What are the NEXT staff (volunteer staff) at IVS2026? As the PR representative, I’ll answer frequently asked questions one by one.
Hello. I’m Sunaryu, the PR lead for IVS2026.
Currently, IVS2026 is recruiting NEXT staff (volunteer staff).
When recruiting, we’ve been getting more questions like, “What exactly does IVS NEXT staff do?”, “It says unpaid, but what does that mean?”, and “Can students apply too?”
So this time, from my position as PR lead, I’ll answer the common questions one by one in a Q&A format. Recruitment will close as soon as each application position is filled. I hope this is helpful for anyone thinking about applying.
Let’s answer them one by one.
Q1. What exactly is NEXT staff? How is it different from “day-of volunteers”?
A. In short, NEXT staff are not just “volunteers for the day of the event.”
They are part of IVS operations from the preparation stage through the main event. It used to be a day-of-only volunteer role, but because we heard that “it was hard to build connections,” we changed it last year so participants would be involved from the preparation stage.
By getting involved early, you can build relationships on Slack and elsewhere, find your footing more easily, enjoy the excitement leading up to the event together, and experience the IVS community a bit early.
Q2. Why is it called “NEXT staff”?
A. Because the name carries the hope that they are “future leading candidates who will carry the next generation” and that “IVS will be a first step toward something bigger and lead to what comes next.”
In fact, IVS representative Mr. Shimakawa also started out as an IVS volunteer. For many years, one of IVS’s defining traits has been that many volunteer staff members go on to become planning staff (IVS operations staff). We think volunteer staff are actually the stars behind the scenes at IVS, to the extent that people say, “The most important people to watch at IVS are the volunteer staff” (though of course the stars are the startup founders).
Q3. About how many people participate, and what kind of people are they?
A. This year, we’re planning for just under 70 people.
The age range is from an 18-year-old first-year university student at the youngest to around 50 at the oldest. Both students and working professionals can apply, and working professionals make up about one-third of the total.
There are also recommendations from startups, VCs, and CVCs saying, “We’d like to introduce our young team members as staff,” so sometimes teams join volunteer staff together.
Looking back at last year’s participant demographics,
Half of the volunteer staff were students and half were working professionals (surprisingly, there were many working professionals)
90% were 30 or younger
Many were participating in IVS for the first time
There was that trend.
Q4. From when to when are you involved? How much commitment is required?
A. Depending on the position, there are “one-month group” and “two-week group” roles.
One-month group: from June 1 until the three event days (July 1–3)
Two-week group: from the all-hands kickoff on the morning of June 17 until the three event days
The following are required participation.
Weekly regular MTG (schedule varies by team)
All-hands kickoff on June 17 (online)
Day-before preparation day (June 30, offline)
Full participation for all three event days (no late arrivals or early departures)
Other than that, we ask you to review the materials in advance in your own time and deepen your understanding of your assigned area. On the event days, you’ll be working full-on.
Q5. What’s the difference between NEXT staff for IVS and IVS CORE?
A. This year, in addition to “IVS” held at Miyakomesse, the new “IVS CORE” held at Hotel Okura has expanded the volunteer staff positions. The content we’re looking for differs between IVS and IVS CORE, so we’ll organize and explain it here.
Item | IVS Main Event | IVS CORE |
|---|---|---|
Target | Both students and working professionals | Working professionals only |
Required qualities | Energy, communication, and passion are enough | Strong hospitality and initiative |
Experience | No special experience or skills required | Professional experience and the skills needed for the position |
What you gain | Experience from the operations side and new challenges | A rich experience working close to executives |
The staff for the IVS Main Event don’t need any special experience or skills at all. If you bring energy, communication, and passion, everyone is welcome.
On the other hand, IVS CORE is responsible for an invitation-only area where founders, investors, corporate executives, and policymakers gather.
Getting to work as staff in a space where normally only invited guests can enter is something you can hardly experience anywhere else. That’s why the requirements are a bit higher.
If you want to know more about IVS CORE, please read this article: What is IVS CORE in the first place?
Q6. What do you get from doing NEXT staff?
A. We list five things in the application guidelines.
Experience working close to entrepreneurs, investors, and challengers
Practical experience operating a large-scale event
Experience thinking for yourself and taking action
A broader understanding of the startup industry and a wider perspective
Connections with highly motivated peers
From here, this is my personal opinion, but the number one thing is “connections.” Regardless of position or title, I think the volunteer staff at IVS are special because they work side by side, sweat together, and form teams, which creates connections you never would have imagined. People participate from all over Japan, and even from overseas, so it brings together a very diverse group.
I think that spending two weeks or a month with all those diverse people moving toward the same goal is a rare opportunity, not only for students but even for working adults.
I still have more to say about this, so I’d like to answer it in separate questions.
Q7. What do you think is special about NEXT staff?
A. I’ve been involved with IVS as PR for four years. As I mentioned in the previous question, if you ask what’s special about NEXT staff, I think it’s “connections.” Human connections are very important in life, and the more a person is a startup founder or entrepreneur, the more they value deep and meaningful connections with others.
I think IVS is a place where those kinds of connections are easy to form. Volunteer staff aren’t defined by whether they’re students, office workers, or entrepreneurs. That’s exactly why, because everyone works side by side, I think it becomes easy to get along and become teammates regardless of status.
Also, when you tell a startup founder, “I was a volunteer staff member for IVS!”, quite often their perception of you changes. I think one of the characteristics of IVS volunteer staff is that even when meeting for the first time, you can open up to a certain degree, be recognized, and make it easier for people to listen to you.
Volunteer staff are highly recommended.
Q8. What kind of people have been NEXT staff in the past?
A. There are many people whose careers expanded from here.
A symbolic example is that Mr. Shimakawa, the representative of IVS, himself came from IVS volunteer staff.
There are also many people who started a business because of volunteer staff, or who participated to seize a chance to start a business.
Please read Mr. Ujiie’s story below.
The reason they were able to raise funds was “vibes.” Chatter in front of the stove moved an investor’s heart 【A story of a startup that successfully raised funds by participating in IVS】
https://note.com/ivs19/n/n02991a1c3c6e
Q9. Is it really unpaid?
A. I’ll be honest here. Yes, it is completely unpaid. Travel and lodging expenses are not covered either.
IVS volunteer staff are made up of people who come together because they want to be involved as staff.
As I wrote in the previous question, the experience of having been an IVS volunteer staff member can be useful in your future career, and new things can emerge from those connections. It can also lead to starting a business through the staff experience (including fundraising and the like).
Here are some comments we received from people who actually participated as NEXT staff.
Someone like me, who was nobody, had the chance to become somebody
It became an experience of building strong connections among staff and creating IVS together as part of IVS, with my own role
I was able to talk with and connect to outstanding students I would never normally meet, as well as working professionals who are deeply knowledgeable in the fields I’m interested in!
I felt the energy of the startup scene firsthand, and it was a very inspiring experience
The experience of genuinely creating fun memories for someone, and meeting people I could do that with
If any of these comments moved you even a little, please apply.
Q10. What is the application deadline? What are the next steps?
A. Applications will close as soon as positions are filled. If you’re interested, it’s safest to act early.
The process after applying is as follows.
Matching with each team based on your application information (matching, not pass/fail)
If there is a matching candidate, an online interview
After agreement in the interview, join the team
Welcome even if you’re not sure which position is right for you!
So that’s my Q&A as the PR lead about the frequently asked questions regarding the recruitment of NEXT staff for IVS2026.
If you have any other questions, please feel free to contact us.
We look forward to creating IVS2026 together with you as NEXT staff.
