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Critical Leadership Roles

Typical critical roles

A camp of our size (50~80 people) will typically require the following leadership roles:

  • Camp Lead/Manager: The overall coordinator responsible for overseeing all camp activities, ensuring communication and organization among all members, and acting as the primary point of contact with the Burning Man organization.

  • Leave No Trace (LNT) Lead: Ensures that the camp adheres to Burning Man's environmental principles, including minimizing waste, managing trash and recycling, and ensuring the camp site is clean before, during, and after the event.

  • Logistics Lead: Manages the transportation of camp infrastructure, supplies, and personal belongings to and from the event. Coordinates the setup and teardown of the camp.

  • Kitchen Lead: Oversees meal planning, food storage, preparation, and cooking. Ensures dietary needs and preferences of all camp members are met and maintains cleanliness and hygiene in the kitchen area.

  • Power/Infrastructure Lead: Manages power generation and distribution within the camp, including solar panels, generators, and battery storage. Oversees other infrastructure needs like water supply, shade structures, and camp layout.

  • Health and Safety Lead: Responsible for the well-being of camp members, including first aid, hydration, and general safety protocols. Ensures the camp complies with all safety regulations and has necessary emergency supplies.

  • Volunteer Coordinator: Organizes and schedules volunteer shifts for various camp duties. Ensures that all tasks are covered and camp members are contributing to the camp’s operation.

  • Art/Theme Lead: Coordinates the camp's artistic and thematic elements, including decorations, interactive art projects, and participatory events. Ensures alignment with the camp’s theme and Burning Man's principles of radical self-expression and inclusion.

  • Finance/Accounting Lead: Manages the camp’s budget, tracks expenses, collects dues from members, and ensures financial transparency and accountability.

  • Communications Lead: Handles internal and external communications, including camp announcements, updates, and coordination with the larger Burning Man community. Manages the camp’s online presence and any required documentation.

  • Sound/Entertainment Lead: Coordinates sound systems, DJ schedules, and other entertainment activities within the camp. Ensures compliance with Burning Man’s sound policies and provides a schedule of events.

  • Sustainability Lead: Focuses on sustainable practices within the camp, promoting recycling, composting, and the use of eco-friendly products.

How NYD does it

Because our camp is on the smaller side and we don't handle a massive amount of traffic, we merged some of the above roles:

  1. Camp Lead/Manager: The overall coordinator responsible for overseeing all camp activities, ensuring communication and organization among all members, and acting as the primary point of contact with the Burning Man organization.

  2. Leave No Trace & Sustainability Lead: Combines responsibilities of environmental stewardship, including minimizing waste, managing trash and recycling, and ensuring the camp site is clean before, during, and after the event. This role also focuses on sustainable practices within the camp, promoting recycling, composting, and the use of eco-friendly products.

  3. Logistics & Communications Lead: Manages the transportation of camp infrastructure, supplies, and personal belongings to and from the event. Also handles internal and external communications, including camp announcements, updates, and coordination with the larger Burning Man community.

  4. Technical Logistics & Infrastructure Lead: Oversees power generation and distribution within the camp, including solar panels, generators, and battery storage. This role also includes managing other infrastructure needs like water supply, shade structures, and camp layout.

  5. Kitchen Lead: Oversees meal planning, food storage, preparation, and cooking. Ensures dietary needs and preferences of all camp members are met and maintains cleanliness and hygiene in the kitchen area.

  6. Health and Safety Lead: Responsible for the well-being of camp members, including first aid, hydration, and general safety protocols. Ensures the camp complies with all safety regulations and has necessary emergency supplies.

  7. Volunteer Coordinator: Organizes and schedules volunteer shifts for various camp duties. Ensures that all tasks are covered and camp members are contributing to the camp’s operation.

  8. Finance/Accounting Lead: Manages the camp’s budget, tracks expenses, collects dues from members, and ensures financial transparency and accountability.

  9. Art, Theme & Entertainment Lead: Coordinates the camp's artistic and thematic elements, including decorations, interactive art projects, and participatory events. This role also manages sound systems, DJ schedules, and other entertainment activities within the camp.

  10. Bike Lead: Coordinates the camp's bike, which includes making sure people who paid for bike have received them, that the bike are in working condition, and that the bike get fixed during the event if/when they break down (playa conditions are rough!)
Explanation of Changes

  1. Leave No Trace & Sustainability Lead: Merged to streamline environmental efforts and ensure a cohesive approach to minimizing the camp’s ecological footprint.

  2. Logistics & Communications Lead: Combined to centralize the coordination of logistics and communications, ensuring seamless information flow and efficient handling of transportation and supplies.

  3. Technical Logistics & Infrastructure Lead: Merged to integrate technical and infrastructure management, providing a unified approach to setting up and maintaining essential camp facilities and power needs.

  4. Art, Theme & Entertainment Lead: Combined to align the camp’s artistic vision with its entertainment offerings, ensuring cohesive and engaging experiences for camp members and visitors.

  5. Bike Lead: Since many of our campers come from remote states and even countries, bringing a bike is extremely challenging which is why the camp decided to offer bike as a service.

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