Important: Gallifrey One Conventions does NOT offer free admission for volunteers. Please read the following information for answers to many of your questions.

Gallifrey One was founded by volunteer organizers and, twenty-three years later, that has never changed. From our Board of Directors to the committee and staff of the convention, we're all volunteers. And as a fan run convention, by the fans and for the fans, we'd love your help. Though we cannot offer free/discounted registration to our volunteers, we do have a nifty treat (keep reading below) for those who join us and help us out...

What do volunteers do?

Everything. We couldn't run our convention without them. Volunteers help set up the rooms and stage starting Thursday evening, everything from running cables to setting up curtains, then tearing it all down again at the end. Volunteers are needed to watch the dealers room and main programming doors and check badges (and believe me, this is a major need for us!) Volunteers assist in line control as well build a TARDIS, put out food in our con suite and our staff lounge area. And volunteers who are good with the public help us at our registration desk. Some of our volunteers even join our staff for future conventions. But we feel it very important that our volunteers know that they are still here to enjoy the convention, and not just help behind the scenes.

How do I volunteer?

Your first step to volunteering is very easy: stop by our volunteers desk, located right next to Member Services; it's also right next to the elevators that head to the lower floor. It's really simple: you fill out a form, which includes your details, your availability during the convention (so you won't miss those special panels you have always wanted to go to), and your signature. You will be issued a volunteers card to carry around with you. You can check back regularly at the volunteers desk to see if something has come up, and if we have need, we'll put you to work.

How long do I volunteer?

This is entirely up to you. We're hoping to staff our badge-checkers in one-hour intervals, for example. Pre-convention setup can run a couple of hours, but usually involves a much larger group. Otherwise, it's on an as-needed basis and usually won't last for more than a couple of hours. (Pre-convention volunteering -- loading the truck on Wednesday night, unloading on Thursday night, helping our initial setup that evening, and then our major setup on Friday morning -- is a great way to get involved and get noticed through the convention. If you can start earlier than Friday, let us know!)

How is my volunteering recorded?

Very simple: Gallifrey One uses a volunteer points system. Certain functions, such as volunteering for one hour on a door, get you a point. Others get you two points. Our committee members can assign more points at their discretion, too. All they need to do is sign your volunteer card for that item and note the point value.

What's in it for me?

For starters, pride in knowing that you were a part of the best Doctor Who event in the world by our count. Granted, you really can't wear pride to show you are a volunteer, so you'll also (after a certain number of hours) receive an invitation to our Post-Convention Reception on Sunday evening at 8:30pm: a special party for our committee, staff and especially our volunteers with hors d'oeuvres, beverages and as many of our guests as possible coming by to visit. It's a great opportunity for our volunteers to spend some quality time with the guests you may have missed. And it's really simple: if you get eight volunteer points, you get a ticket to the volunteers party.

Why don't you offer free admission for people who want to volunteer?

Gallifrey One is very much an old-style, participatory fan convention. Simply put, we are not looking for outside volunteers who are not interested in the subject matter, or are only interested in attending for free admission; our convention staff has been with us a long time, and for many years (during our 'lean' times) paid for their memberships just like everyone else. If you are a great volunteer and make an impact, we may ask you to join our permanent convention staff, which helps out with the convention at various points throughout the year -- and are offered registration at free or reduced rates. We appreciate that you may want to help, but you must be a member of the event to do so.

How do I get started?

Easy... drop us a line via the convention email page, or simply drop by the Volunteers desk on site. It'll take only a few minutes and you can be on your way!

An Important note

It is our recommendation that first-time visitors to Gallifrey One NOT VOLUNTEER so you can focus on enjoying the convention and everything we have to offer.

We look forward to working with you!