Surprise! It's a CommandFest: Dallas - April 2024 By Cool Stuff Games

On April 19th-21st Cool Stuff Games will be hosting their first event outside of Florida!!  Come join us and make CommandFest Dallas 2024 something memorable.

Please read the application carefully before you decide to apply, and answer any questions asked in the application process. The application window will close at: Feb 16th 23:59 PST   And staffing announcements will be made on Feb 19th.  Early Acceptance may be granted for individuals who need to make significant travel plans.

We will be taking applications for Registration, Prize Wall,  Scorekeeper, Judge, and Judge Leads positions, in any combination of 1, 2, or 3 day positions.

Days:

Cool Stuff Games’  CommandFest Dallas will span 3 days (Friday/Saturday/Sunday) and as such you have opportunities to apply for one day positions (Saturday Only), Two Day positions (Fri/Sat or Sat/Sun) and Three Day Positions (Fri/Sat/Sun). 

When filling out the application, please select all combinations you are applying for.  For example, if you are able to work two or three days, select all those options, however if you can only make the event work if you are accepted for all three days, then please select only the Fri/Sat/Sun option. Note: Due to the way player attendance works, there is less of a need for judges on Fridays and Sundays, so ONLY applying for all three days does negatively influence probability of being staffed. 

Schedule:

While the schedule is not finalized yet, the expected shift durations are listed below.  Shifts will include a 1 hour break and at least one additional 30 min break. The Friday shift will begin no earlier than 8:00 AM. The Sunday shift will end no later than 8:00pm.  (Odds of starting later or ending earlier is high, I just want to allow folks to make travel plans.)

• Judge – 10-12 Hours

• Judge Lead 12-14 Hours

• Scorekeeper 12-14 Hours

• Registration/Check-in - 10-12 Hours

• Prize Wall 12-14 Hours

Hotel Sponsorship

For this event, there is a limited number of Hotel Sponsorships available.  You may request between 2 and 4 nights.  The hotel room will be located at the same hotel as the venue, and will include a shared room (with 2 Full beds) with another judge also receiving a hotel sponsorship.  If your application is dependent on receiving Hotel Sponsorship, please explicitly state that as part of the application. 

Roles:

You may apply for multiple roles, and you may have multiple roles over the weekend.  Compensation between roles is based on expected responsibility and shift duration.

Judges

If selected for a Judging role, you may be asked to perform duties in one or more of the following areas:

• Head Judge a Scheduled Event

• Judge Scheduled Events

• Judge On-Demand Events

• Perform Judge Related tasks such as prepare product, distribute product, perform end of round.

Compensation: $265/Day + 1 Month of Dues*

Judge Leads  

As a Lead, you may be asked to perform duties in one or more of the following areas:

• Lead On Demand Events

• Lead Scheduled Side Events

• Lead a Kickstarter Team

• Floor Judge

• Develop Break Schedule

• Communicate with Scorekeepers, Administrators, and other Leads.

Compensation: $365/Day + 1 Month of Dues*

Registration/Player Checkin

If selected as an Registration/Checkin, you may be asked to perform duties in one or more of the following areas

• Player Registration

• Player Check-in

• Swag Preparation

• Other Administrative Tasks

• Based on need/player volume, Registration may transition to role of Floor Judge mid-shift.

Compensation: $265/Day + 1 Month of Dues*

Scorekeepers

As a scorekeeper, you will be expected to bring practical, hands on experience managing multiple events with Eventlink.

• Scorekeep Scheduled Events in Eventlink

• Liaise with Scheduled Event/On-Demand Event Judges

• Address Judge/Player issues and concerns

• Track event attendance and completion status

• Generate On-Demand events.

Compensation: $365/Day + 1 Month of Dues*

Prize Wall

If selected as an Prize Wall, you may be asked to perform duties in one or more of the following areas.  Note: Prize Wall folks will not have the option of a shift ending early.

• Prize Wall

• Product Preparation

• Other Administrative Tasks

Compensation: $315/Day + 1 Month of Dues*

As a Staff Member:

Courtesy and respectfulness are top priorities during the entirety of the event. All members of judge staff will be expected to adhere to our company mission statement as follows:

We strive to provide a positive and inclusive environment for all players regardless of age, gender, or skill. To create a welcoming and positive environment for all who play here, encouraging sportsmanship and the power of the community. 

Food:

Food will be provided all three days of the event, throughout the day, along with snacks and drinks.

Break Room:

There will be a break room located near the event hall.  Access to this room will be shared by Staff, Special Guests, and artists.  This room will not be locked, however it will have a Cool Stuff Employee physically present when the room is open.

Attire:

Judges will be expected to wear black pants and mostly black shoes.  Cool Stuff Games will be providing shirts.  One shirt will be available for each day selected for staff. ( e.g. 2 days = 2 shirts, 3 days = 3 shirts)  These shirts will be yours to keep.  If you already have a Cool Stuff Staff shirt, please note that in your application.

Dues:

The Judge Program looks very different now than it did just 6 months ago.  Various non-profits have formed across the globe to support judges in their respective regions.  However, these non-profits either require dues or have announced a future intent to require dues.

As part of event compensation, Cool Stuff Games will pay for dues equivalent to 1 month of membership for certified judges provided that:
- They are a dues-paying member (at the time of the event) of a legal organization responsible for certifying judges.
- The organization allows the ‘gifting’ of dues.
- The dues are real and reasonable.  

At the time of this application, the only organization that allows such a thing is Judge Foundry, However any recognized organization that has a similar process in place by the time of the event will be similarly provided. 

This support is a recognition from Cool Stuff Games that Judges are important to large events, and organizations that exist for their betterment benefit judges, players, and tournament organizers alike. 

Judge Apps vs Judge Academy Website:

This event will be posted on both the Judge Academy and the Judge Apps Websites.  Judges may apply via either website.  However, staffing and event communications will be managed through the Judgeapps website ONLY.  This means you will need a Judgeapps account.  If you do not have one, you can register here: https://apps.magicjudges.org/accounts/register/

Communication:

Please note that the Event forums for this event on the Judge Apps Website will be used to communicate important news, information, and updates for this event.  We will also have a Discord for this event and use that for more immediate and informal communications.

Documentation:

For this event, and all Cool Stuff Games events, all accepted judge staff are treated as independent contractors.  Payment will be provided in the form of a check at the end of your final shift or mailed to your address following the event. All staff will be required to submit a valid US tax form (W-9 or W-8 BEN) to Cool Stuff Games. All judge staff are expected to adhere to the same Health and Safety procedures as participants.

Per WPN policies all selected applicants will be verified against the National Sex Offender Registry located at https://www.nsopw.gov

To Apply to this event:

Please fill out the cover letter and answer any questions asked.  Your cover letter is your opportunity to introduce yourself and explain what skills and talents you will bring to this event. Be sure to mention any relevant skills.  For example:
- If you are applying for the scorekeeper position, describing your experience with Eventlink will be helpful. 
- Mentioning you know ASL
- If you are applying for a leadership role, mentioning previous leadership roles.