Volunteer for the Zihuatanejo International Guitar Festival

We are a community-run, community-funded and community-minded festival. Without the help of our group of 40+ volunteers, ZIGF simply would not be possible. There is a tremendous amount of work to be done but also a lot of fun to be had in the process! We are very grateful to all of our volunteers for their high energy, hard work and dedication to this amazing festival.

We have a great core group of volunteers who step up every year but we can always use more help! That means, we need you! We always need reliable people to volunteer their time and talents both in the months leading up to Guitar Fest as well as during the week of the festival itself.

We have 4 main areas of volunteer roles: Administrative, Promotional, On-Site and Transportation. All of our volunteers receive training, a free “STAFF” polo shirt and a complimentary pass to the entire festival with “plus one” privileges. All of our volunteers also receive our great gratitude and as many “high-fives” as they want!

Below are the specific positions we have for volunteers. If you are interested, please use the form that follows to indicate your interests and apply to be a 2015 ZIGF Volunteer! Don’t see a specific spot that fits your talents and time? Don’t worry! We will find a role that is right for you!

BILINGUAL VOLUNTEERS ARE ESPECIALLY NEEDED. 

Administrative & Logistics Volunteers

Accounting Coordinator — We are seeking someone with accounting background, experience with cash payments and who is willing to undergo a background and security check to oversee our accounting department. Basic understanding of Mexican tax law and cash deposit restrictions is preferred. Pre/Post-Festival Duties include: track expenses and and income year-round, deliver P&L statement to festival tax accountant in a timely manner at the end of the festival (and other special ZIGF events). Coordinate with pre-sales ticket offices. Receive expense sheets from committee members. Make payments to vendors. During the Festival: Responsible for cash boxes and daily accounting. Includes getting change for cash boxes, delivering cash boxes to events and receiving them from the ticket sales volunteers immediately following each shift. Vendor and artist payments and daily bank deposits. Reports to Catherine Krantz, Executive Director.

Transportation Coordinator — Coordinate with Travel provider for airline ticket purchases, get artist information from selection committee: artist name, passport information, departure / returning airport, dates availability, concerns, etc, for travel provider. Make arrival / departure charts for artists, drivers. Coordinate airport pick up and drop offs. Oversee rental cars, negotiate terms with rental agencies, secure necessary cars, keep them fueled. Coordinate transportation during the week, shuttles, deliveries, taxi information to artists. Keep artist taxi expense list, reimburse artists for taxi expenses. Be available at accommodation each afternoon / evening for departures, make sure artists arrive on time and get where they need to go. Maintain receipts and expenses for accountant. Must have a valid driver’s license and experience driving in Zihuatanejo. Reports to Heidi Nygaard, Operations Director.

Merchandise Coordinator — Inventory and distribution of merchandise daily during the festival week, coordinate and oversee merchandise sales. Scheduling sales team for concerts during the week, turning over inventory and sales sheets and sales receipts to accounting at the end of the week. Must be able to carry 20-40lb. boxes of merchandise, have a vehicle large enough to haul 3-5 boxes at a time. Reports to Accounting Coordinator.

Venues Liason — Pre-festival work with gala venue owners/managers to advise on menus, staffing & service and coordinate with production crews. Also needs to be available during gala concerts to solve any last minute glitches and ensure that all of our gala venues provide exceptional service and our gala concert attendees and our artists are happy. High-volume restaurant & bar experience required, previous ZIGF venue experience preferred. Reports to Catherine Krantz, Executive Director as well as Federico Velderrain & Rodrigo Espejo, Production Directors (L.I.V.E. Entertainment).

Artist Services — Assist Executive Director Catherine Krantz pre-festival to secure housing, address any artist special needs and organize meals (breakfast & lunch as well as special events). Be available during breakfast hours every morning during the festival to answer any artist questions and review the schedule. Coordinate with Stage Manager Kirk Wagner and transportation for sound check punctuality.

Children’s Concert Liason — The Children’s Concert is a highlight of the festival for the children and artists alike. The Children’s Concert Liason will work with our Children’s Concert sponsor, Por Los Niños, as well as Zihuatanejo’s Secretary of Education and area schools to ensure a lively yet organized event. This includes visiting area schools to invite them to the concert, logistical planning with the venue and overseeing the children’s concert volunteer staff.

Promotional Volunteers

We are seeking a “Street Team” Coordinator – and “Street Team” Members! — to work with Executive Director Catherine Krantz, and Creative Director Isahrai Azaria, to help promote the festival throughout the month of February and during the actual duration of the Festival. Street Team Members will distribute posters, programs and other promotional materials throughout the city in public spaces, to hotels and restaurants and to the airport. The creation and coordination of viral “flash-mob” style promotion is very welcome!

Fundraising Director — We are a nonprofit, community-sponsored event and our relationships with sponsors and patrons are vital to our survival and growth. Our Fundraising Director will connect personally with every sponsor as well as pro-actively seek out potential sponsors both in the Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo community and in the international creative and philanthropic world. Will also work with Executive Director Catherine Krantz to organize, promote and execute fundraising events.

Photography Coordinator — Recruit and oversee both our volunteer and paid film crews to ensure that all festival events are thoroughly documented. Schedule photographers for the festival; review, edit and upload photos to ZIGF social media acconts. Deliver print quality images to Creative Director Isahrai Azaria for use on the website and in printed publicity material in a timely manner. Reports to Isahrai Azaria, Creative Director.

Press Liason — Distribute press releases to appropriate outlets promptly. Help coordinate radio and printed press interviews with organizing committee and artists both before and during the festival. Distribute (and collect) press badges daily. Assist with updates to the festival website and social media pages. Reports to Executive Director Catherine Krantz.

Transportation Volunteers

Volunteers with their own vehicles, a good driving history, experience driving in Zihuatanejo and a minimum age 18 are greatly needed to help provide artist and equipment transport during the week of the festival. This includes musician airport pickups, concert venue transport and general delivery duties. Reports to Transportation Coordinator.

On-Site Volunteers

Bar Manager — Looking for a high energy, hyper-organized leader to be in charge of the ZIGF beverage tent at our beach concerts. Responsibilities include hiring and supervising bar staff & cleanup crew, budgeting for, ordering and shopping for bar inventory, scheduling deliveries and coordinating with ticket sales. Sales, high volume bartending and bar management experience required. Reports to Heidi Nygaard, Operations Director, and must also work closely with Shift Leads, Accounting Coordinator (for budgeting, payroll & cash flow) and the Executive Director.

Volunteer Shift Leads — We are putting together a group of 3-4 shift leads who will be responsible for assigning tasks, collecting equipment/merchandise/records, reporting to the directors and providing general leadership to our volunteers. Previous ZIGF volunteer experience preferred. Minimum age: 18. A working cell phone with a local phone number is required. Reports to Heidi Nygaard, Operations Director.

On-Site Volunteer Staff — These volunteers are our front lines of festival merrymaking! You will be manning our entrance gates, collecting and selling entry tickets, raffle tickets and merchandise, distributing festival programs, running errands and assisting festival patrons with any questions they may have. Minimum age: 14. Reports to Shift Leads & Heidi Nygaard, Operations Director.

Luthier Host— Must be bilingual. Make contact with our special invited guests, the master craftsman luthier (guitar makers) from Paracho, Michoacan, prior to their arrival to ensure that all of their concerns and needs have been addressed. Assist them during the festival with transportation, accommodations and translations. Help promote their work through active community engagement and lecture/presentation events during the festival.

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