an attendee, what happens if I join staff? Do I get a refund?

If you already registered as an attendee, then your staff registration is considered an upgrade, and you are eligible to get a refund. However, our systems won’t detect this automatically—you must request your refund. Please email membership@kumoricon.org to request a staff upgrade refund.

Do staff work only at the convention, or do preparation work year-round? Or both?

This depends on which position you join. Most positions require at-con duties, and some additionally require pre-convention (or after-convention) duties. On our open positions page, positions list whether they are more at-con focused or pre-con focused. Hour requirements are also listed in the levels breakdown section.

All of the year-round convention planning and at-con hosting are done by the same group of people, who we call “staff”, who work for a single organization (Altonimbus Entertainment).

Are any staff paid?

Altonimbus Entertainment (the organization which produces Kumoricon) is an all-volunteer organization. No staff are paid, not even our executive staff or board members.

Do staff just help out where needed, or do I need to join a specific position?

All people who are joining staff (instead of just volunteering as attendees) need to join a specific titled position. We sometimes ask staff to help outside their position if emergencies arise, and for dedicated staff you can seek out opportunities to help out beyond your position, but as a staff member your primary and first duty will be to the position(s) you signed up for.

Joining staff sounds interesting, but I’m not sure where to start. What kinds of positions are available?

There are some great ways to get started!

• Browse our open staff positions.
• Start the online staff application, select “I’m unsure which position is best”, and answer some survey questions of your interests. Our system will show search results tailored to your choices, and you can change your choices and see the results change in real time.
• Attend one of our monthly membership meetings (open to the public) and join the breakout sessions after the official meeting ends. In recent years, these meetings have been online (simulcast on Twitch and Discord), but we are also hoping to return to some in-person meetings soon.

I completed my application for staff. Am I now a staff member?

Not yet. Submitting a staff application does not guarantee you a staff position. (Also, applying for staff and registering for staff are not the same thing.) If you have not heard back after a few weeks, please feel free to reply to the email receipt or reach out to staff.registration@kumoricon.org and we may be able to give you an update.

I received an email saying I was approved for a staff position. Am I now a staff member?

Not yet. You must still complete your registration. Only when you receive the email saying you are “ratified” are you officially staff.

How much work is involved in being a staff member?

This varies a huge amount based on the position you choose. Some positions are primarily at-con (and this can range from 8 hours to a full-convention commitment) with very little outside-of-con work, while many positions have a pre-convention commitment. This can be a little bit of training at the low end; planning an at-con event at the mid-range; and working year-round to run a department at the high end.

Our organization has six levels of staff positions (numbered L1 to L6) which correlate to an approximate level of time commitment, experience, and responsibility. The open positions list will indicate the available levels for every position. Different positions have a wide range in the amount of work they entail, and we encourage everyone to choose the right level of staffing for them!

If I work for 8 hours, does that mean I have fulfilled my staff commitment?

Not exactly. The “8-hour rule” is probably the most misunderstood part of Kumoricon’s staffing rules.

Every position has its own requirement to fulfill its duties. For some positions it may be 8 hours, for others, 16 hours, for some, 28 hours or more. For higher-leveled positions, requirements are a combination of at-con hours, pre-con/post-con work, or project completion/management timelines.

The misunderstanding arises from the fact that the previous organization bylaws had a governance rule that says “the organization must structure its requirements such that no person holding a Kumoricon staff position is subject to a combined requirement of less than 16 hours of volunteer work associated with each Kumoricon event”. In other words, the “16-hour rule” was a rule intended to be followed by the board of directors when it approved the annual org chart (roster of available staff positions), and is no longer a rule that is directly presented to individual staff members.

As of Kumoricon 2026, these bylaws have been updated to say “the organization may structure its requirements such that all persons holding a Kumoricon staff position are subject to a combined minimum volunteer hour requirement, as enacted by the Board of Directors”. In doing so, this now allows the board to alter required hours (at-con, pre-con, and post-con) each year to better suit staffing needs for each convention. Additionally, hour requirements are now listed more plainly, and are expected to be followed appropriately.

Do staff have any free time at the convention to have fun?

Usually, yes! As staff, we are fans too, and your duties can often be scheduled around things you want to do at the con. (Having said that, emergencies can arise, and even off-duty staff are occasionally needed to fill in if they are on-site at the convention.)

Can staff cosplay while on duty?

Usually, yes! As long as it doesn’t interfere with the needs of your position. Attendees love to see staff cosplaying, and it gives the con the by-fans, for-fans feel.

Can staff join more than one position at the same time?

Usually, yes. However, it’s your responsibility to make sure that your supervisor for each position knows about the other position, and it’s your responsibility to raise any conflicts that may occur between the two positions to ensure that you’re fulfilling the duties of each position.

This can work well if one of the positions is primarily at-con and the other is primarily pre-con.

What is the minimum age to staff?

There is a general requirement to be age 16, and many positions have an age-18 requirement. A small number of positions have a minimum age of 21 if they require being in alcohol-controlled space (such as staff for the Late Night Lounge, or guest of honor liaisons).

Staff under age 18 (at time of registration) must submit a signed parent permission and liability release form (see links above) prior to their staff registration being complete.

We sometimes make case-by-case exceptions for the age-16 requirement.

What is the difference between “staff” and “organization member”?

These are almost the same thing. When you join staff, you become an organization member (as defined by Oregon nonprofit corporation law) which means you have organization voting rights. Members are eligible to vote for the 7 out of 9 positions on the Altonimbus Entertainment board which are designated as elected by the members, as well as any organization bylaws amendments that may be proposed and come to a vote.

Organization membership lasts a little bit longer than your staff status (see question further below).

What is the difference between “convention member” and “organization member”?

“Convention members” are people who have registered to attend Kumoricon. They do not have organization voting rights.

“Organization members” are people who have become staff members. They have voting rights.

If I am a staff member, when does my position officially end?

Staff positions for a given convention end 30 days after full staff registration opens for the next convention year. This means that staff terms overlap with each other. This is intentional, so that important staff positions are filled year-round, and also so that staff at all levels are given the opportunity to maintain uninterrupted staff membership, if they wish, if they want to staff Kumoricon year after year.

For a convention held in November, this means that your official staffing end date (if not yet renewed) would usually fall in the February-to-April range, though the date will be determined and announced each year.

If your staff position primarily consists of at-con duties, then the exact end date of your position may be more symbolic than practical. But it determines your official status in our records, and your access to some of our online systems. In certain situations, whether you are officially staff or not on a given day could also matter under our staff policies such as an incident under the staff harassment policy or conflict of interest policy as these govern how staff behave outside-of-convention when talking to other staff members or if they appear to be representing the organization.

When in doubt, you can check your current staff status by checking your profile page from the staff directory. Your profile page shows all credited positions you have held in the past. Currently active positions are marked with “(active)” after their name.

If I am a staff member, when does organization membership officially end?

Organization membership lasts a little bit longer than staff status.

If you satisfactorily completed your position, then your organization membership lasts an additional 180 days after the last day of your staff status (see previous question). (Otherwise, it usually ends 10 days after the last day of your staff status, with certain exceptions.)

I’m a current staff member and have some more detailed questions about organization membership, organization governance, or elections.

Certainly! Please visit corporate Q&A (staff login required), policies and corporate (staff login required), and elections process (staff login required) for detailed information.