Volunteer
Volunteer to be a part of SMASH! 2023. Help us put on the biggest anime and manga convention in Sydney!
As a volunteer run organisation, we share a collective passion for putting together an event for fans, by fans. We are looking for enthusiastic people who share our vision and interest to join us!
Volunteering with SMASH! can be either a long term (SMASH! Staff) or a short term commitment focused on supporting the running of the convention (SMASH! Crew) – whatever best fits your schedule.
To be eligible for SMASH! Staff, you must be at least 18 years old, and for SMASH! Crew you must be at least 16 years old at the time of applications closing (you must be at least 18 years old for Maid Café).
Please note: only successful applicants will be contacted.
Due to the overwhelming amount of responses we receive each year, we have to make some tough decisions regarding volunteer applications.
If your application has been unsuccessful, we welcome you to apply again next year, otherwise we hope to see you at SMASH! 2023 as an attendee! If you wish to withdraw your application or have further queries, please do not hesitate to contact us.
WHY SMASH!?
SMASH Inc is a not-for-profit organisation that aims to bring people of all creative talents together to celebrate Japanese pop culture. From anime to manga and fanart to cosplay, you can find something to see and do at the Sydney Manga and Anime Show (SMASH!). What started as a small university event in 2007 has now grown to be one of Australia’s biggest Japanese pop culture festivals.
As a volunteer run organisation (yes, our President and all our hardworking staff volunteer their spare time to run SMASH!), we share a collective passion for putting together an event FOR fans, BY fans, and we are looking for enthusiastic individuals who share our vision and interest to join us in personally committing to making SMASH! one of the best convention experiences in Australia.
WHY VOLUNTEER FOR SMASH!
- The chance to work in a unique and fun environment
- Get to work behind the scenes at Australia’s largest anime convention
- Make friends and mingle with like-minded people
- A Volunteer Certificate to thank you for your contributions!
- Ability to gain valuable experience and references
- Unparalleled exposure!
Frequently asked Questions
Volunteer Enquiries
Our only requirement is that, at the time of the application closing date, you must be 16 years old or older* to volunteer as a crew member. For our Maid Cafe volunteers, we require that you must be 18 years old or older to volunteer.
*Please note, if you’re under the age of 18, we require parental consent to participate at SMASH! A form will be provided once you are accepted.
SMASH! Volunteer position does not require any prior experience thus we welcome everyone with any experience level! Our only requirement is your enthusiasm!
For any enquiries, please refer to our contact page (hyperlink). We are more than happy to answer any enquiries you have regarding SMASH! 2023! Or email us via volunteering@smash.org.au.
Please note, SMASH! is a non-profit organisation run by fans for fans! Both our crew and staff positions are volunteer positions thus it is not paid.
You will get free admission to SMASH! 2023, catering for the day(s) you volunteer, a very stylish (free and comfy) t-shirt to remember the weekend and hopefully a fun experience to remember!
SMASH! Will provide bottles of water and lunch for our volunteer crew. When filling out the application form, please make sure to write any dietary requirements you have!
Of course! We accept applications from all around Australia but please note you are required to make your own travel arrangements to attend SMASH! 2023.
Yes you can! Please make sure to let us know as soon as you can at volunteering@smash.org.au and we will do our best to accommodate your needs!
Yes, we welcome everyone, regardless of any language barriers. Our selection is based on your responses to the crew application form, so we suggest taking your time to answer the questions accordingly.
Of course, you and your friend(s) can apply to volunteer for SMASH! 2023 by each completing an application form. However, due to the many different positions available on the day, it is not guaranteed that you will be positioned in the same area.
If your application is successful, you will start to hear from us via email shortly after the applications close, so make sure to keep an eye on your inboxes!
You can choose to volunteer for both days or either day of the weekend that best suits you!
If you can not attend the training days please let us know, we may look at offering alternative ways to join in the training days for crew who can not attend / are not based in Sydney.
Please let us know if you cannot make it by emailing volunteering@smash.org.au.
You are not required to attend the set-up day however it is always good to attend in order to help us set up the convention, see behind the scenes, meet your team, your section leaders, and familiarise yourself with the convention in person. You will also be receiving your stylish t-shirts and lanyards for the convention on that day as well!
If you would like to make any changes regarding your application and or have any special enquiries regarding your allocated area, breaks or availability, please send us an email at volunteering@smash.org.au as soon as possible!
Of course! You will receive an allocated time to take your breaks where you can take rest, eat your lunch and attend the convention!
We understand sometimes things come up, if you do need to leave early just let your Crew Coordinator and your department coordinator know so they can sort something out.
Before the convention comes around, crew members will be required to attend two crew training day(s) to be informed on everything related to SMASH! 2023 convention! Please note this is compulsory and the days will be announced via email through crew broadcasts!
What kind of anime and manga convention would we be if we said no.
We allow cosplaying for most sections, just make sure to speak to your department leader. However, we require that every crew member is required to have their lanyards on display and make sure your cosplay does not limit your ability to perform tasks or be straining to you.
Each crew member will be assigned to department(s) that they prefer such as:
- Events Support, focusing on activities, workshops, panels, stage events, supporting the departments that host our shows and helping with guest experience.
- Ticketing / Customer Support, focuses on the day ticket sales, entry queue management, information desk, merchandise and general customer service related tasks.
- Community Support, focuses on supporting our community, which includes helping and ushering our attendees in times of need!
Within the crew application form, make sure to write down the preferred area in which you would like to be positioned in!