Baltimore Convention Center
Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Volunteering at Otakon (Becoming a Gofer)
Hello all, my name is Clint Santos, and for the last two years I have been the coordinator and department head of the now infamous Otakon Gofer Ops. If you’ve found this page, it must be because you wish to throw your life away for justice… just kidding, it means you’re interested in what is the wonderful world of Gofering. A lot of changes are in the air for Otakon 2010. First of all, I have taken on a co-department head to share the responsibilities of running Gofer Ops this year. For those of you who have gofered before, you will be familiar with my new co-head, Justin Blacker, who has served as my Lieutenant for the last two years. Other changes are planned, and we’re looking forward to an exciting year. Be sure to read through this page carefully, there's a lot of important information you’ll need to know.
This web site will be updated as more information is confirmed.
Gofer Pre-registration
Please NOTE, pre-registration to become a gofer does NOT pre-register you for the con itself.
What you need to know
What is required to become a Gofer? I’m glad you asked.
- You must be at least 16 years of age (by the time of the con)
- You must be registered for Otakon 2010
- You must attend Gofer Orientation (Gofer Orientation is Mandatory)
In order to pre-register as a gofer you must also complete your pre-registration to attend Otakon. Though you don't have to be pre-registered before Otakon 2010, you are STRONGLY URGED to do so. However we can process your registration at the Friday morning Gofer Orientation, if necessary.
If you have pre-registered, bring a copy of your registration confirmation, which would have been sent by e-mail. It will save us the hassle of looking up your name in the Big Book.
What Do Gofers Do?
There are tons of things to do as a gofer. Listing them all would just be silly but I will list a few:
- Hand out badges at Registration
- Work at the T-shirt table
- Assist Staff in everything from Workshops and Panels to Cosplay and Video Gaming
- Run projectors, VCRs, DVD players in Video Rooms
- Assist with line control
A few things you WILL NOT do as a Gofer:
- Handle money
- Act as Security
- Deal with Otakon VIPs, guests, or BCC security
How Can I Become a Gofer For Otakon 2010?
Take me to the Otakon 2010 Gofer Registration Form!
Incentives
This year we have streamlined the incentives for Gofers, discarding the old tier system. Minimum requirements for all Gofers will be as follows:
- Be at least 16 years of age
- Minimum block of 1 hour (per shift)
- Must work 8 hours minimum over Otakon (Fri - Sun)
- Must attend either Thursday orientation or Friday gofer call
The benefits for Gofer service will be the following (all benefits are cumulative):
- @ 8 hours – a Gofer specific T-shirt (new design in the works)
- @ 14 hours - $65 Otakon membership reimbursement
- @ 16 hours - current Otakon T-shirt
- @ 20 hours - Either a reimbursement of up to 3 nights in a hotel (~$40/night) OR an Otakon Merchandise grab bag (various Otakon merchandise such as shirts, hats, various trinkets.)
All gofers will receive meal coupons for every four hours they work. As we now have a new food vendor in the Baltimore Convention Center, details are still being worked out, but it will be similar to the previous years.
The grab bag:
The grab bag will serve as a new set of alternate incentives to those who do not stay in hotels during the con. Many of you have asked about other incentives outside of the usual t-shirts, and we hope the grab bag will satisfy those requests. We are currently working with the merchandising department to get some good stuff for the grab bags, and as grab bag items become available, we will update this page with their contents.
Additional Incentives
- In addition to your membership badge, you will also receive a gofer hangtag that you will add to your badge to signify your gofer status.
- Potential selection to the Staff. Otakon is always looking for good workers and new staffers to run the best anime convention on the East Coast.
Updated 5/1/2010
