As you’ll be spending countless hours perfecting every detail of your event, you'll need the right team by your side on the big day to make sure your vision comes to life. Whether it's for selling concessions or running a lighting board and sound system, building a committed and capable team will make a huge difference for your event.

Read on for five key considerations to keep in mind when hiring event staff so you can make sure everything goes off without a hitch!

1. Brush up on local regulations

Before you begin to hire event staff, be sure to check out the legal requirements for events in your area. A quick Google search for regulations in your state will help you get to know the rules about staffing for events. For example, you may need to obtain permits or licenses to sell alcohol, host live music, or use certain venues. You also may need liability insurance to protect yourself, attendees, and staff in case of accidents. We recommend having a signed contract with each member of your staff to make sure they know exactly what they’re signing up to do and what your expectations are. Plus, being transparent builds trust and helps maintain positive relationships with your event staff! 

2. Know the roles you need

Depending on the experience you’re hosting, you’ll probably need a wide variety of event staff on the books. Here are a few examples of common event staffing needs:

Security 

As one of the key elements of your onsite strategy, having security measures in place ensures everyone who attends feels safe and secure. It also helps prevent incidents and protects the liability of clients and event organizers.

Event production 

Your production crew is the unsung hero of any event, working behind the scenes to manage sound, lighting, and any other technical aspects to make the event successful and ensure everything runs smoothly. This should be one of your first hires!

Registration and check-in

Your attendees will likely all arrive around the same time, so it’s a good idea to station some staff members at each entrance to check them in, and station some to manage the box office for those buying tickets at the door. Bonus tip: ask your sponsors to send some swag or postcards for you to give away at registration, so their brand is the first thing attendees see!

Event set up and tear down

Having a dedicated team for this task will ensure everything looks perfect before the event starts and is cleaned up afterwards. Create a list of all the needed tasks for the head of this team to delegate, taking some responsibilities off your plate.

Refreshments

Depending on the size of your event, you may need to hire people to sell concessions. If you’re offering a buffet, stations, or a sit-down dinner, consider hiring a catering team to cook the food for you as well as help set up, serve, and tear down afterwards.

Photography and videography

Having designated staff grabbing stellar photos and videos for your event will ensure you have professional photos for your social media posts, promo for future events, press releases, and sponsorship proposals. If this isn’t in your budget just yet, check out our event photography guide to learn how to take awesome photos yourself!

Child assistance

Child care can help make the event enjoyable for both parents and children by keeping kids entertained with fun activities like making crafts or watching a movie. Depending on the number of attendees using this service, you might even consider dividing this by different age groups with different activities.

Volunteers

Volunteers help reduce costs and maximize resources while fostering a community-oriented spirit at the event! Their onsite responsibilities can range from helping with check-in, to handing out free T-shirts, to selling snacks. In exchange for their time, they are usually happy to be compensated with access to your event.

3. Consider your event budget  

Having a team full of the best staff available is the goal, and you need to carefully budget to make sure you can afford everyone’s wages alongside all other aspects of your event. Now, you might be wondering, how much do event staff get paid? Your staff members’ rates will depend on a few factors, like what you need them to do and how much expertise they have. Research the pay rates for similar staff positions at other events to ensure you’re offering a competitive rate and planning your budget accordingly. It also depends on the nature of the job. For example, a catering or a production team may have a predetermined rate for their services, while you may set the hourly rate or a set dollar figure for your check-in staff. 

4. Recruit for your staff positions

Now that you’ve determined what roles your event needs, it’s time to get the word out there and find quality candidates! Post a job offer on hiring sites like ZipRecruiter, Simply Hired, or Idealist, as many contractors and freelancers turn there first for job opportunities. Be descriptive with your post and include your pay range, needed qualifications, and expected responsibilities to reach the right candidates. For positions requiring specific experience or skill sets, you could also partner with a staffing agency, as they have access to a larger pool of potential applicants and have worked with other event planners. 

5. Interview and hire your team! 

Last but not least, it’s time to interview your applicants and finalize your onsite crew. Remember that when you’re choosing who will be a part of your team, even for a day, you need to pick those who have the skills you need and whose vision aligns with yours. And that starts with asking the right questions. They’ll vary depending on the position (i.e., if it’s focused more on soft skills like customer service or technical skills like photography). Here are a few examples to help you get started:

• Tell me about a time when you worked on a project that required you to work both independently and as a team?

• Do you have experience using event ticketing software?

• How have you dealt with unexpected situations while onsite?

• Describe your previous experience working with events similar to ours.

When setting up the interview, pick a medium that works best for you. In-person or remote interviews, one-on-ones or in a group, and one-off meetings or multi-round sessions are all decisions you’ll need to make based on the scope of your needs. The key is to find an approach that supports your organization and helps you build a strong team. Once you’re done interviewing and selecting staff, give your newest team members a warm welcome just in time for your next event!

Now that you know what goes into hiring event staff, be sure you have the right ticketing partner by your side! With an easy-to-use ticketing system like TicketLeap, you’ll gain a friendly support team and a full set of features to cover your every need.