Disclaimer: I have not been to Akicon, nor do I plan to attend in the foreseeable future. I am merely crunching the numbers provided and offering some insight as a long time con staffer.
oh and i also found this on the akicon forum regarding volunteers. I personally don't volunteer
"Volunteer reimbursement
4 hours = free t-shirt
8 hours = free t-shirt, bag and access to volunteer green room
16 hours = ½ price of badge returns, free t-shirt, bag and access to volunteer green room
32 +hours = full price of badge returned free t-shirt, bag and access to volunteer green room
Volunteer must sign in and out with Volunteer guardian. Your hours must be verified by a
Guardian volunteer that will sign your time card.
Assuming Akicon runs 07:00-23:59 day 1, 00:00-23:59 day 2, and 00:00-23:59 day 3. Also assuming another 24 hours for set up and tear down (12 hours each) that is 89 con hours over five days. That means, to have a badge refunded as a volunteer one would need to work for 36% (35.955056179775280898876404494382, which is 32/89) of the convention.
For anything reminiscent of Yojimbo(Kumo)/S.A.S.(Sakura)/Aegis(M.E.W.), video gaming staff (or volunteer if you prefer), panel moderators, (insert most things that fall under programming and operations), etc. then one's position is only "active" during con hours. These positions make up 77% (rounded) of Kumoricon's 234 staff (for 2010 at least, 180/234). That would mean that (assuming a similar staff distribution) approximately two-thirds to three-quarters of Akicon's volunteers would only be able to work in their assigned position during the con's (assumed) programming hours (65). This bring the percentage of volunteer hours (compared to "workable" hours) to get a badge refunded to 49% (49.230769230769230769230769230769, or 32/65).
If you were to monetarily compensate these volunteers for their hours worked (thus negating the "volunteer" title) you would owe them (at Oregon's minimum wage of $8.40/hr) $268.80 before taxes.
For some comparison: Sakuracon, Kumoricon, and M.E.W.con all enforce a 16 hour rule for staff. This rule is very simple: If you do not work your 16 hours (insert the standard **** happens {self censor} clause), you lose your staff badge and all the privileges that come with it. Generally managers/coordinators will give some leeway as long as you are present for most of your shifts. For M.E.W.con that is 16 hours out of 52 programming hours and ~62 con hours. This is 30% of the programming hours and 25% of the con hours (not including meetings, which also count in my mind). (I will also update this section with the Sakuracon percents when I have the time.)
Sakuracon and M.E.W.con do not charge their staff anything, they prefer to have very tight control on who they allow to work for them. Personally, I only "hire" people that I can get positive reviews about from a supervisor, or I have some other reason for trusting.
Kumoricon charges $10 to its staff. This is less than half of the retail (selling point) value of a full con-pass if you buy it at con for the next year.
In conclusion, although a sound idea in theory, mathematically it does not pan out. These volunteers would have to work almost half of the con's assumed programming hours (which, I believe, are no where near the actual values as M.E.W.con last year only had about 50 programming hours).
i think that is reasonable since i know friends that volunteer, get free badges and then never show up to help
People like the ones you mentioned (those that try and get a "free badge") get red-listed (no longer allowed as staff/volunteers) very quickly at organized cons.
