Volunteer Basic Info

In 2016, the Southern California Linux Expo moved to a new venue. Please bear with us as this leads to some major changes in our processes compared to previous years.

When

The Southern California Linux Expo is on January 21-24, 2016, Thursday through Sunday. However, the volunteer staff is needed as early as Tuesday night to start setup.

Tom has requested that folks with soundboard experience meet with him on Wednesday night so he can go over what is needed for some of the events.

Here is an overview of what to expect:

• TUESDAY NIGHT, from 8pm to 10pm -- Unload and start setting up the A/V NOC.

• WEDNESDAY, 10am until we are done. (The latest we can stay is 10pm.) - We need to complete setting up the NOC. We are renting our equipment for PSAV, who will be handling the installation of the audio equipment. Once they are done, which should be around 1pm, we will be installing and testing the cameras and video streaming computers.

• THURSDAY - SUNDAY (8am to 6pm*) - We are proposing 5-hour morning and afternoon shifts. Morning shifts will start around 8am, and primarily involve making sure all the rooms are ready for sessions. Afternoon shifts will start at noon, and things can get busy if we need to reset some of the rooms for evening events. *We need one volunteer with soundboard experience to support evening events.

• SUNDAY EVENING - We start tearing down as soon as rooms empty. When there are many hands, the teardown happens very quickly, and we should be mostly done by 7 or 8pm.

Where

SCALE will be at the Pasadena Convention Center, which is in downtown Pasadena within walking distance of many shops and restaurants and even movie theaters. Directions available [here] (http://www.socallinuxexpo.org/scale/14x/venue).

Here is an [overview of the Pasadena Convention Center Facility] (http://pasadenacenter.visitpasadena.com/facility/).

We are mainly in the two-story [Conference Center] (http://pasadenacenter.visitpasadena.com/facility/conference-center/) and the [Convention Center], which consists of [Exhibit Hall A/B] (http://pasadenacenter.visitpasadena.com/facility/exhibit-halls-ab/) and the [Ballrooms] (http://pasadenacenter.visitpasadena.com/ballroom/).

Registration is in the Convention Center near the entrance to the Expo floor, which are in Exhibit Hall A/B.

Our operations and registration will primarily be on the 2nd floor of the Conference Center.

• A/V NOC (Room 205) - Our command center. We handle audio issues and video streaming. We also provide the video adapters for our presenters.
• Tech NOC (room 215) - We pick up radios here. Tech team is responsible for networking and infrastructure support.
• Speaker lounge/Press (room 207) - This is where the speakers hang out and practice their talks. There will be a workstation/printer there.
• Break room (room 208) - This is where the staff hangs out and probably where lunch will be.

Communications

• Email - announcements and discussions usually occur on the [scale-av mailing list] (https://lists.linuxfests.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/scale-av). Please sign up early, as it requires approval to add your subscription.
• Radio - We use two-way radios to communicate at the venue. If you need a radio, please check it out from the Tech NOC; there will be a sign-out sheet. Check it in at the end of the day so they can charge it. You are responsible for the radio and will be charged if you don't return it. The radios have two channels, one for A/V and one for general/Tech. Please ensure your radio stays on your team's channel. If you have any comments on how well the radios work, there will be a comment box on the sign-out sheet.
• Slack - We are also encouraged to use [Slack] (https://scale-conf.slack.com) to chat. You can download the app to your smart phone or login via your computer. Please ask Ilan (@socallinuxexpo.org) or Bala (@socallinuxexpo.org) for an invitation, so you can access our team channels.
• Messages - There should be someone in the A/V NOC between 8am and 6pm. Leave a message at the desk.

Registration/ Check-in

Registration for volunteers was handled by the team lead. We have already submitted a list of names to Registration. You should all have received an email around January 9th, confirming your registration for SCALE. If you don't have this email, you should contact Lan.

You will not be able to get your badge until the Registration area has been set up, late Wednesday night or early Thursday. The registration area is near the entrance to the Expo Hall, on the convention center side.

It is the same process for staff or attendee to pick up a badge. You go to Registration, check-in via the bank of self-serve kiosks. (The email gave you an express check-in code. Otherwise, they will ask for your first, last name and email address.) Your name will be called and you will get your badge and the conference swag.

Please go to the A/V NOC (room 205) to check in with Lan. We also have t-shirts for the A/V team; please wear them when you're working, so people can identify you.

Hotel rooms

SCALE attendees are primarily staying at the Westin Pasadena, a few blocks away from the venue. When that sold out, there was overflow to the Sheraton Pasadena, which is right next to the Convention Center; this is more expensive hotel.

SCALE provides a small set of hotel rooms for volunteers who work most of the conference. This is a privilege offered to volunteers who have done good work for us before, because we work long hours, and staying onsite is safer than a long commute.

You should have already received a confirmation email directly form the hotel, as well as an email from Ilan telling you to please contact him and not the hotel if you want to change anything about your reservation.

SCALE will only cover the room and the parking. The hotel will require a credit card on file to cover any extra charges. Be sure to let them know if you need a parking pass. If you don't need a car, you should consider taking Lyft/Uber/Uber Pool to the hotel if it is under $25/each way; that may be reimbursable. You should also ask about whether the room includes free Internet access, and if so, what the code is.

Parking

Here is the general information regarding [parking] (http://www.socallinuxexpo.org/scale/14x/parking) at the venue or around Pasadena. You may also consider carpooling or other modes of [transportation] (http://www.socallinuxexpo.org/scale/14x/transportation).

SCALE will handle parking reimbursement after the conference, within reason. Please be frugal as SCALE had a lot of new expenses with the new venue. If you have a hotel room, they will not want to reimburse parking at the convention center. If you are staying at the hotel and can get a Lyft/Uber/Uber Pool to the hotel (under $25/each way), that would be even better.

The Westin hotel is a 10-minute walk from the venue; there is a free shuttle should run regularly on Thursday-Sunday. You can request adhoc shuttle service to places within 2-mile radius of the hotel, but you may have to wait around on the shuttle's availability.

Meals

Boxed lunches will be provided for on-site volunteers in the staff break room, which is Room 208. I don't believe there are any provisions for breakfast. Dinner is still TBD. Outside food and beverage are not permitted in the venue.

There are many restaurants and shops around the venue, so there should be more options and less crowding, if you want to find your own food.

Shifts

The bulk of volunteers are needed from 8am to 6pm. We are aiming for 5-hour shifts in the morning and afternoon, which overlap around noon. This should enable you to enjoy the conference or having too long of a day.

We will need at least one volunteer with soundboard experience to support the evening events. Hopefully, this duty will rotate to a different volunteer each night.

Please fill out the Doodle Poll to list your availability. It is extremely easy to update your availability should things change. (Click on your name to edit your doodle poll entry.) Scheduling will be handled on a day-by-day basis. http://doodle.com/poll/qpabdit4ugq555f5#table

Training

Training will be provided onsite. There are many veteran volunteers who can answer basic questions. The [AV Decision Tree] (AV Decision Tree) may be a useful starting point for troubleshooting. If you are on monitoring duty, the [Audio Video monitoring workstation notes] (Audio Video monitoring workstation) will be quite useful.

Questions

Lan Dang is the volunteer wrangler for the SCALE A/V Team. Her goal is to make sure SCALE A/V is well-supported, you all have a good experience and want to come back to help out again next year. Address all questions, concerns, and complaints to her.