I recently volunteered at the React Miami conference. Volunteering made the conference experience better than if I had just attended! Let's talk about why and why YOU should volunteer at a conference ๐
Network of Volunteers
Volunteering at a conference gets you around fellow volunteers. The volunteers are also in tech (usually), and you get to know them while volunteering together. If you're newer to tech (like me), or not sure if you'll know many people/make connections, volunteering shines as it builds you a network right off the bat!
Come curious, open-minded, and receptive to fellow volunteers and they'll introduce you to people they know. It snowballs from there! The volunteers for React Miami were incredible, hard working, and gregarious.
While every conference has it's own set of people, goals, and roles volunteers can fill, the people helping should be awesome.
Sense of Purpose
Tech conferences are a hoot, but they can be a lot too! Folks party hard, sometimes a little too hard. Volunteering can keep you from going too far off the deep end, keeping you engaged with what's happening in the talks and/or with attendees.
I mainly helped check people into the conference I recently attended. This was important early on, lots of folks showed up right at the beginning. It was great to help and welcome them!
Learn a Ton
React Miami featured amazing talks from people in many areas of tech. Being able to attend thanks to volunteering opened my eyes to so much. Video editing in the browser, metrics I hadn't heard of to measure web performance, and a demo of style queries, to name a few!
Learning continually is a pillar of a great technophile. Volunteer and use your free time to be a sponge and soak up all the transformative information you can absorb.
I haven't even broached the idea of traveling and volunteering at a conference you've been eyeing. There are lots of benefits, but these are the highlights for me. Shoutout to Grammerhub for making it possible for me to volunteer.
Take the plunge, you'll thank yourself after you volunteer, particularly if you're newer in tech, trust me!
Top comments (2)
Absolutely ๐ฏ, in the past I've volunteered to i ternational tech&design conference in Amsterdam. You are totaly right. Also ability to sit in the area for attendes was also a plus :)
So eye opening experience especialy if you havent been to international ๐conferences. I met lots of awesome people, casualy talked with lots of big names in the industry. If I have not mustered the courage to sent registration to support conference as a volunteer i would not built such wonderful memories that im so fond of ๐ฅฐ
Oh and you get whole tickets for free ๐คฃ
Yeah Piotrek! Thanks for sharing your experience volunteering at a conference. Hope you'll do it again soon :)