Gopher

From Conbledegook

Somebody who volunteers at a con to do general fetching and carrying, locating missing panellists, delivering messages, etc. So-called because they are often asked to 'go for' things. See also groat, gopher hole, and gopher party.

Usually a gopher will get a special badge to show they are a volunteer, and some conventions provide either groats or some other form of reward such as a cheap or free t-shirt.

Gophers are usually organised either directly by Ops or by a Gopher Mother who may organise the gophers either by asking them to attend specific events or to sign up for a shift.

A convention can not run without volunteers, and Gophers are a vital part of any larger convention.

Some people differentiate between Gophers and other Staff by the fact that Staff have a defined department or job while Gophers can be asked to take on anything.

Some people differentiate between Gophers and Stewards by the fact that Stewards are there to interact with fans (whether it is badge checking or assisting with seating in large events) while Gophers are a more general resource and usually used to move equipment or do any other odd job.