GX Team

The Awesomest of the Awesome.. GaymerX Sprites!

Hey Gamers!

As you may have heard, we’re very excited to announce our next convention, GaymerX • Year Four, will be held at the Santa Clara Hyatt Friday September 30th through Sunday October 2nd. We hope to build on our wonderful experience at GaymerX3 with more space, more special guests, and more awesome programming for everyone!

What you may not know is that GaymerX events aren’t possible without the magic of the incredible GaymerX Sprites! Sprites are our on site volunteers at GaymerX. They help us do registration, keep panels running smoothly, provide our A/V support, security on the convention floor, and much more! GaymerX simply couldn’t happen without them!

Interested in becoming a Sprite at GaymerX • Year Four?

Here’s what we’d need from you:

  • Minimum 8 hours of volunteer work during the convention. This is split into several shifts. Our sprites work in a variety of areas ranging from registration, set-up/breakdown, badge checking, security, A/V, and random acts of magic.
  • Able to attend a training session prior to the convention. All of our Sprites go through training to help them cultivate a safe and inclusive community at GX. We also use this time to talk about event logistics, convention policies, and Spritely duties.

Our marvelous perks:

  • Free 3-Day Badge to GaymerX • Year Four Every volunteer gets a badge at no cost to them in exchange for helping us make our event a success.
  • The Sprite Castle. Our volunteers have access to our Volunteer HQ, the Sprite Castle, throughout the event. This is a space to safely store your things, grab some free food, and/or just hang out with your fellow Sprites.
  • And more! We’re still finalizing details on all of our volunteer perks, but we try our hardest to provide our Sprites with whatever we can to thank them for their hard work. We’ll announce these perks as we get closer to the event!

If you’re interested in lending us your magic to help make GaymerX possible, just fill out an application here!

If you have any questions, you can always us via email at [email protected].

See you In Santa Clara!

Soraya Een Hajji & Brian Kunde
Volunteer Directors
GaymerX: Everyone Games

New at GX3! Announcing POC Safe Space

Because GX3 is a physical space that extends into the virtual spaces of twitter, Facebook, Google+, etc, one of the things we should provide is space for in-person networking and socialization for our POC attendees.

The decision to have this space was made as part of our commitment to the mission statement of GX:

GaymerX seeks to make the gaming world safer and more inclusive to marginalized people, especially those in the gender and sexuality spectrum. Creating Better Practices for safety and inclusiveness in physical and online gaming spaces. This can mean rules and enforcement but more-so helpful guidelines and tools for people to interact with one another as well as exposure to rarely discussed social concepts and issues that help people relate and empathize with one another.

The POC Safe space will be in Rooms Turing A/Turing B during the following times:

Friday: 12:00 – 1:30 pm
Saturday: 1:00 – 2:30 pm
Sunday: 3:00 – 4:30 pm

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GaymerX convention staff asks that all attendees respect and observe this decision to make a safe space available for our POC attendees. This is the first year we will have a POC safe space for our attendees, and your feedback will only help us improve as we move forward in making GX an even more diverse, welcoming and safe space for you.

Questions, concerns or other issues can be directed to  and will be answered by our Diversity Liaison, Tanya DePass.

Cheers!

On Sprites And Sugar Water

Hello again, potential Sprites!

You may remember our post earlier this summer about the magic our volunteers, known as Sprites, bring to each and every GX event. We spoke of free badges and sugar water, but we were vague in a mysterious yet enticing way. “What is this sugar water?” you may have asked yourself. “Is it delicious enough to lure me, with my exquisite magic, into becoming a Sprite?” Wonder no more! Come sniff at the trough of sugar water, fill your nostrils with its tantalizing aroma, and learn the specifics of GX3’s Volunteer perks.

The very first Sprite training at GaymerX in 2013!

 

In exchange for at least 8 hours of work during the convention, Sprites will receive:

  • Free Badges: All Sprites receive a free weekend pass to GX3: Everyone Games. This badge includes access to our swanky VIP Party on Thursday night!
  • Exclusive Sprite T-Shirts: Our Sprites get a unique shirt at each GX Convention that serves as their badge of Spritedom. These shirts aren’t sold or available any other way than working with us as a Sprite.
  • Food on Shift: We know that nothing is more important at a convention than making sure you’re able to find the time to eat! We provide breakfast and dinner to Sprites who are working during morning and night shifts. We’ll also have snacks and other munchies available throughout the day for our Sprites to keep them fueled. Have dietary restrictions? Let us know and we’ll make sure to stock things you’re able to eat!
  • Volunteer Crash Space: Need somewhere to take a quick nap during the convention? Get some quiet time? Leave your things locked up safely? A space to switch from Sprite garb to an awesome costume? Then you’ll love the volunteer crash space! We keep a hotel room at the venue set aside for our volunteers to use for these things throughout the event! Please keep in mind, though, the crash space is communal one and is not a stand-in for lodging during the event!
  • Training Dinner: Want a chance to meet your fellow Sprites before the convention? We hold a training dinner prior to the convention that we ask all Sprites to attend. It’s a great chance to make new friends and get informed about all things GX3 before things get started.  We also use this training to talk about ways to make GX3 an inclusive space for all gamers! We’re aiming to have this dinner on Wednesday 12/9 in San Jose, not far from the San Jose Convention Center.

Have we enticed you to bring your magic to GX3 as a Sprite? Excellent! You can apply to be a volunteer at GX3 here. Don’t delay, as we’re quickly approaching our application deadline of 9/30/2015!

Have questions or concerns? Let us know via email at ! We look forward to seeing you all this December in San Jose, CA!

-Soraya Een Hajji and Brian Kunde, Volunteer Co-Directors

sorayaheadshot meprofile pic

 

Hi from your @GaymerX Diversity Liaison!

GaymerX.com

I’m really, really happy to announce that I am part of the GaymerX staff as the Diversity Liaison for GX3!

What does this mean exactly? Well, I’m helping to review programming in order to make sure that panels have a diverse range of speakers, and also that the convention’s programming meets the GaymerX Mission Statement;

GaymerX seeks to make the gaming world safer and more inclusive to marginalized people, especially those in the gender and sexuality spectrum. This is handled in three major ways.

Making Progress Fun is a big factor in the way that GaymerX does things. When people are genuinely excited and engaged by a concept or a technique they are far more likely to learn it and put it into practice. Gaming, socializing, and partying can be effective avenues to test out social conditions that favor inclusiveness and conflict resolution.

Creating Better Practices for safety and inclusiveness in physical and online gaming spaces. This can mean rules and enforcement but more-so helpful guidelines and tools for people to interact with one another as well as exposure to rarely discussed social concepts and issues that help people relate and empathize with one another.

The GX Convention is a yearly event where all of GaymerX’s work can be put into practice. It is a physical space where people can meet and interact in a different way than they would at a mainstream gaming event. When people know that the event’s audience, volunteers, staff, vendors, and guests are all supportive of their identity and open to discuss conflicts, it creates a unique positive atmosphere of comfort and inclusiveness.

So how can you contact me if there’s a problem/concern/question about diversity and the convention?

You can email and I’ll get it. I’ll do my best to respond within 1-2 days. If it is urgent please note that in the body of your message so I can try to get back to you on the same day if possible.

I’ll be at the convention in San Jose December 11 – 13th, 2015 roaming around, go to and doing paneling. If you need me for anything at-con, I’ll let folks know how to find me there.

Last of all, don’t forget panel and RPG event submission is open until September 1st!

Looking forward to meeting you all in December!

Cheers,

Tanya

GX3: Everyone Volunteers!

Hey, Listen!
Press C-Up To Hear How to Become A Sprite!

 

 

 

Every so often, when the wind through the trees calls out for another GX, we set out a golden trough filled with sugar water to attract the rare and precious Sprites. These Sprites (known as “volunteers” in the lands that do not practice magic) not only make the convention possible, they make it wonderful. Our Sprites run everything from set up to registration; they provide security in the halls and A/V support in the panels and events.

Sprites in their natural habitat.

You may not know it yet, but you, reading this – you could be a Sprite! Does the sweet, delicate smell of sugar water entice you? How about free tickets and benefits like free breakfast and a crash space when you need it? Whether you’ve loaned us your magic before or whether you’re spreading your wings for the first time, we’d love to have you join us at GX3!

Here’s a quick rundown of what being a Sprite at GX3: Everyone Games will entail:

What We Need (Your Magic)

  • Minimum 8 hours of volunteer work during the convention. This is split into several shifts. Our sprites work in a variety of areas ranging from registration, set-up/breakdown, badge checking, security, A/V, and random acts of magic.
  • Able to attend a training session prior to the convention. All of our Sprites go through training to help them cultivate a safe and inclusive community at GX. We also use this time to talk about event logistics, convention policies, and Spritely duties.

What We Offer (Sugar Water)

  • Free 3-Day Badge to GX3: Everyone Games. Every volunteer gets a badge at no cost to them in exchange for helping us make the event a success.
  • The Sprite Castle. Our volunteers have access to our Volunteer HQ, the Sprite Castle, throughout the event. This is a space to safely store your things, grab some free food, and/or just hang out with your fellow Sprites.
  • And more! We’re still finalizing details on all of our volunteer perks, but we try our hardest to provide our Sprites with whatever we can to thank them for their hard work. We’ll announce these perks as we get closer to the event!

You can read up on more details about being a Sprite and apply to join us at GX3 here.

Have questions? Email them to Soraya Een Hajji and Brian Kunde at !

We look forward to seeing you all at GX3: Everyone Games!

-Soraya Een Hajji and Brian Kunde, Volunteer Co-Directors

Soraya Een Hajji, Volunteer Co-Director

Why I Signed Up for GX3

Let’s say there is this awesome, super cool, inclusive, convention safe space for people often harassed and ostracized in the gaming world. Wouldn’t you want to attend it? I know I sure as hell want to! I actually have, I went to it for the first time last year. GX2 was the first gaming convention I went to where I didn’t feel like I was being harassed, oogled at, or seen as just being a “fake gamer for the attention”.51926_612406892149878_991345248_o

In fact I loved the idea of this convention so much that right after GX2 ended, I signed up to help run events with these amazing people. So if I was willing to do that after one convention it should definitely be worth a look. But how do you even get tickets to something like that? It’s probably like a speakeasy where you have to know someone who knows someone that can get you in. A place where you have to whisper a password through a slit in a door.

But luck would have it that this convention doesn’t have any passwords or secret handshakes, yet. (I’m still working on convincing them on the handshake bit.) Getting your tickets for GX3 is as easy as following this link to the EventBrite page. It really can’t get any easier than that.

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I hope to see you at GX3!

~ Kayla