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What do we call personnel who serve VIPs in a formal ceremony or dinner?

What I can find through Google is “servers” or “waiting staff”.

But are there any other words or phrases that fit the position better?

Add on explanations

What do we call personnel who serve VIPs, not in term of food but as an assistant who tells time, passes message to and from someone and escorts VIP to the stage, etc., in a formal ceremony (e.g., parade and dinner) as a temporarily assigned position by the event organiser instead of an employed position by the VIP?

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    What exactly do you mean by "serves"? What is the context? In a restaurant? In their house?
    – SteveES
    Commented Jun 29, 2017 at 15:15
  • in a ceremony or a formal dinner
    – yqlim
    Commented Jun 29, 2017 at 15:45
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    In what way are they assisting the VIP? Are they bringing food? Or are they answering phone calls while the VIP is eating?
    – Devil07
    Commented Jun 29, 2017 at 17:17
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    Reminding of time, escorting, etc: aide They also pass messages; they usually don't actually serve a meal.
    – Xanne
    Commented Jun 29, 2017 at 19:32
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    Assuming they are either contracted for the event by the event organizer, or loaned to the VIP from host staff, they are usually called VIP handlers.
    – Phil Sweet
    Commented Jun 29, 2017 at 20:28

4 Answers 4

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Aide: The word here is aide

aide noun: aide; plural noun: aides

an assistant to an important person, especially to a political leader.

"a presidential aide"

synonyms: assistant, helper, adviser, right-hand man, man/girl Friday, adjutant, deputy, second-in-command, second;

subordinate, junior, underling, acolyte; informal sidekick, body man, gofer

"an aide to the supervisor"

short for aide-de-camp.

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  • I agree with your answer, and have upvoted it because I am confident you will add the reference and link that slipped your mind. :)
    – ab2
    Commented Jun 29, 2017 at 20:11
  • @ab2 I added it. But is this a reference service? LMGTFY. That's why so many actual answers are in comments. Not that they're not good.
    – Xanne
    Commented Jun 29, 2017 at 20:26
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    An aide works for the VIP. I think the OP wants a term for an assigned/loaned assistant for the duration of the event whose main job is to make sure everyone is in their place and the event comes off as planned.
    – Phil Sweet
    Commented Jun 29, 2017 at 20:34
  • A VIP would surely travel everywhere with a member of their staff tasked for this purpose. PA?
    – Dan
    Commented Mar 30, 2018 at 19:29
  • The OP asks for someone who serves a VIP at a specific event, who works for the caterer or perhaps the organization hosting the event. A personal assistant might be there as well. Actually I like "celebrity handler."
    – Xanne
    Commented Mar 30, 2018 at 20:48
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Sometimes this is called a celebrity handler or wrangler (I've especially heard these terms in the context of Hollywood, but they might be used elsewhere).

Here is a description of celebrity handler from the blog of someone who has held the job:

Most recently, I picked up the job of official celebrity handler. I don't want to call it an "assistant" job because it makes it sound more permanent than it is. As a handler, it is my responsibility to make sure that the celebrity gets from point A to point B on time with relative ease and no problems. I handle crowds, questions, and generally make sure that the celebrity has whatever he or she might need while in my custody.

That sounds very like your meaning, but note that some celebrities/VIPs do have permanent "handlers" on-staff (though they usually have a different, more formal title, like "agent" or "stylist").

And celebrity wrangler, from Blumenfeld's Dictionary of Acting and Show Business:

A person who works for the organizer of a publicity or other gala social event and whose job is to arrange for the appearance at the event of a well-known star or other famous person. The wrangler also arranges for transportation and other needs, and looks after the celebrities once they have arrived.

Note that wrangler has a bit more connotation that the person might be involved before the event in the actual scheduling, and sometimes the term might mean someone who actually recruits the celebrity/VIP.

Finally, a more general-purpose term is gofer. From Cambridge Dictionary:

a person whose job is to take messages or to collect and deliver things for other people

This one apparently comes from the phrase "go for" as in "go there to get something", because the gofer is always being told "go for this, go for that". It doesn't necessarily imply a VIP boss or temporary position (a regular, not-very-important office might employ a permanent gofer) but could certainly be used in your context.

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I don't think there is a formal term for this in English. Terms like headwaiter, maître d', and even majordomo are often used to connote a servant of higher status.

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  • thanks for the answer. this is my first time hearing majordomo
    – yqlim
    Commented Jun 29, 2017 at 17:23
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VIP Assistants, or a VIP Personal Assistant.

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  • Perhaps you could be a little more eloquent in your anwers.
    – BlackSwan
    Commented Jul 10, 2017 at 12:37

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