1999 NIPS Volunteer Letter and Tasks Descriptions

================================================================================

Dear NIPS volunteer:

Thanks for volunteering at NIPS. Any nine hours of work in Denver gets
registration for both the tutorials and the conference, as well as reception 
and dinner. Any six hours of work in Breckenridge gets registration for 
the workshops (which includes the receptions and dinner) and transportation 
there on the bus.  You may volunteer at both places. We hope that you will 
find this an educational and fun experience!

YOU STILL NEED TO FILL OUT THE REGISTRATION FORM. Indicate on the form that
you are volunteering, and whether at Denver, at Breckenridge, or at both.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1) If a task or any of its components is marked TAKEN, then that task has
   already been assigned to a volunteer. If unmarked, the task (or component)
   has not yet been taken.

2) Look through the task list (see above) and, from the tasks (or components) 
   that are not yet "TAKEN", construct two threads---ranked 1 and 2---of your 
   prefered (9-hour for Denver, 6 for Breckenridge) schedule. Thread 1 is your 
   prefered schedule; Thread 2 is an alternate if we can't give you thread 1.

3) In connection with 2) above, note the following: 

   Each task has an (H hours X P persons) associated with it, where H is the 
   total task length, in hours, and P is the number of persons needed to 
   simultaneously work on it. For example (9 hours X 2 persons) would mean that 
   the task is of 9 hours length and 2 persons should work simultaneously on it. 
   As another example (18 hours X 3 persons) would mean that the task is of length
   18 hours and 3 persons should be simultaneously active. But since no volunteer
   is required to work more than 9 hours, this task would require at least SIX
   persons working on it.

EXAMPLE:

   Thread 1:   Task #3, Task #5 
   Thread 2:   Task #4 (Mon 8-11, Tue 11-2, Wed 8-11 only).

Note that each individual thread should add up to 9 hours for Denver and 6 hours
for Breckenridge. (Approximately if not exactly.) 
 
4) E-mail your (thread 1, thread 2) plan to jagota@cse.ucsc.edu. The sooner
   the better.

5) The status of your request will be e-mailed back to you, as soon as possible,
   once the schedule has been constructed.

NOTE: 

   all volunteers should plan to attend the volunteer meeting Sunday
   November 28 at 4:00pm at the Denver Marriott.  Make your travel plans
   accordingly. If you can't attend this meeting, please inform 
   jagota@cse.ucsc.edu by e-mail.

*****************************************************************************

TASK #1:                POSTER SETUP (9 hours X 1 Person)

BEFORE CONFERENCE:      print large numerals for all posters.
                        verify that we have poster room as needed.

SUNDAY 4:00-5:00pm:     Attend volunteer meeting

SUNDAY 4:00-6:00pm:     Put numbers on poster boards. Board company will set
                        boards up. Coordinate with them to make sure they're 
                        there.

TUESDAY 8:00am:         Check that posters are ready to be set up

TUESDAY 8:00am-12:00am: Check poster room from time to time to make
                        sure everything is going OK with setup.

WEDNESDAY 8:00-10:00 am:Remove all of Tuesday's posters from boards, make
                        sure that numbers are still on boards for Wednesday 
                        poster session. Help with setup for Wednesday poster 
                        session.

THURSDAY by 10:30am:    make sure all posters are removed from boards by 
                        10:30am and that poster room is cleared and that Board
                        Company people have taken away the posters.

                ------------------------------------

TASK #2 (LOCAL):        INTERNET TERMINALS (9 hours X 1 Person)

WELL IN ADVANCE:        make sure that room is available to set up internet
                        terminals on SUNDAY at the Marriott and that phone 
                        lines are made available as well. Also make sure that 
                        appropriate software/hardware is available.

FRIDAY OR EARLIER:      arrange to have internet terminals delivered to where 
                        they can be picked up on Sunday (with ???). 

SUNDAY 8:00am:          set up internet terminals at Marriott.

SUNDAY 4:00-5:00pm:     Attend volunteer's meeting

DURING CONFERENCE:      help with any problems that may arise, keep 
                        terminals working.

THURSDAY 10:00-12:30:   Take terminals down, return them to their home.

                ------------------------------------

TASK #3:                SUNDAY REGISTRATION DESK WORK (4.5 hours X 3 persons)

SUNDAY 4:00-5:00pm:     Attend volunteer meeting

SUNDAY 5:30-6:00pm:     Help set up registration desk

SUNDAY 6:00-10:00pm:    Work registration desk: hand out folders,
                        print badges, sell extra banquet tickets, 
                        answer general questions, hand out student 
                        travel checks as they register (REMEMBER to
                        take a photocopy of their air-ticket).

                ------------------------------------

TASK #4:                MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY
                        REGISTRATION DESK WORK (27 hours X 4 persons)

MONDAY    8-11, 11-2, 2-5:30.
TUESDAY   8-11, 11-2, 2-5:30.
WEDNESDAY 8-11, 11-2, 2-5:30.

The 27 hours are partitioned into the above 3-hour blocks. (For simplicity,
2-5:30 is counted as a 3-hour block.) You may pick any THREE 3-hour blocks 
to add up to your 9-hour requirement.

                ------------------------------------

TASK #5:                THURSDAY REGISTRATION DESK WORK (4.5 hours X 2 persons)

THURSDAY 8-11:

WRAP-UP                 help to get registration stuff all cleaned
                        up and loaded into cars for the trip to Breckenridge.

                ------------------------------------

TASK #6:                SUNDAY FLOATER (4.5 hours X 2 persons)

SUNDAY 4:00-5:00pm:     Attend volunteer meeting

SUNDAY 6:00-10:00pm:    Stand at base of elevator. 
                        Show people where bathroom is, etc.
                        Answer general questions.
                        Help out where requested by volunteer organizers.

                ------------------------------------

TASK #7:                MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY FLOATER 
                        (33 hours X 4 persons)

                        Stand at base of elevator. 
                        Show people where bathroom is, etc.
                        Answer general questions.
                        Help out where requested by volunteer organizers.
                        Walk around exhibits, internet terminals, posters, 
                        every once in a while to check security.


MONDAY    8-11, 11-2, 2-5:30. 
TUESDAY   8-11, 11-2, 2-5:30, 7:30-10:00 (poster session).
WEDNESDAY 8-11, 11-2, 2-5:30, 7:30-10:00 (poster session).

The 33 hours are partitioned into the above (approx.) 3-hour blocks. You 
may pick any THREE 3-hour blocks to add up to your 9-hour requirement.

                ------------------------------------

TASK #8:                THURSDAY FLOATER (4.5 hours X 1 person)

THURSDAY  8-1:00        activities same as MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY FLOATER

                ------------------------------------

TASK #9:                MISCELLANEOUS EXHIBITS COORDINATOR (9 hours X 1 person)

BEFORE CONFERENCE:      Obtain list of exhibitors.  Act as contact point
                        for exhibitors.  Determine when exhibitors will be set up.

SUNDAY 4:00-6:00:       Make sure that tables for exhibitors are set up, resolve
                        A/V requirements, if any.  Make sure that any A/V in the 
                        poster/demo room is OK and resolved.

DURING CONFERENCE:      Be available to help with exhibitor's issues that may
                        come up. Check with all exhibitors a couple of times a day 
                        to make sure that all is well.

THURSDAY 10:00-12:00:   Help to clear up exhibitor area, make sure that
                        nothing is left behind.

                ------------------------------------

TASK #10:               TUTORIAL WORKER (9 hours X 1 person)

SUNDAY 4:00-5:00pm      Attend volunteer's meeting

MONDAY 9:00am:          Come to registration desk, pick up your tutorial's
                        proceedings. Take proceedings to the room.

MONDAY 9:30-5:30:       Sit at door of tutorial, check badges, give tutorial 
                        proceedings to everyone with a badge.  Do *NOT* hand out 
                        extra proceedings unless told to do so by conference 
                        organizers.

Session 1: 9:30-11:30
Session 2: 1:00-3:00
Session 3: 3:30-5:30

                ------------------------------------

TASK #11:               BANQUET BADGE CHECKERS (2 hours X 3 persons)

MONDAY NIGHT 7:30-9:00: Collect tickets at the banquet, watch the door during 
                        the banquet. Help with any A/V issues that might arise.

                ------------------------------------

TASK #12:               MAIN MEETING BADGE CHECKERS (22.5 hours X 2 persons)

TUESDAY MORNING 
TUESDAY AFTERNOON 
WEDNESDAY MORNING 
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON 
THURSDAY MORNING 
                              
Each session counts for 4.5 hours. 22.5 = 4.5 X 5.

                ------------------------------------

TASK #13:               MAIN MEETING A/V HELP (22.5 hours X 1 person)

TUESDAY MORNING 
TUESDAY AFTERNOON 
WEDNESDAY MORNING 
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON 
THURSDAY MORNING 

Each session counts for 4.5 hours. 22.5 = 4.5 X 5.

DUTIES:                 At least 1 hour before your session, contact the session 
                        chair and inform him/her you will be helping with A/V.

                        Find out which speakers will use a slide or video projector.
                        /Ensure that both these projectors are working/.  

                        Ask the session chairs whether they would like you to help 
                        the speakers with their microphones. In the affirmative,
                        help each speaker to clip the microphone to themselves
                        and with whatever other wiring or remote box is in use.

                        You should attend your entire session, and make sure that 
                        audio can be heard from the back of the room, there are no 
                        feedback problems, and that video and other visuals are 
                        visible.

                        If and when needed, contact the hotel's A/V department.  
                        XXX will supervise overall setup.

                ------------------------------------

TASK #14:               POSTER SESSION GUARD (5 hours X 1 person)

TUESDAY 7:30-10:00pm:   Guard door to poster session, help with any issues
                        that arise.

WEDNESDAY 7:30-10:00pm: Guard door to poster session, help with any issues
                        that arise.

                ------------------------------------

TASK #15:               WORKSHOP REGISTRATION BRECKENRIDGE (4.5 hours X 2 persons)

THURSDAY AFTERNOON:     Set up desk and handle registration. 

                ------------------------------------

TASK #16:               MISCELLANEOUS WORKSHOP TASKS (15 hours X 3 persons)

Tasks to be assigned at main meeting:

THURSDAY 5:00pm-7:00pm 
FRIDAY MORNING
FRIDAY AFTERNOON
SATURDAY MORNING
SATURDAY AFTERNOON 
BANQUET

FRIDAY BREAKFAST:       Check badges. 

================================================================================