The annual European Go Congress is the main event for go players around Europe. Hundreds of go players of all levels from all around the world gather, each summer in a different country, to play official tournaments, study, follow lessons from professionals and meet together for two weeks. EGC 2018 in Pisa, from 27 July to 12 August, provides this and much more: parallel tournaments, tourism, the historical setting of Pisa and Tuscany and the nice sea of nearby beaches. Have a look at our web site egc2018.it and subscribe now!

Why a call for volunteers

2018 in Pisa aims to be a big event for go players from all over the world, and we organisers all need your help!

We expect hundreds of go players, mostly from Europe but even from other countries, especially Asian ones. We need many volunteers who help, during the congress, with giving information in the halls and the reception, give directions to go players, help the referees with writing game results and take kifus, set up the playing rooms before the tournaments start, be the reference persons for professional go players and other similar tasks.

Whether you are a beginner, intermediate or dan player, you can help with the European Go Congress in Pisa, from 27 July to 12 August 2018. You will contribute making this event more satisfying for everyone, you will have the opportunity to know lots of people, you will be proud of having a role and being able to help in EGC and you will profit from discounts to the subscription rate and even partial expense refunds for the most demanding volunteering roles.

What we need

We need go players: you should be familiar with the basic concepts of the game, you should know what a goban is. That's all: we will instruct you and explain what are your tasks. No previous organising experience is required, even though it is much appreciated if present.

In general, you should be available to switch your role as needed. Examples of typical exchangeable roles to be covered are preparing the tournament room before each game round, standing in key places ready to provide information, sitting at the reception desk to give directions and help with registration and office tasks, helping with random tasks around the place. Those who have the capabilities can also help with some of the more specialised roles, such as helping with referee tasks, baby sitting, attend to professional players needs.

What's the cost of volunteering

You will not be able to participate in some or many tournaments. We plan two volunteering rounds: morning and afternoon.

The morning round is shorter and easier, the tasks are more or less the same each day, so you can more easily plan you day, but it prevents you from participating in the main tournament. It starts at 8.00 and ends at 13.00, meaning that you can participate in all other tournaments.

The afternoon round starts at 13.00. It is longer and more varied, depending on turns you may end one day at 17.30 and the next day much later. We have roles needing volunteers up to midnight, but the exact schedule can be discussed and agreed upon with the organisers. You will not be able to participate in most tournaments during the afternoon, but you can participate in the main tournament. Don't be worried about the start time at 13.00: if you happen to finish your main tournament game later than that, it will not generally be a problem, and if you usually end very late we can arrange your schedule to accommodate it.

What we give in exchange

As a token of appreciation for your time, we define three volunteering job levels and for each level we provide different discounts on the subscription rate and possibly a cash bonus (if you are eligible for a cash bonus, you will need to keep original receipts from hotels and restaurants).

Obviously this is not a payment for your job, we are well aware that your time is much more valuable than this, but we hope that it can show you our appreciation and can make you feel more involved in this big adventure!

One-star volunteer

You get a total discount on the congress subscription rate.
In exchange, you are expected to help during the afternoon volunteering rounds. You are free during Wednesdays.

Two-stars volunteer

You get a total discount on the congress subscription rate plus a 120€ cash bonus.
In exchange, you are expected to help during the morning volunteering rounds. You are free during Wednesdays.

Three-stars volunteer

You get a total discount on the congress subscription rate plus a 150-400€ cash bonus, depending on your level of involvement, to be decided on a case-by-case basis.
In exchange, you are expected to help during the morning volunteering rounds and do some additional work, such as helping during Wednesdays, or during all or part of the afternoon volunteering rounds, or taking on a specialised task.

What you can do

If you want to volunteer, please register at http://egc2018.it, choose the dates of your staying at EGC and subscribe by choosing the special case option when paying. Be sure to leave a message in the notes field, stating your desired level of involvement, your date of arrival and leaving, and any other relevant information, such as which languages you speak, whether you have problems with weightlifting, if you are eligible for specialised tasks like babysitting, assisting professional players, taking kifus of top-level games and any other useful work that comes to mind.

In general, we favour people available to take on a wide range of tasks, arriving on Friday 27 July or sooner and leaving on Sunday 12 August or later, but we will consider any offer and get back to you by the end of March.

If you need further clarification, please write to [email protected].

Let's work together and make EGC 2018 a wonderful experience for all go players!