For Volunteers
Volunteers are the heartbeat of the festival. We rely on extra hands, fresh energy, and friendly faces like yours. Without our volunteers, Iceland Innovation Week simply wouldn’t happen! 💛
Iceland Innovation Week is a festival celebrating and showcasing innovation in all sectors. Attendees include startups, investors, scaleups, innovative corporates, academics & public institutions.
The festival has two parts:
Partner Side Events: Our partners host their own events across the city, bringing different venues and flavors into the festival experience🎉
IIW Official Program: Taking place at the main venue, Austurbæjarbíó, featuring key stage sessions, booths and signature events. The main program takes place April 28–29th, 2026✨
Volunteer perks:
Get an insider look at Iceland’s buzzing innovation scene
Score a full-access festival pass to the official program 🎟️
Meet tons of interesting, inspiring people
Real work experience
And yes, you might walk away with a recommendation letter
Volunteer stories
Nathalia Bardales
“My name is Nathalia Bardales I volunteered at the Innovation week to meet new people and be involved in tech industry events 💻
After volunteering for Iceland Innovation Week, my self esteem increase as I gained exposure among tech corporations but also expanded my connection circle. Not to mention that I developed deep friendships 💜”
Koichi Goto
“I joined Iceland Innovation Week these 2 years because I wanted to expose myself to new ideas and global perspectives. I was particularly curious how a small but dynamic country like Iceland creates innovation.
The open and flat communication culture was impressive. Whether founders, speakers, or volunteers, everyone was encouraged to share ideas freely. and very friendly
This experience strengthened my confidence to engage in international environments. It also gave me the flexibility to embrace different cultures and perspectives, and helped me refine the direction of my own career.
After joining the event, I started actively volunteering at international conferences around the world. My network expanded dramatically, and it has completely changed how I see my career and my life. I feel more connected to the global community, and I am no longer hesitant to step into new environments.
I would love to return as a volunteer next year. I now understand how meaningful this event is, and I want to contribute by supporting new participants with the experience I gained since last 2 years. Being part of this event again would be an honor and an opportunity to give back to the community that inspired me.
Iceland Innovation Week opened my eyes, expanded my world, and encouraged me to grow. I sincerely hope to be part of the team again and help to create the same unforgettable experience for others.”
Humair Kazi
“I am delighted to share my positive experience volunteering during Iceland Innovation Week. Being a part of IIW was truly enriching. I had the opportunity to actively engage with participants, assisting in event coordination, and, most importantly, experience firsthand innovative ideas while establishing strong connections with organizers, fellow volunteers, and creative innovators 🤝
In sharing my thanks, I want to express genuine and deep appreciation to Karitas and Guðfinna for their invaluable support and guidance, significantly enhancing my volunteering experience. I eagerly look forward to collaborating with them again 🎉”
Michelle Spinei
“I volunteered for Iceland Innovation Week in 2022 because I attended the Slush conference in Helsinki a few years ago and it was an incredible experience. I was excited that Iceland had its own international startup conference and wanted to help out.
The team at Iceland Innovation Week was so welcoming and gave me room to pick and choose parts of the festival to work on. It was a week of meeting exciting people, listening to presentations by leaders in business, and being inspired by the creativity and innovation on display. The highlight was attending the after party with the other volunteers, standing on a rooftop in Grandi watching the sun set and feeling like after a week of activity that we all accomplished something great 🙌”
FAQs
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Iceland Innovation Week is a festival that celebrates and showcases innovation.
Events ranging from panel discussions and company visits to happy hours and an icy ocean dip are held in locations in Reykjavík throughout the week.
That means that not only founders and startups but also larger companies and public institutions participate. Our aim is to increase the visibility of the innovation sector, create a platform where knowledge can be shared, and become a vibrant, international marketing window.
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We match roles to your interests and strengths. Since our team is small, most volunteers will support on-site festival operations to ensure everything runs smoothly and attendees feel welcome.
Typical volunteer tasks include:
• Registration and check-in
• Guest information and attendee guidance
• Speaker assistance & backstage support
• Cloakroom support
• Merch sales
• Set-up before events and wrap-up afterwards
• General on-site coordination alongside the IIW team -
We’re not able to cover flights or accommodation. However, if you’re traveling from abroad, we do provide a Flybus ticket from the airport to Reykjavík.
If you are a student or part of an organization, we also encourage you to explore travel grants or funding opportunities that may support your participation. We’re happy to provide any confirmation documents needed for grant applications.
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Each day is 2 slots and the festival runs for 4 days this year. Sign-up for 2 slots total and get a festival pass to attend IIW.
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To find out if you need a visa, click here.
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Of course you can!
Below you can see contact information.
If you have any thoughts or questions don’t hesitate to reach out to:
karitas@innovationweek.is - The Event Manager
gudfinna@innovationweek.is - The Marketing Manager