Is there a signup site for the various vendors that are looking for people to work their booth(s) during the event? I doubt I'll find enough things to do each day and want to fill some of it with something.

There is no single place that all vendors use for signing up booth help. Some will post on these forums, some on Facebook, some go through other companies like Double Exposure's Envoy program, and others using their own methods of communication.

I doubt I'll find enough things to do each day and want to fill some of it with something.

Edit: I should add that the best way to sign up for to be booth help is to reach out to the companies that you would most like to help with.

Guess I should of clarified, after shelter and badge cost I doubt I could to do everything I want too. I'll check the facebook group and see if I can reach out there.

That does make more sense, although there is still a TON of free stuff to do. Working for a vendor can be super fun too though. If you have a favorite company or two I would reach out to them via email or social media and ask if they are looking for booth help at Gen Con.

Surfing through the exhibit hall for free game demos can kill two entire days at the Con. No joke.

Yeah, I actively budget a fair amount of money for Gen-Con and then almost always barely end up spending any money on anything beyond hotels and food.  There is an endless supply of free or very cheap entertainment to be had.  Not that you should avoid volunteering though!

Vendors are not the only places to work/volunteer
have you checked out
https://www.gencon.com/join/event_team_members
 

I have, but I don't want to dedicate that amount of time to working the event.

Wow, 36-40 hours; I should have assumed that, given that they seem to work non-stop, but that is an impressive workload for the convention.  As if I did not already appreciate the staff enough!  Gonna give them a constant round of applause all year now.

(The Auction is another possible volunteer choice with a less-than-full-time commitment, though most people who volunteer for the Auction end up hanging out in the room much of the time anyway)

There is a group called Double Envoy / Double Exposure that gets volunteers for companies as conventions. Let me share their annual call for aid here:

Note that this year there is a new procedure - instead of (or in addition to) just replying to me, we'd like you to send all information regarding helping companies at conventions to [email protected]. This is a shared email address which goes to Virginia and me. Virginia will be in charge of organizing all convention helper placements for 2020, so she is your main point of contact for everything. As some of you can guess, this means that we hope to have everyone placed for the summer conventions MUCH earlier than last year.

Here is the general information, along with guidelines for 2020. Please reply to [email protected] with the information below filled out.

1) Each convention is broken down into a number of shifts. Shifts are usually 4 hours, and usually run from 10AM - 2PM and 2PM - 6PM. There are slight variations at some conventions; for example, at BGG.CON, Sunday is a single shift of 10AM - 3PM. In some cases, companies will have demo areas which need Heralds for odd hours (like 6PM - midnight). We'll discuss those options with you individually.

2) Booth helpers get rewards from the company they help as follows: 1 game (retail under $50) per shift or 1 game (retail $50+) for each two shifts. Demo helpers might have slightly different arrangements.

3) If you help a company at half of the available shifts at a given convention, you will get a free exhibitor (or equivalent) badge for the entire convention.

4) If you help a company all of the available shifts at a given convention, you will also get free crash space for length of the convention (starting the night before the exhibitor hall opens). This will usually be in a shared room with 3 other Heralds, but it will always be convenient (for example, you'll be in a golden circle room for Gen Con).

5) You are welcome to tell us which companies you would prefer to help with for each convention at this time, but Virginia will be contacting anyone who replies individually to work that sort of stuff out with them in the next month or two. This is a general survey to make sure that we get a bunch of people on tap to talk to.

6) NOBODY will be turned away. We need MANY Heralds at each convention, and if you are able to help, you will definitely have a spot.

7) We welcome non-Heralds at most conventions, as long as they've been vetted by us via video chat. Please feel free to indicate that you have friends who might come with you. There is no obligation for them to become Heralds, although we can't really think of any reason they shouldn't, given that one convention's booth help is usually a ton of XP/RP and fulfills a Herald's entire annual minimum!

Gen Con 2020: July 30 - August 2 - 8 normal shifts (plus odd variations, including night shifts)
Indianapolis, IN

Number of shifts you can do (no minimum):
Do you prefer normal shifts (10-2, 2-6) or evening shifts (variable)?
Do you prefer helping in a booth or in the demo area?

Do you need a badge?
Do you need crash space?
Preferred company(s)?
 

As pointed out you can look into our program by visiting the site here: https://www.gencon.com/join/event_team_members

Apprentice applications are open now!

If you have any questions you can email [email protected]

Mike Boozer
Customer Service & Event Team Manager
Gen Con LLC

That's what the last guys said. Don't see 'em around any more...
 

Well, that's because your ninjas are also a harem. They're...busy.

Dream on, Brotherbock