Onsite Volunteer Manual

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Onsite Volunteer Manual

Monday 13th - Wednesday 15th November 2023

The Mermaid London
Puddle Dock
London EC4V 3DB
United Kingdom
https://the-mermaid.co.uk/

Introduction

Thank you for volunteering for ADC’23. In this handbook you will find all the information you need for the volunteer programme. We are looking forward to working with you.

You will also need to use this online account/login you have created to watch recordings of any sessions you miss onsite on the 13th, 14th and 15th.

The Audio Developer Conference is the premier event for audio developers from across the globe to learn, exchange, network and engage.

ADC has evolved from the success of the JUCE Summit in 2015, which gathered over 100 audio developers from the pro audio industry and academia. We have grown year on year; and this year expect 600 attendees.

We aim to provide wider coverage of audio programming and development, ferment discussions, partnerships, and community growth, facilitate more engagement between developers and industry and set the stage for new developments and the evolution of audio technology.

ADC is now a not-for-profit event and aims to support the global audio community as a whole, promoting diversity and inclusion within the industry.

www.audio.dev

Conference details

Dates & Times

  • Monday 13 November, 8.30am – 10pm.
  • Tuesday 14 November, 8am – 10pm.
  • Wednesday 15 November, 8.30am - 10pm.

Tracks

  • Track 1: Auditorium
  • Track 2: Lower River
  • Track 3: Newgate
  • Track 4: Aldgate

For full details of the agenda, go here

Sponsors/Exhibitors

HEADLINE: FOCUSRITE

GOLD: AVID, DREAMTONICS, GPU AUDIO, JUCE, NATIVE INSTRUMENTS

SILVER: PACE, AUDIOTONIX, ARTURIA, BITWIG, IRCAM AMPLIFY, L-ACOUSTICS, MUSE, MWM, RAFTERMARSH, SOFTUBE, SUPERTONE, TIKTOK

BRONZE: AUDINATE, EVENTIDE, MAYK.IT, REASON STUDIOS, SCHWABE DIGITAL

COMMUNITY: ACCU COMPUTING CONFERENCE, AES, BLACKBIRD STUDIO, BOB MOOG FOUNDATION, C++ ON SEA, CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF THE ARTS, CENTER FOR COMPUTER RESEARCH IN MUSIC AND ACOUSTICS, CPPCON, DIGITAL AUDIO EFFECTS, DROIDCON, GOLDSMITHS, ICAD (INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE FOR AUDITORY DISPLAY), IMSTA, IRCAM, KINGSTON UNIVERSITY LONDON, MIDI ASSOCIATION, MPG UK, QMUL, RIMON SCHOOL OF MUSIC, ROYAL BIRMINGHAM CONSERVATOIRE, SOUND WITHOUT SIGHT, SOUNDGIRLS, SOUNDMIT, UNIVERSITY OF HUDDERSFIELD, UNIVERSITY OF THE ARTS, UWE, UPF UNIVERSITAT POMPEU FABRA, WEB AUDIO CONFERENCE, WOMEN'S AUDIO MISSION, YORKSHIRE SOUND WOMEN NETWORK (YSWN), POINT BLANK MUSIC SCHOOL, KTH ROYAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

Volunteer Enrolment Checklist

Before the conference, you will need to:

  • Join our Discord server which will be used as the main communication platform for the conference. https://discord.gg/HuaUFJJMzV
    • Once you have joined, please then change your "server nickname" to use your full name and to display Pronouns after your name - i.e He/Him, She/Her, They/Them. This is important as it allows staff and attendees to quickly and easily identify people. To change your server nickname, right click on your profile in the user list and then choose Edit Server Profile at which point you will then be asked to enter your name. Please note that this will not change your name on any other Discord servers you have joined
  • Please note that if you do not do this, then the admins of the Discord server reserve the right to change your server nickname for you.
  • You will also need to attend a code of conduct training session online through Zoom which is scheduled for Tuesday 7th November - 13:00 UTC. Join Zoom Meeting
    • If you are unable to attend this session, please let Sophie know and we will send you a recording after the session has finished. We will then need you to provide a written statement to say that you have watched the recording in full and that you agree to abide by and uphold the Code of Conduct

Roles & areas

We want you all to enjoy the conference, see/hear talks, make connections, network and have fun. In order to make ADC a success it will be a team effort from all of us. Please come ready to fulfil your roles and be part of the conference.

Set Up

The first job on Monday morning will be setting up the registration desk ready for the workshop delegates. This will involve placing the delegate badges in alphabetical order, getting lanyards ready, and ‘stuffing’ the delegate bag with the various items provided by sponsors.

On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, we will have access to the venue from 7am on each day.

Registration Desk

The registration desk will be open on Monday morning from 7am and must be staffed at all times throughout the event.

The registration desk is the organisational hub of the conference and is where all guests can register, ask questions and orientate themselves.

Badges will be laid out in A-Z order by surname, to enable rapid identification. Badges should be attached to a lanyard, before being handed to the attendee.

The registration desk will be very busy at the following times:

  • Monday 7.30am – 09.30am
  • Tuesday 7.00am - 08.30am
  • Wednesday 7.30am - 8.30am

Registration

On registration, attendees will receive their badges/lanyards and a delegate bag, which will contain the programme information, and any freebies that our sponsors have contributed. All attendees receive a free ADC T shirt so please ask what size they need and add it to the delegate bag.

Please stress that delegate badges MUST be worn at all times.

We will be selling some T-shirts at the registration desk. There will be a mobile payment device and we’ll explain how this works on Monday.  

Tracks/AV

Please ensure attendees are seated, quiet and do not interrupt talks. If assistance is required by the speaker or an attendee, please do what you can. Please ensure each room is left clean and tidy after each talk. All rubbish should be put in bins.

The Mermaid's AV team will take responsibility for the AV requirements. There will be at least one AV technician in each track/session.  Please be available should the AV team need support for any reason.

Where there are questions at the end of a talk, you may be required to run around with the mic, taking it to the questioner.  Questioners should give their name and company before asking a question. The chair will help you manage the Q&A.

It's important that all sessions start and finish on time, so please work with the speaker and the chair/moderator to ensure that happens.

Online Q&A

During the presentation, the speaker will not be able to see anything that is happening online including any questions that are submitted in the Zoom Q&A. As a result, during any Q&A, we need you to relay questions that appear in the Zoom Q&A to the speaker using a microphone that you will be provided.

If you see any questions in the Zoom Q&A:

  • Mark the question as Answer Live to acknowledge to the attendee that it has been noted
  • When the speaker takes a pause for questions, please raise your hand
  • When the speaker acknowledges you, then press the button on the microphone and say the question.
  • When the speaker answers the question, please dismiss it so that attendees can only see questions that are currently open. Keep repeating this process for each online question (though do be mindful of anyone else in the room who wants to ask a question)

Discord

The Discord Server provides a method of immediate communication between everyone involved with event and interfaces the online and in-person attendees, staff and contributors under one roof.

Please make sure you have joined the Discord server and actively monitor this throughout the event. We have a dedicated #inperson-volunteers channel for onsite communication, asking questions or requesting assistance.

Please keep a general eye out for questions, comments or feedback provided by attendees in the discussion channels. Please report any issues to the relevant staff onsite at the venue.

We also have an onsite 'helpdesk' channel on the Discord server, where attendees can post questions or request help if they encounter an issue. Some attendees will simply find a volunteer or come to the registration desk to ask their question, but the Discord server provides them alternative options for out of hours questions or for when sessions are running. Please check the server for any open in-person help desk tickets and respond to them where possible.

Questions relating to online access or more technical issues will be picked up by the online technicians.

Some issues or questions may require input from other members of staff, we do not expect you to be able to answer all questions or deal with all potential problems by yourself. If you do need assistance or specific information from a particular member of staff, use the @mention command to pull them into the ticket so they can respond (or ask them in-person if you are in close proximity)

Help Desk Ticket Process

When a user needs support, they will press the "Open A Ticket" button in Discord. This then spawns a private Discord channel that is only accessible by the person who opens the ticket and also to volunteers. When a ticket is closed, the private channel for the ticket is then deleted.

So when you start a shift, please:

  • Check the tickets discord channel category for any open tickets that aren't already being dealt with.
  • When a ticket is opened, open the Discord channel that is created for the ticket and press the claim button. This then assigns you as the member of staff to the ticket.
  • Then work with the attendee to solve the issue using this troubleshooting page. Troubleshooting Page
    • If you can't solve a technical issue, then you will need to forward it on to Jim (Jim-TechSupport#6029) for further troubleshooting and technical support.
  • When you solve the issue, press the close button to close the ticket. Please note that you will be asked for confirmation.
  • At the end of your shift
    • Please inform the next volunteers what tickets you have open.
    • Assign a volunteer to the open ticket by typing in the channel for the ticket /claim @username 

Orientation

Please familiarise yourself with the building and the location of the various tracks. All breaks and meals will be served in the Upper River Room which is also where the exhibitors will be. There will be an overflow food station on the Mezzanine.

Please check the Mermaid floor plan here: https://my.matterport.com/show/?m=k5sLfKc8Nip

Exhibition Security

We have a lot of sponsors and exhibitors, and many will have some valuable tech on their stands. Therefore, there must be at least one volunteer in the exhibition area at all times. Please be vigilant, and if you see anyone without a delegate badge, (other than catering and venue staff) please let Sophie know IMMEDIATELY.

Catering

You may be requested to help with serving during busy times and/or clearing plates etc. Again, please ensure the catering areas are kept clean and tidy at all times.

Floaters!

During any time period, there will be one or more ‘floaters’. These individuals are intended to be available for any unexpected issues. In practice, I have no problem with these people joining one of the talks/sessions provided all other things are going OK…

General

Please ensure you arrive at The Mermaid at the time requested and please call/text Sophie on 07767 767150 if you are running late.

You will be provided with a Volunteer T-shirt & name badge. Please wear these at all times. You can keep these T shirts, of course, which are an exclusive design for the 2023 volunteer team.

Please wear black jeans/trousers/leggings, and trainers/sneakers. Make sure your shoes are comfortable as you will be on your feet for long periods.

We will serve breakfast snacks, lunch and dinner on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. You are responsible for all your own travel and accommodation expenses.

If a visitor asks you a question and you are unsure how to respond please direct them to the registration desk or contact me.

If you wish to swap roles with other volunteers, that’s not a problem, provided the requirements previously stated (reg desk, security etc) are covered.

Note that The Mermaid might be a bit chilly in places, so if you're prone to feeling the cold, I'd advise you to wear a base layer or similar UNDER your ADC volunteer T-shirt. Please do not wear jackets and hoodies that cover up your ADC Volunteer T shirt which makes you difficult to spot should attendees need assistance.

Social and networking

  • Monday evening:
    18.00 Welcome Reception – @ Strongroom Bar, 120 - 124 Curtain Rd, London, EC2A 3SQ, UK.  **volunteers welcome**
  • Tuesday evening:
    18.00 Food & Networking/Diversity In Audio Reception
    19.30 ADC Quiz **volunteer team(s) encouraged!**
    21.00 Networking
    22.00 close
  • Wednesday evening:
    18.15 Food & Networking @ The Mermaid
    19.30 Open Mic Night (Auditorium) **volunteers welcome to enter proposals for Open Mic!**
    21.00 Networking
    22.00 Close

Volunteers will be needed to help run these events (handing out/collecting quiz sheets etc etc) but we do want you to enjoy them and get as involved as possible.

If you need to leave for any reason, please ensure you update the In-Person Volunteers Discord channel and/or contact Sophie directly.