Interested in helping at BSidesSF 2025?
BSidesSF is a security event that would not be possible without the work of our local community. Every year, the organizers work hard to build a fun and exciting agenda so you can experience the latest in cool security happenings. However, we rely on contributions from volunteers like you to help with various tasks leading up to and on the two days of the event. Join us!
What’s in it for me?
Volunteering is a great way to get involved with the local security community, especially if you are a newcomer. It’s also a good chance to meet other security-minded people while picking up various skills along the way. All volunteers must work for a minimum of 2 shifts and will get a free BSidesSF t-shirt + badge as part of their volunteer admission. This means you can attend talks during the times that you are not volunteering. This is a minimum, and if you would like to pick up more shifts
What type of volunteers are you looking for?
Anyone and everyone! No two volunteers are alike so we aim to provide opportunities for all personality types and skill sets. Take a look at our role descriptions below for a better idea of which opportunities might be right for you.
At the same time, we realize that not every role will be suitable for every volunteer. For each role, we will mention possible gotchas in order to provide an inclusive experience for all our volunteers. As in previous years, we are adding the following classifications as applicable to our roles:
- Roles that require lots of interactions with people
- Roles that may have high noise/sensory effects
- Roles that require mobility
- Roles that may require excessive standing
- Roles that require strength/lifting
We will also clearly highlight accessibility features within the venue for those who require it. And as always, we are open to feedback! Please let us know in your request to volunteer or by emailing volunteer@bsidessf.org, and we will work to provide any possible accommodations.
What tasks need to be done?
We group our volunteer opportunities into several pools.
- Attendee-Facing - These roles require frequent or constant attendee interaction, often providing information or helping with registration
- Behind-the-Scenes - These roles require less attendee interaction, but will often require a higher level of agency or operational ability. These roles often involve the setup or teardown of various pieces of the event as it goes along.
- Social Media - This role will involve documenting the Bsides experience on social media, as well as talk with attendees about their experiences at Bsides.
- Safety Ops - These roles are the eyes, ears, and voices of BsidesSF staff, as well as a friendly face for attendees and other volunteers to go to if something is going wrong. Strong communication skills and a cool head are a major benefit to these roles.
- Track MC’s - This attendee-facing role requires that you are comfortable acting as an MC for event talks/workshops. This means you should be able to communicate clearly for both the speaker’s and the audience’s benefit, and ideally have a strong command of the English language. **This role will require a pre-screening, if you’d like to be considered for this role please fill out this form.
When you sign up for a shift slot, you will pick one of these larger pools and you will work in one or more of the given roles inside that pool depending on volunteer availability and accessibility needs. For more information on the individual roles, see descriptions below.
What if I don’t know how to do any of these?
Our volunteer leads will train you for the specific tasks you sign up for, and there will also be volunteer Q&A sessions prior to the event. Please try to make time to be available on Friday, April 25th, 2025 at 12PM-1PM or 6-7PM for training and Q&A.
What if the shift I want is filled up?
You can sign up to be on the waitlist for a given role, but be aware that there is no guarantee that you will get that shift at that time. We recommend you consider other open shifts, and if we see you are under the minimum, we will reach out to see where else you may be able to help out. You can also always send us an email with questions to volunteer@bsidessf.org.
Are all the shift even?
While the shift minimum will put everyone around the same amount of time, we chose to optimize for not having volunteers be on shift when they don’t need to be, rather than making all shifts even. Yes, there is a potential to game this system, if it becomes a problem then we will make changes.
What if there are specific talks I want to go to?
We understand that our volunteers may want to attend specific talks, whether it’s an interesting topic or just to show support for a friend or coworker. Share your preferences with your volunteer lead and we will do our best to accommodate your request.
Can you provide proof of my volunteer hours?
Absolutely! Reach out to volunteer@bsidessf.org after the conference and we will provide the necessary documentation. Note that you will be responsible for checking in and checking out with BSidesSF Event Volunteer registration to keep your hours accurate.
Do you work with Benevity, etc. to facilitate donations based on matching volunteer hours?
If your employer offers a charitable giving program, they can donate money to BSidesSF based on your volunteer hours. Reach out to your company’s HR team for more information.
BSidesSF is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit, so if you like the work we do, we would really appreciate your employer’s donation!
How do I sign up???
You can sign up for shifts on our new volunteer management page https://bsidessf2025.volunteerlocal.com. Make sure that you’ve used a valid email and that you’ve created an account in https://bsidessf.slack.com so that we can contact you. Use this link to sign up if you don’t already have an account on Slack. Shift sign ups without these being valid are subject to removal.
What if I have further questions?
Please reach out to volunteer [at] bsidessf.org, or the #volunteers channel
Roles
Safety Ops
Safety Ops
Safety Ops is the group at the con which helps to ensure the protection of our attendees, speakers and guests against threats to their well being and to the con. Some examples are: ombudspersons, safety monitors, crowd control and sometimes security guards. Safety Ops is not EMS, law enforcement, or fire although we support and extend their reach.
Duties Include:
- Badge check at all points of entrance and exit
- Facilitate orderly conduct of the con for all our guests
- Act as ombudspersons for our guests by representing them to the BSidesSF organizers and staff
- Observe and report incidents which may endanger the safety of our guests of violates our Code of Conduct
- Operate a radio to keep in communication with other safety ops on the floor along with BSidesSF leads
Bonus:
- Prior safety ops experience (might have been called public safety in the past)
Accessibility:
- Requires mobility (accommodations can be made)
- Requires strong communication/coordination skills
- Requires strong multitasking ability
- Requires potentially interacting with large numbers of people
- May require going for long periods of time without breaks
- May feature loud sounds/noises/flashes
Attendee Facing Roles
Registration/Information Desk
You will be the “face” of BSidesSF for all attendees. Your goal is to make a positive, welcoming first impression for all attendees and visitors. You might also be pulled to hype the crowd during our event raffle.
Duties include:
- Greeting attendees arriving (or departing) at each Metreon entrance in an engaging and confident manner
- Direct attendees to their correct destination (registration desk, sessions, etc.)
- Answer questions for incoming attendees
- Check-in pre-registered attendees
- Ensure attendees have everything they need to enter the conference
- Sell conference merchandise at the desk, provide a receipt and direct attendee to coat check to retrieve their merchandise
- Share attendee feedback with other volunteers as necessary
- Handle walk-in ticket sales
Bonus:
- Have strong communication skills
- Have strong customer service skills
Accessibility:
- Requires interacting with large numbers of people
- May require standing for long periods of time (accommodations available)
Presenter Ops Positions
Presentation Track MC
This is a customer-facing position that ensures overall speaker readiness, primarily related to technology and announcing speakers and breaks throughout the day.
Duties Include:
- Assist speakers with audio and visual equipment
- Make sure the speaker is present and ready prior to talk
- Welcome and announce speakers
- Thank our sponsors
- Hand out speaker gifts on-stage
- Announce lunch/coffee breaks, etc
- Record speaker statistics: # people in talk, talk time, engagement etc
Accessibility:
- Requires interacting with people
- May feature loud sounds/noises/flashes
- Not wheelchair-friendly
Workshop Track MC
In this position you will be responsible for making sure the workshops are conducted smoothly. Ensure that all attendees and presenters have everything they need during the workshops.
Duties include:
- Direct attendees to their correct destination (registration desk, sessions, etc.)
- Answer questions for attendees and presenters
- Check-in pre-registered attendees
- Ensure attendees and presenters have everything they need for the workshops
- Proctor the workshop sessions
Accessibility:
- Requires interacting with large numbers of people
- May require standing for long periods of time
Attendee Facing
Registration
In this position, you’ll be the first face that every attendee sees as they come to the conference and get themselves registered. You will work with both participants and VIP’s to make sure they have everything they need to have an enjoyable BSidesSF before they head through the main doors. Attention to detail and a positive attitude are huge pluses for this role.
Duties Include:
- Assuring attendees get the correct materials (badges/booklets/etc…) upon arrival
- Answering initial questions about where attendees should go
Accessibility:
- Requires interacting with large numbers of people
Info Booth
You are the go to person for any and all questions our attendees might have during their time at the conference. You’ll be a friendly face that folks know they can find if they need help throughout the weekend.
Duties Include:
- Providing information about the conference itself (we’ll train you up on what you need to know)
- Directing attendees to the most appropriate place for their needs
Accessibility:
- Requires interacting with large numbers of people
Behind-The-Scenes Volunteer Positions
Setup/Teardown
You will be getting the show going or helping it pack up at the end; either way, we need folks who can move all our stuff to and from the famed BSidesSF truck in time for us to get the show on the road (or just get out at a reasonable hour).
Duties Include:
- Helping move the rolling shelves of BSidesSF gear in and out of the ops room
- Moving packages to and from The Truck as needed
Accessibility:
- Must be able to move at least 20 lbs at least 15 feet without injury
Food & Inventory
Duties Include:
Accessibility:
Party
In this position, you will contribute to the event setup and tear down team and deliver the ultimate BSidesSF party experience by being a part of the crew responsible for the appearance of the party space! You will be an instrumental force in all setup and tear down configurations pertaining to seating, tables, decorations and all other venue details before and after as required. Your goal will be to perform work under tight deadlines to meet required specifications.
Duties Include:
- Check in all party attendees
- Answer attendee questions
- Route any complaints to the appropriate core staff member
Accessibility:
- Requires interacting with large numbers of people
- May require standing for long periods of time (accommodations available)
- May feature loud sounds/noises/flashes
Runner/Helper
In this role you will represent the interest of BSidesSF to ensure operations are running smoothly and support your fellow volunteers.
Duties Include:
- Checking on various volunteers and staff on the floor
- Running errands for BSidesSF staff/leads
Accessibility:
- May require standing for long periods of time (accommodations available)
- You may be called on to make announcements to large crowds
- You may be called on to fill in for missing shifts
- Communication skills are a plus