Volunteer
Volunteer to be a part of SMASH! 2022. 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! 2022 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
Applications for SMASH! 2022 on-the-day volunteers (SMASH! Crew) are open until Saturday, 30 April 2022 11:59 pm (AEST).
Once applications have closed we will send you an email letting you know if you have been accepted or not.
If you have applied but have not heard back after applications have closed, please send a Volunteer Enquiry via our Contact page.
You must be at least 16 years or older at the time applications close (Saturday, 30 April 2022). The exception to this is for Maid Cafe, where you have to be 18 years or older at the time applications close.
This means if you’re turning 16 (or 18 if you are applying for Maid Cafe) on 30 April 2022, unfortunately we cannot accept your application.
If you are under the age of 18, you will need parental consent to participate at SMASH!.
Yes! We all need breaks during the day and we will try our best to cater to time specific breaks. However, with a large volume of volunteers to consider, options may be restricted.
You do not have to volunteer for both days, please specify which day(s) you are available on the application.
We accept volunteers from all around Australia, as long as you are able to make your own arrangements to attend our convention day(s).
Yes – we welcome everyone! Your selection is based on your response to the questions on the form, so please take your time filling it out.
Yes! All volunteers have the option to cosplay so long as it does not interfere with your assigned role. Please follow the instructions of your designated SMASH! Staff to see if your role allows cosplay or not.
SMASH! is a non-profit organisation run by fans for fans! No one receives monetary compensation as we are all volunteers, even the President and the Chairperson!
At the time of applications closing (30 April 2022), you must be 16 years or older to volunteer. The exception to this is Maid Cafe, where you will have to be 18 years or older at the time of applications closing to volunteer.
If you are under the age of 18, you will need parental consent to participate at SMASH!.
You must also be currently living in Australia.
Yes – you can still apply to be a SMASH! volunteer without any experience. We are looking for fun and responsible people to join us!
As a SMASH! volunteer, you will be presented with a SMASH! volunteer Certificate upon completion of your volunteer duties, meet new friends with the same interest, learn new skills and experiences like none other. We often invite volunteers to do more for the organisation and encourage them to apply to be permanent staff members so that they can contribute in more ways for next year’s convention!
The training activities are to provide you with all essential training and are therefore compulsory. If you cannot attend the training activities and do not provide us with an adequate reason, we will not be able to continue with your volunteer status and you will not be able to volunteer at SMASH! 2022.
You can select your preferences for the department you wish to volunteer for. However, keep in mind that with so many volunteers, you may not be allocated to your first preference, in which case you’d be allocated to your second, or third. Your allocation is dependent on our volunteer requirements.
Feel free to contact via our Contact page. We are here to answer any and all questions you have about volunteering and about SMASH!
Volunteers (Crew) will be assigned to department(s) during the convention. Volunteer duties vary from department to department. This will be provided to you during training day(s) where you will be assigned to department(s) prior to the convention.
You are more than welcome to apply with your friend, everyone will need to complete an application form. We want you to enjoy the convention as much as you can, however please understand that there are many different tasks on the day and there is no guarantee that both you and your friend will be accepted together in the same section.
For SMASH! 2022, we have split our departments requiring event volunteer support into 3 major areas. The scope of each area is:
Events Support – Supporting departments who host our Show offerings, such as activities, workshops, panels, stage events, guest experiences and more.
Ticketing / Customer Service – Supporting ticket sales, entry queue management, information booth, merchandise and customer service related tasks.
Community Support – Ushering team supporting all our communities including attendees in times of need.