The Placement Team are volunteers who facilitate the placement process, work directly with every camp, and make the map of Black Rock City. Since 1995 we plan the city, correspond with Camp Leads year-round, and meet you in person to place your camp on the playa. Placement is how camps receive a reserved camping spot at Burning Man.
If your camp would like a reserved Black Rock City address, your camp will need to participate in the Placement process. If your camp would like to arrive before the Gate opens to build or set up your camp in a reserved camping spot, you will need to participate in the placement process. You can reach us by emailing placement@burningman.org. Please include your camp name and requested sector in the subject line of your email. You can sign up for the Placement Newsletter here.
Click images below to learn more about Camp Support Team or PEERS (Placement's Exploration & Engagement Research Squad):
Placement Team Bios:
Bobo (née Coach) alit upon BRC in 2014 for his maiden voyage, striking that tuning fork in the key of weeeee! He joined Placement to deepen connection to and awe of this community and culture collaboratively brought to be. He’s thrilled to serve the city alongside the dedicated and talented Placement team, hustling to connect and assist camps to lay the framework for arriving on playa to swim the dusty seas of the city that isn’t until it is, and after a while, ain’t, until it is again!
My first year on playa was 2013, I quickly found myself engulfed in a dust storm and completely at home being lost in the city. I have been slowly exploring the many faces and facets of this city and in turn how I view myself and the world. I’ve always been drawn to the collective creative experience and have sought out more avenues to participate. I joined the placement team in 2019 and have since nurtured a deep love affair with spreadsheets and the tetris of our streets. Being slightly addicted to volunteering, I also volunteer with Camp Support helping with Campfire Talks and have volunteered with the SOAK Placement team in the past. I love riddles and quests, and am always looking for doorways to the Fae world. In defaultia, I am full time leather artisan and clothing designer.
Year one for me was 2003. And I quickly realized that this was a place to be and experience things in life that I never had before. The next year, I decided I wanted to do more than just experience it. So for the next 8 years I was involved in running theme camps. In 2012 I decided to volunteer with Placement. I began my journey in 3:00. Since then I have been a placer for 3:00, 4:30, 7:30, and now back to 4:30. I believe my time running a theme camp helps me to better serve and understand what our city needs.
Chomp first heard about Burning Man from some friends who thought it would be a perfect fit for her, but her initial response was, “No way, absolutely not”, then that’s the end of the story…
Just kidding! The idea of a community of artists coming together to build an entire city with art, music, and weirdness piqued her interest enough to dive into her first burn in 2015 with a theme camp, Clusterf*ck United. She loves being involved in organization and learning new things, so she’s volunteered in the past with Box Office, Man Watch, Census, being a Theme Camp Organizer, helping her friends build Burnie the Bonfire art car, and starting in 2024 has found immense joy on Placement’s 4:30 Sector Team!
Since her first magical year on playa in 2022, Compass has dabbled in different facets of the Burner community as a theme camp member, Arctica ice-slinger, and dust-kicker-upper on the lanes at Gate. She’s beyond thrilled to have found her niche in Placement where she can contribute her default-world skills in planning for sustainable communities. In addition to her adoration for this wonderful experiment we call home, she is a lover of side quests, slapstick, and slides.
Dandelion
Camp Layout Support
In 2009 a friend asked me if I wanted to go to Burning Man. Sure I said. He then asked me if I wanted to start a theme camp. Sure, what’s that? And so I became a theme camp organizer for OKNOTOK and owner of a 53 foot semi trailer filled with dusty gear we’ve accumulated over the years. Helping facilitate 50ish dusty souls making their way to the playa each year brings me joy, as well as frustration, irritation, and annoyance, but the joy outweighs the rest. In 2024, I decided I didn't have enough spreadsheets and to do lists and so joined the Placement Team for a new challenge and a new way to contribute to the wonder that is Burning Man.
DhammaSeeker
Camp Layout Support
DhammaSeeker first came to Black Rock City in 2010 as a solo open camper. He co-founded Pretty Pickle Camp in 2011 and continues as camp lead today. A quest to do it better each year keeps him returning to Black Rock City. After getting a taste of pretending to organize chaos at the 2021 playa gathering, he applied for a spot on Placement until they relented and let him volunteer in camp layout support starting in 2023. He gets to review the layouts of hundreds of camps and help us all do it better!
Dreamer first got sucked into "That Thing in the Desert" in 2017 by way of the Lamplighters. After having a profound first year, Dreamer started a small theme camp called HYPERSPACE. The camp's mission is to share UFO lounge pods and blacklight minigolf with the citizens of Black Rock City. Dreamer has also volunteered with The BRC Post Offices delivering mail and welcoming burners at The Greeters Station. Dreamer is excited to help place the 7:30 sector this year! If you're trying to find Dreamer out there in the dust, be on the lookout for a big yellow haired clown in a yellow suit, chances are that's him!
I attended my first burn in 2006 and swore I would never return! Since then, I've returned many times and joined the Black Rock Rangers in 2014. In my off-playa time I work with an incredible team of folks who produce unSCruz (Santa Cruz Regional Burn), which I’ve been a part of for the past 12 years. My experience and love of planning with that event, led me to the Burning Man Placement team which I joined in 2023 as a volunteer placer. I love being a part of creating this amazing urban wonderland we all get to enjoy for a whisper in time each year.
HepKitten has been attending Burning Man since 2005 and volunteering for the Placement Team and Gate Perimeter & Exodus since 2006. She has been fortunate to be the Placer for the 3:00, 4:30, 6:00, 7:30, and 9:00 sectors over the years. She’s been a member of various theme camps since 2005, and usually has the, erm, joy (?) of drawing up her theme camp’s layout plan. In 2024 HepKitten was ecstatic to take on the planning of her favorite event on playa, Single Malt @ Sunset on Whisky Wednesday (formerly Scotchfest). In between attending working man Hepkitten is perpetually in search of the perfect mint lemonade, goggling at the amazing art, and doing her best to enjoy all the fabulous creations that theme camps dream up.
Shamed into attendance in 2012, Huntress now returns annually on her sNarkle pony. Through theme camp organizing, grey water ‘diving’, GPE cone-wrangling, and Placement paper-shuffling, she has learned about the omnipotence of spreadsheets, the fiery effects of industrial bleach on skin, and Burners’ incredible generosity of labor, creativity, and kindness. When not contributing to chaos, you can find her on a perennial quest for funky beats, irreverent whimsy, and extra bubbly mint lemonade. She's thrilled to help create BRC on the unceded land of the Numu (Northern Paiute). As a geographer, she's stoked to tell people that, yes… she finally makes maps.
I was named KGB my first year at Burning Man, 2007, where I helped build an art project in the 3:00 plaza and volunteered for Perimeter Death Ray Crew! It was an epic experience, and I’ve been attending and volunteering ever since. In 2015 I moved from GPE to the Placement Team, where I get to map out fun, diverse, and interactive neighborhoods of fabulous theme camps created by amazing people. In 2015-16 I helped place the 2:00 and 10:00 sectors, and switched to the 4:30 sector in 2017 (as Lead in 2019, 2022, & 2023). Now I’m Lead Placer in the 3:00 sector and can't wait to see you all in BRC!
My first year was 2010 and I went early to build. Within 20 minutes, a storm blew a dome across the playa, and it landed on my car. It completely covered it! I remember wondering WTF should I do? If I could at least get my car to drive off playa then nothing else really mattered. Learning to "let go" was my first of many playa lessons and it’s been schooling me ever since! I have helped build theme camps, art builds, regionals and now with the placement team. I have found my home within my home!
LL
Placement Administrative Coordinator
The great Elvis Presley once said, "Only fools rush in." - and that I did in 2011! I was Home. Neighbors became campmates and campmates became family; leading Black Hole Literary Society as TCO for 8 years before finding my way to the Placement Team. I previously volunteered with Playa Info and Greeters, joining Placement as an Admin Support Specialist in 2022. It is an absolute honor to be in service to our community as Placement’s Administrative Coordinator — with the best dang team a lady could ask for. Buy the ticket, take the ride! )’(
Level
Associate Director of City Planning
Level first stepped on the playa in 2009, where he joined the incredible Dilated People’s Eye Spa, an oasis of rejuvenation for dusty burners. After leading the camp for 5 years, he joined the Placement team to exercise his expertise in playing Sim City, formal training as an urban planner, and love for people and place. He has led the team since 2019 and is honored to be in the seat to help build the greatest temporary city on earth.
Madness is usually a little cynical, so when he pulled up to the Greeters Station for the first time in 2013 and they said “Welcome Home”, he was taken aback at how real that statement felt. Everywhere he looked there were misfits, outcasts, and freaks all doing the things he had been told never to do since he was a little baby Madness back in Washington DC. Now he lives in LA, but still loves finding his people at various regionals like BEquinox (LA Regional), YOUtopia (San Diego Regional), Apogea (Colorado Regional) and a really fun unofficial Fresno regional that we are not allowed to mention here. On playa he started a Disney sing-a-long way before they were cool, he volunteered with the Temple Guardians, Greeters, and the Penguins at Arctica. In 2018 he started an amazing camp with the absolute best humans in the world. Is he still cynical? Well…he tries to be. Right up until the smell of playa dust tickles his nose and makes him smile.
machine
Flagging Manager
L2K... a Gift Ticket... Early Arrival and the promise to help with whatever it takes to complete the 'Ring'. 2004 would prove to be the most amazing 'freshman' year; Cave of the Echo People, theme camp; Reflection, art project and my first experience with 'Placement'. machine was born! On playa experience includes...coning those places vehicles shouldn't tread; Ice sales; Placer for 3:00, 4:30 and 6:00; Flagger, then Lead Flagger... finding out being on playa an entire month each year, the best time ever spent! Black Rock City is through the looking glass.
Muppet
Placement Production Coordinator
Gave fucked-up-haircuts galore as co-lead of theme camp Barberella Shop for 4 years. Put in three years on the ARTery Field Ops team as a glorified excuse to drive a golf cart around at Burning Man. Discovered a stowaway during their only year working the lanes at Gate Actual. Placement Team staff support and BRC map boss since 2014; probably knows the locations of 85% of camps at Burning Man any given year. DPW Playa Restoration Senior Scribe (now retired) & self-identified darklepony.
2006 was my first Burn. I wish I had one of those love at 1st sight stories but it took a couple days for the playa to work its magic on me. I was ready to leave on day 3. Fortunately, playa serendipity had other plans for me and I stayed through to the Burn. I was hooked! 15 Burns later I’d been the TCO of 2 camps spanning 14 Burns. Following the 2023 Burn, I decided it was time for a new perspective and a new way to contribute. The beginning of 2024, I stepped down as the lead of the Cabana Club and I joined the Placement Team. I love that I now get to help other camps create their own magic!
Papa Bear
Placement Assistant Manager
My first year on playa was 2005. By my second year I was fully on board and involved in a project to bring an art bike, decorate it like a UFO and pour micro-brew off it. The following year in 2007 a few friends and I started CarboFuckiNation and were placed in the 9:00 Portal serving IPFuckinA. 2009-2012 I revamped CarboFuckiNation into RevoFuckinLution and we had a good run in the 9:00 Portal continuing to serve IPFuckinA and adding TranscendentAle to the beer board. Desiring a bigger sandbox to play in, I stopped running a theme camp and joined Placement in 2013 where I became the lead Placer for 9:00 from 2014 to 2019. In 2021, I joined the Placement Management team and am honored to be the Placement Assistant Manager supporting the talented volunteer teams under the Placement umbrella and helping to create the ephemeral and experimental city called BRC.
Ratchet first came to Black Rock City in 2016. Without ever meeting his campmates in person, he flew into Reno to help load the trucks and then hit the road for build week. Stereotypically, it changed his life. Over the past 9 years, he has helped lead theme camps (Mudskippers Urban Decay Cafe), crewed on art cars (ICARUS), and generally done an excellent job of living up to his Playa name. He is often either holding things together, screwing them down, or shaking them up.
I experienced my first burn in 2010 as a robot and was unsurprisingly dubbed Robox. Every day I would roll out of camp in a large and boxy costume to greet all of the black rock denizens in my boxy self. By sun down I had hugged and danced myself to exhaustion only to do it again the next day. I experienced my first 3 burns in this fashion until I felt comfortable enough in my own skin to break out of the box. Hello! I am Robox but also not just a robot.
I first set foot on the Black Rock Desert 10/11/91—it was magical! First Burn '92. Since '94 I've built art, planned theme camps, volunteered at Earth Guardians, L2K and with Perimeter Death Ray crew. I joined Placement in '01 to help design the 3 & 9 Portal-Plazas. After managing the plazas for two years I became Placer for 3 (Berlin) sector, and placed 7:30 in '06 when 7:30-4:30 plazas began. I've been in many sectors — 7:30, 4:30, 3, 2 & 10. I love our team, watching BRC ascend from the playa surface and being part of its culture and evolution.
I first went to Burning Man in 2007 not knowing what to expect. Quickly my mind was blown by the art, the infectious sense of joy and openness, and I have never been the same since. That year I made a vow to myself that I will continue to come back to Black Rock City and I have ever since. Burning Man has helped me discover a fuller sense of who I am and I will forever be grateful. Off playa you can find me helping indigenous peoples tell their story through film, capturing the wonder of the natural world through video production, and traipsing along the Pacific Crest Trail.
My first burn was 2004 and it was so amazing and memorable that I hardly remember any of it. I scribbled a note to remember to come back as quickly as possible and never saw that slip of paper again. The “universe” sent me back to the playa in 2014, and I’ve been unable to stop remembering to go there since -- in fact, I’m always going there, even now as you read this. I’ve been wildly successful at failing harder each year, resulting in the creation of the smallest, largest, and only black metal wine bar in BRC as well as numerous "artistic productions". I like to think of BRC as the place where best laid plans go to die and be reborn, and as your placer I am ever so happy to survey your wreckages and remind you of the great potential for future melee.
Friends have been going to Burning Man since 1993 but I always had a reason not to (mostly because I thought it was a big hippie fest) ;) In 2003, I took up a dare, got myself to BRC and never looked back. I was lucky enough to camp with some placers and fell in love with what they were doing. 2004-2006 was spent trying to find my place as a volunteer: BMIR, Greeters, Rangers - all the while watching my campmates, hoping for a spot in the team. I joined the 9:00 sector in 2007 and in 2008 started placing 2:00 & 10:00. We volunteer hundreds of hours but it’s definitely one of the most rewarding jobs on playa.
I’ve attended Burning Man every year since 2018 and joined Placement in 2022 (where I was in 3:00). Prior to joining, I was an open camper and didn’t know a whole lot about theme camps but was eager to learn and share my unique perspective with the team. What keeps me coming back each year is the seemingly limitless creative possibilities and the unadulterated setting that allows you to be your authentic self and have boatloads of fun with complete strangers.
Valnor
Camp Layout Support
My first year on Playa was 2017 and started sipping on the Kool Aid since day one..!
I’m a multi-department volunteer, very much in love with our community and always looking for ways to contribute more. Working with Camp layout support is my way to volunteer year round and make life as easy as possible for camps so they can offer their very best to the Burn!
Leaving my ranch in the mountains of Northern California for a few blessed months, I get to work on my other passion - urban planning with Placement. Dusty, dusty urban planning! The strangest, most unique urban planning ever, filled with live music, amazing food, lots of fire, insane workshops and a multitude of bars and coffee, with the strangest, most talented, creative citizens on the planet. Look for me on my Little Green Tractor and tell me what you love most about life on playa. See you in the dust soon!
Wizard
Camp Layout Support
I first burned in 2014, which was such an eye opening experience that some friends and I started our own camp (Teddies) the following year. Since then I've learned so much about infrastructure, spreadsheets, and creating an effective internal culture that also leads to lasting off-playa friendships. Placement was always one of my favorite departments to work with on the camp side, so in 2020 I joined the team as Mapping Support Volunteer, hoping to bring my love for clearly labeled, to-scale maps to the people.