Volunteering at Morphicon is a great way to give back, and get a free registration while doing so. There are three ways you can earn a discount on registration. One is by helping out during the convention (gophering), helping out before, during, and after the convention (staffing), or running a panel (being a panelist).
Gophers volunteer their time during the convention to guard doors, help with setup/tear down, run hospitality, and run registration. Gophers are only required to work the hours they agree to work, and they can work any amount of time. If you're interested in gophering at Morphicon contact gophers@morphicon.org, click Check to request more information on volunteering at the con while registering, or speak to someone in Potter Wright (Registration/Operations) during the convention. We can generally accommodate people with special needs who wish to volunteer so don't let that stop you from reaching out to us. Gophers are vital to the success of the convention. They do the day to day work that keeps everything running smoothly. Without them we wouldn't be able to function. Please consider giving back to Morphicon by giving some of your time. It's also a great way to meet other volunteers and convention attendees.
Gophers receive a discount on the following year's registration at the pre-reg level of $10 per each 5 hours worked and a special limited edition button. The maximum discount a gopher can receive for their service is $30 off, or a free basic registration for the next year's convention. We're more than happy to have gophers volunteer for 15+ hours but after that the benefits cap off. Discounts cannot be transferred or deferred, they must be used the following year. Gophering discounts can be stacked with staffing discounts if you happen to gopher one year, and then staff the next. Gophering hours can be added to panelist hours for determining the total discount for the following year.
Staffers volunteer a significant amount of time before and after the convention to ensure that the convention is a success. They attend monthly meetings online, and are expected to attend the convention unless other arrangements are made. Few staff positions require previous experience, or deep knowledge of any one subject. Generally Morphicon needs staff members with the following attributes:
- Sufficient free time to devote to staff meetings, the convention itself, and duties related to the convention.
- Enthusiasm for contributing their best to the convention
- Well organized and able to keep on track with convention tasks
If you feel like you might be a candidate for Morphicon staff then send an email to chair@morphicon.org. We'll work with you and see if we can't find a good position for you on staff.
Panelists run events/panels for Morphicon. They volunteer their time during the convention to create programming for other attendees to enjoy. This also entails significant work outside of the convention prepping for the panel. We recognize this hard work by rewarding each panelists with double the amount of time spent running panels at the convention in gopher hours. These hours work exactly like the hours described in the gophering section. Panelists accrue gophering hours from all their time spent running panels/events panelists do not need to do all their events/panels consecutively to earn gopher for them.
For example, if a panelists runs a 1 hour panel or event, they are entitled to 2 gopher hours. They could then work 3 more hours as a gopher keeping hospitality running, to earn $10 off next year's convention.
Another example, if a panelists were to run 3 hours of programming (it doesn't have to be all at once) during the convention, they would be entitled to 6 gophering hours, and a $10 discount for next year.
If you're interested in running a panel/event at the convention, contact programming@morphicon.org.